Showbiz Sandbox

This year, consumers have continued to migrate from pay television providers to over-the-top services at an increasing rate. In the United States alone, the number of cable and satellite subscribers has dropped 25% to 73 million in just five years. Many industry watchers are expecting that number to bottom out at 50 million by 2025. Yet people are watching more television than ever; they’re just doing it on services such as Roku, HBO Max and Hulu. Last week Disney reported that their new streaming service has attracted 73 million subscribers. Their original target was 60 million by 2024. They reached that number their first nine months. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Spotify is investing more in podcasting, Ticketmaster makes a plan to safely hold concerts again, and the Super Bowl has booked its halftime show. Blumhouse Body Swap Horror Comedy ‘Freaky’ Takes In $3.7M, On Par With Other No. 1 Pics During Fall Pandemic https://deadline.com/2020/11/freaky-weekend-box-office-opening-blumhouse-universal-coronavirus-covid-19-1234615828/ International box office: ‘Demon Slayer’ enters Japan all-time top five; ‘Freaky’ top in Australia https://www.screendaily.com/news/international-box-office-demon-slayer-enters-japan-all-time-top-five-freaky-top-in-australia/5154974.article STXfilms’ “Songbird” To Sing as a Home Premiere Release Beginning December 11 https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/stxfilms-songbird-to-sing-as-a-home-premiere-release-beginning-december-11/ Iconic Tower Records Returns As Website Selling Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs https://deadline.com/2020/11/tower-records-returns-as-online-project-selling-vinyl-cassettes-cds-1234615682/ Broadway Shows May Not Report Grosses Upon Return https://broadwaynews.com/2020/11/11/broadway-shows-may-not-report-grosses-upon-return/ Disneyland Expected to Stay Closed Until At Least Dec. 31 https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/disneyland-closed-california-disney-chapek-1234830550/ Spotify to Buy Podcast Ad Platform Megaphone for $235m https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-to-buy-podcast-ad-platform-megaphone-for-235m-bringing-its-total-podcast-acquisition-spend-to-over-800m-in-the-past-2-years/ How Ticketmaster Plans to Check Your Vaccine Status for Concerts: Exclusive https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/touring/9481166/ticketmaster-vaccine-check-concerts-plan/ New PlayStation and Xbox Arrive During a Pandemic Gold Rush

With a second wave of COVID sweeping through Europe, cinemas in England, France and Germany have begun to shut down. Can movie theaters in North America and elsewhere soon follow their lead as infection rates rise? Even if cinemas remain open, they won’t have many new movies to show with studios moving major releases into next year. As major cinema chains around the world report cratering third-quarter revenue they have begun to accept they may have to play titles with shorter release windows, at least until the pandemic is over. This has led to the National Association of Theatre Owners saying that if Congress doesn’t pass a relief bill soon, some 70% of cinemas in North America will declare bankruptcy or go out of business entirely. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Jay-Z is looking to get high on his own supply, Johnny Depp gets dumped from “Fantastic Beasts” and Netflix goes linear (at least in France). China Box Office Propels ‘Sacrifice’ Past $100 Million https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/china-box-office-sacrifice-1234821249/ ‘Demon Slayer’ Nearing $200M In Japan; ‘Tenet’ Tops $350M Worldwide – International Box Office https://deadline.com/2020/11/demon-slayer-200-million-japan-tenet-come-play-witches-let-him-go-global-international-box-office-1234611243/ Major NBCUniversal Layoffs In TV & Streaming Unit To Begin In Mid-November https://deadline.com/2020/10/nbcuniversal-layoffs-tv-streaming-unit-november-december-1234605350/ Disney Studio Division, Including Searchlight, Also Hit With Layoffs Following ESPN Cuts https://deadline.com/2020/11/disney-searchlight-pictures-layoffs-espn-covid-19-1234609891/ Lionsgate Lays Off 15% of Film Staff as Hollywood Suffers From the Pandemic https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-11-05/lionsgate-layoffs-covid-pandemic-john-wick Jay-Z Launches ‘Monogram’ Cannabis Line With Caliva https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9471867/jay-z-monogram-cannabis-line-caliva/ Bruce Springsteen Becomes First Act With Top Five-Charting Albums in Each of Last Six Decades With ‘Letter to You’ https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9476652/bruce-springsteen-makes-history-with-letter-to-you/ Johnny Depp Forced to Exit ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Franchise https://variety.com/2020/film/news/johnny-depp-exhits-fantastic-beasts-franchise-1234824564/ Major VFX Landscape Shake-Up: Framestore Buys Company 3, Method https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/major-vfx-landscape-shake-up-framestore-buys-company-3-method

Quibi, the bite-sized content platform founded by media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg and business leader Meg Whitman, has been mocked since it was first announced. Now after six months and $2 billion, Quibi is kaput. Unable to find an audience, and despite a fruitless attempt to find a buyer, Quibi is officially shutting down. The company insists people were gunning for them from the start, but the simple truth is that Quibi always seemed like a solution in search of a problem. Besides, however good the content may have been, it was going to be very hard to convince people to plunk down $5 a month just to watch random videos while commuting. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including Netflix misses its third quarter subscriber goal, television ratings for live sports events plummets and box office continues to soar in China and Japan. Shonda Rhimes Is Ready to “Own Her S***” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/shonda-rhimes-is-ready-to-own-her-s-the-game-changing-showrunner-on-leaving-abc-culture-shock-at-netflix-and-overcoming-her-fears China’s ‘The Sacrifice’ Bows To $53M; ‘Demon Slayer’ Tops $100M In Japan https://deadline.com/2020/10/demon-slayer-japan-the-sacrifice-china-imax-global-international-box-office-1234602427/ ‘Honest Thief’ Continues To Lead Lackluster Pandemic Box Office, ‘Empty Man’ Tripped By Holdovers https://deadline.com/2020/10/honest-thief-empty-man-after-we-collided-weekend-box-office-1234602930/ AMC Plans to Sell 15 Million Shares, Warns Investors of Potential Bankruptcy https://variety.com/2020/film/news/amc-chain-warns-bankruptcy-filing-1234810731/ James Bond Film ‘No Time to Die’ Explored $600 Million Sale to Streaming Services https://variety.com/2020/film/news/james-bond-no-time-to-die-netflix-apple-1234814809/ UK Must Be ‘Brave’ and Prosecute Gulf Royal Accused of Sexual Assault, Says Top QC https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/22/uk-must-be-brave-and-prosecute-gulf-royal-accused-of-sexual-assault-says-top-qc ‘Lovecraft Country’ Hits Series High Ratings With Epic Season Finale https://deadline.com/2020/10/lovecraft-country-season-finale-tv-ratings-hbo-series-high-1234600763/ HBO Max Hits 28.7 Million Subscribers in Q3, Warner Bros. Revenue Down 28% https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/hbo-max-28-million-subscribers-q3-att-earnings-1234813032/ TV Ratings for Many Sports Are Down. Don’t Read Too Much Into It Yet.

One week after the Walt Disney Company announced that it would be premiering its latest Pixar film on Disney+ rather than in movie theaters, the media giant says it will reorganize its corporate structure to focus the company’s content creation on streaming. Is this a hasty pivot, long in the works, or just making official the obvious? The move left many industry watchers a bit confused. Meanwhile, movie theaters in most of New York state can reopen, except in New York City itself. Even so, studios still won’t be releasing a blockbuster soon enough to help struggling cinema operators like AMC, who claims they will run out of money before the end of the year. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Kevin Hart is taking over for Jerry Lewis on the muscular dystrophy telethon, K-Pop boy band BTS might be enlisting in the South Korean military (literally) and this year’s slimmed-down Tony nominations. Liam Neeson’s ‘Honest Thief’ notches No. 1 at box office https://apnews.com/article/san-diego-robert-de-niro-liam-neeson-robert-pattinson-movies-5d54ec18d9b9517ccbb40023cb7e0f39 ‘Demon Slayer’ Leads Global Box Office with Record-breaking $44m Japan Debut https://www.screendaily.com/news/demon-slayer-leads-global-box-office-with-record-breaking-44m-japan-debut/5154160.article Japan’s ‘Demon Slayer’ Kills It With Record $44M Opening; China Passing North America For 2020 – International Box Office https://deadline.com/2020/10/demon-slayer-tenet-japan-china-global-international-box-office-1234599364/ Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming 2 America’ Moves From Paramount to Amazon Studios https://variety.com/2020/film/news/eddie-murphys-coming-2-america-moves-from-paramount-to-amazon-studios-1234799523/ It’s Official: China Overtakes North America as World’s Biggest Box Office in 2020 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/its-official-china-overtakes-north-america-as-worlds-biggest-box-office-in-2020 UK £500M Film & TV Insurance Restart Scheme Officially Opens Today Following State Aid Approval https://deadline.com/2020/10/uk-500m-film-tv-insurance-restart-scheme-officially-opens-today-following-state-aid-approval-1234598660/ Warner Bros & Universal Bosses Say No Movie Theater Buyouts In The Works, But “We’re Rooting For Them” https://deadline.com/2020/10/warner-bros-universal-bosses-movie-theater-buyouts-covid-19-1234598176/ AMC Theatres Says Cash Resources to Be “Largely Depleted” by End of 2020 or Early 2021 https://www....

As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, things are not getting any easier for the Walt Disney Company. The company, long a cheerleader for the theatrical moviegoing experience, has just moved the latest Pixar film to its streaming platform, Disney+. Meanwhile, Disneyland still hasn’t been allowed to open and now a well known activist investor is making all sorts of problems for the media giant. When cinemas do finally reopen there will be a glut of Marvel and DC titles trying to find release dates. Presently, they can only play at a drive-in, which by the way now qualifies a movie for an Academy Award. It’s also the only kind of movie theater New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is allowing to open. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why artists are debuting at the top of the music charts more frequently, why the ad spend during the TV upfronts is down this year and Broadway will remain closed until at least May of 2021. China box office: National Day revenues rank as second highest ever with $580m https://deadline.com/2020/10/monster-hunter-release-date-change-milla-jovovich-1234591362/ NY State: Ingress and Egress From NYC Movie Theaters Is A Big Issue https://deadline.com/2020/10/movie-theater-ingress-egress-concern-of-ny-state-where-ongoing-theater-closures-are-sparking-heated-debate-1234591685 ‘Monster Hunter’ Officially Dated Stateside For December https://deadline.com/2020/10/monster-hunter-release-date-change-milla-jovovich-1234591362/ Imax Furloughs 150 Employees https://variety.com/2020/film/news/imax-furloughs-150-u-s-employees-exclusive-1234796516/ NATO Renews Call To #SaveYourCinema, Asks Moviegoers To Send Half A Million Letters To Congress https://deadline.com/2020/10/nato-renews-call-to-saveyourcinema-asks-moviegoers-to-send-half-million-letters-to-congress-1234593808/ Marvel and DC Movies Will Flood Theaters in 2021 and 2022 — If They Can All Be Made in Time https://variety.com/2020/film/news/marvel-studios-dc-films-release-dates-1234782887/ Broadway Extends Shutdown Through May 2021 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/broadway-extends-shutdown-through-may-2021 Inside TV’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Upfront https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/tv-advertising-coronavirus-upfront-streaming-video-1234795555/ California Gov. Gavin Newsom Says Disneyland & Other Parks Not Opening Soon https://deadline.

Studios are pushing movie releases into 2021, with the latest James Bond thriller abandoning it’s scheduled November date in cinemas. Now major theater chains are shutting their doors once again. We’re joined by Patrick von Sychowski, the editor of Celluloid Junkie, to help us break down the present and predict the future of the cinema industry. Meanwhile in China, movie theaters are not only open, they are bringing in big audiences who are off work during the country’s Golden Week. More than two films earned over $100 million at the Chinese box office this past week, proving cinemas can reboot after a coronavirus shutdown. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including new charges against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, some good news for junior players at United Talent Agency and some bad news for 28,000 former Disney employees. How Did Chinese Cinemas Recover So Fast Post COVID-19? https://celluloidjunkie.com/2020/10/02/60-days-150m-visitors-7-9bn-bo-how-did-chinese-cinemas-recover-so-fast-post-covid-19/ Geoff Boucher’s Mindspace https://www.heavymetal.com/mindspace/ ‘Tenet’ Tops $300M Global; China’s National Day Pics Lead 2020 WW Openers & Set IMAX Records https://deadline.com/2020/10/tenet-after-we-collided-legend-of-deification-my-people-my-homeland-greenland-china-overtake-us-global-international-box-office-weekend-1234591000/ ‘Hocus Pocus’: Disney Rerelease Casting Unexpected Spell At Weekend Box Office https://deadline.com/2020/10/hocus-pocus-disney-rerelease-tenet-weekend-box-office-1234590815/ Regina King’s ‘One Night in Miami’ to Release in Theaters on Christmas, Amazon Prime in 2021 https://variety.com/2020/film/news/one-night-in-miami-release-date-1234790445/ ‘The Boys,’ ‘Mulan’ Break Netflix Stranglehold on Streaming Top 10 (Exclusive) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/the-boys-mulan-break-netflix-stranglehold-on-streaming-top-10 Short Show ‘The Long Night’ Offers Quality Over Quantity http://chinafilminsider.com/short-show-the-long-night-offers-quality-over-quantity/ Harvey Weinstein Charged With Three More Rapes in Beverly Hills https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/harvey-weinstein-beverly-hills-rapes-1234790662/ Disney Parks to Lay Off 28,000 Employees; Cites California’s “Unwillingness” to Reopen Disneyland https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-parks-to-layoff-28000-employees-cites-californias-unwillingness-to-reope...

Over the last twenty years the annual fall film festival circuit has become the unofficial launching pad for movies looking to be seriously considered during awards season. Nobody was certain, however, how such festivals could be held amidst a global pandemic. Especially those whose jobs it is to produce and program such major events. As the director of the New York Film Festival Eugene Hernandez had to not only watch movies and convince filmmakers to show them, he also had to research digital platforms for a virtual festival and prove to everyone from Disney to Apple that they could trust a new digital platform to do virtual screenings for critics and audiences, all while figuring out a safe way to show movies – at drive ins – and ultimately decide whether the festival should actually happen. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Hollywood Reporter and Variety now share owners, which new musical is planning to open on the shuttered West End in London and why CBS is licensing certain shows to Netflix. 58th New York Film Festival https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2020/ New York Film Festival Chiefs on Moving Forward During COVID-19: ‘Nothing Was the Same’ https://variety.com/2020/film/markets-festivals/new-york-film-festival-chief-covid-19-1234787942/ ‘Tenet’ Now At $41.2M In Domestic Pandemic Marketplace That Is Starving For Business & Tentpole Movies https://deadline.com/2020/09/tenet-weekend-box-office-domestic-christopher-nolan-1234585917/ ‘Tenet’ Crosses $280 Million Worldwide, Leads Mild U.S. Box Office With $3.4 Million https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/box-office-tenet-worldwide-1234784811/ BAFTA Sets Wide-Ranging Rule Changes To Boost Diversity In Film Awards; Directing & Acting Categories Tweaked, Membership To Expand https://deadline.com/2020/09/bafta-film-awards-rule-changes-diversity-female-directors-membership-voting-1234583390/ Macmillan Ups Baseline Salary to $42K https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/84456-macmillan-ups-baseline-salary-to-42k.html ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Reboot Ordered to Series at HBO Max https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/pretty-little-liars-reboot-ordered-to-series-at-hbo-max ‘Evil’ & ‘Unicorn’ Headed To Netflix In One-Year Licensing Deal By CBS TV Studios Aimed At Finding New Audiences https://deadline.com/2020/09/evil-unicorn-netflix-in-one-year-licensing-deal-cbs-tv-studios-1234581581/ Why Isn’t Evan Rachel Wood’s ‘Once and Again’ Available to Stream?

When COVID-19 shut down the worldwide entertainment industry many wondered how it would affect annual events such as awards shows as well as film and music festivals. While the pandemic led to the cancelation of the Cannes Film Festival, the Emmy Awards honoring excellence in television and the Toronto International Film Festival both managed to hold virtual events that were received quite positively. Anne Thompson, Indiewire’s Editor at Large, has been attending and covering TIFF for decades, though this year she didn’t have to leave her home to do so. She fills us in on what it was like to attend TIFF virtually, what the standout films were, how they will likely get released in theaters and which ones will be up for (a virtual) Oscars next year. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including complete coverage of the Emmy Awards, a new music video for a beloved Louis Armstrong song and Madonna will direct her own biopic. Thompson on Hollywood https://www.indiewire.com/v/thompsononhollywood/ TIFF 2020 Was a Slimmed-Down Success, Complete with Oscar Contenders and Solid Sales https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/tiff-2020-festival-oscar-contenders-sales-1234587717/ Box Office: ‘Tenet’ Crosses $250 Million Globally, But Continues to Stall in the U.S. https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/tenet-box-office-1234776364/ China Box Office: ‘Mulan’ Defeated Yet Again by ‘The Eight Hundred’ https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/disney-mulan-china-box-office-2-1234776520/ Box Office Recovery Imperiled: “Do You Take the Risk or Do You Punt? https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-recovery-imperiled-do-you-take-the-risk-or-do-you-punt Live TV Musicians Claim “Systemic Racism” At Networks To Blame For Lack Of Economic Parity https://deadline.com/2020/09/live-tv-musicians-systemic-racism-claim-networks-labor-talks-1234579021/ Jerry Harris, Star of ‘Cheer,’ Charged With Producing Child Pornography https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jerry-harris-star-of-cheer-charged-with-producing-child-pornography Paradigm Permanently Lets Go 180 Temporary Laid-Off https://deadline.com/2020/09/paradigm-permanently-lets-go-180-temporary-laid-off-staff-read-memo-1234578921/ Lucifer’ Jumps to Top of Nielsen’s Streaming Top 10 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/lucifer-jumps-to-top-of-nielsens-streaming-top-10 Emmy Winners 2020: The Full List of Awards

Now that new movies are once again playing in reopened cinemas, studios are reluctant to report their pandemic crippled grosses lest their films be deemed publicly as financial flops. At least two studios are delaying box office reports of their latest releases in what many industry insiders fear is a new trend. Is it appropriate for distributors to break with a decades old tradition of reporting weekend grosses in the midst of COVID-19 or do they have the right to keep box office on their titles confidential? Meanwhile, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a new diversity initiative for the Oscars. Now for a film to be eligible for the Best Picture category it has to meet at least two of four diversity requirements. It’s a thoughtful move, even if almost every film made in the last ten years can easily meet the new requirements Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney’s “Mulan” is stirring up unwanted controversy, a major talent agency finally agrees to the Writers Guild code of conduct and sales of vinyl records surpass compact discs for the first time in over 30 years. Warner Bros. Won’t Share ‘Tenet’ Box Office Data, Angering Rival Studios https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/warner-bros-tenet-box-office-studios-1234767113/ Disney’s “Mulan” Is Anything But ‘Loyal, Brave, True’ https://www.moviemaker.com/disneys-mulan-is-anything-but-loyal-brave-true-commentary/ How Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Became One of 2020’s Most Controversial Movies https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-09-11/disneys-mulan-debuts-in-china-heres-why-its-controversial WGA Responds To CAA Deal Claim That Would End Stalemate https://deadline.com/2020/09/caa-in-deal-with-wga-1234576395/ HBO Max Ad Plan Could Pair Commercials With Movie Classics https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/hbo-max-advertising-commercials-classic-movies-1234762076/ In ‘Jersey Boys’ Ruling, Appeals Court Adopts New Standard for Nonfiction https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/in-jersey-boys-ruling-appeals-court-adopts-new-standard-for-nonfiction ‘Walking Dead’ to End With Expanded Season 11, Daryl-Carol Spinoff Series Set at AMC https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/walking-dead-final-season-11-daryl-carol-spinoff-series-amc-1234762220/ ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ To End In 2021 With Season 20 ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ To End In 2021 With Season 20 Hollywood Reporter De-emphasizing Overnight TV Ratings https://www.hollywoodreporter.

After zeroing out for six months, the worldwide box office is roaring back to life, led by China and films like “The Eight Hundred” and “Tenet.” We’re joined by Robert Mitchell of Gower Street Analytics who helped develop a staged approach of measuring how the box office in various markets is rebounding and what to expect in the months and years to come. Meanwhile Hollywood talent agents continue to migrate toward management firms, as the major agencies continue to furlough or layoff staff. Will some creatives choose not to have an agent at all moving forward? Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Nielsen has begun measuring streaming viewership by the billions of minutes, Tyler Perry goes on a production spree and a whole new way to (sort of) watch Netflix shows. China Box Office: ‘The Eight Hundred’ Marches Towards $300M https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-the-eight-hundred-tops-tenet-marches-towards-300m Warner Bros. Tenet Resuscitates Exhibition With $20M+ Over Labor Day Weekend, $150M WW To Date https://deadline.com/2020/09/tenet-opening-weekend-box-office-1234571662/ ‘Tenet’ Makes Solid Start in China Cinemas, Scores $8.6 Million https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/tenet-makes-solid-start-in-china-cinemas-1234759639/ Disney’s ‘Mulan’ Locks Down China Release Date https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disneys-mulan-locks-down-china-release-date ‘Mulan’ Will Be Available to All Disney Plus Subscribers in December for No Extra Cost https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/mulan-disney-plus-all-subscribers-no-extra-charge-1234757666/ ‘The Batman’ Production Remains Paused as Cast, Crew Quarantine https://variety.com/2020/film/global/the-batman-resumes-filming-without-robert-pattinson-1234759647/ UTA Becomes First Agency To Reinstate Full Pay For Workers, As It Downsizes And Lets 50 Employees Go https://deadline.com/2020/09/uta-first-agency-reinstate-full-pay-also-downsizes-layoff-50-employees-1234569245/ Longtime CAA Agent Carin Sage Joining 3 Arts https://deadline.com/2020/09/carin-sage-moving-to-3-arts-entertainment-from-caa-1203028562/ Netflix’s ‘Umbrella Academy’ Leads Nielsen’s First Streaming Top 10 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/netflixs-umbrella-academy-leads-nielsens-first-streaming-top-10 ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators Tackle ‘The Three-Body Problem’ for Netflix

At a time when streaming giants have eroded box office participation and rich TV syndication deals, a significant number of high level talent agents have begun leaving their prestigious positions to become managers. They hope to help top celebrities build companies around themselves in the same way Gwyneth Paltrow and Reese Witherspoon have become business moguls. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” finally opened in theaters, at least in some international territories. Despite limited capacity screenings the blockbuster managed to live up to the hype earning $53 million at the box office. Even so, two hit films from China made even more money over the past week. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including a big syndication deal for “Young Sheldon,” the New York Times stops printing its TV listings and the Korean boy band BTS blows up a few records with its new single. China’s ‘The Eight Hundred’ Has Bigger Weekend Box Office Than ‘Tenet’ https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/chinas-eight-hundred-bigger-box-office-than-tenet-1234754273/ China Box Office: ‘Love You Forever’ Enjoys $38 Million Opening Day https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/love-you-forever-record-china-box-office-opening-1234748968/ With ‘Tenet’ at $53 Million, Believe the Hype: Initial International Box Office Is Strong https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-53-million-international-grosses-strong-1234583438/ Academy Museum Creative Director Peter Castro Under Investigation for Sexual Assault https://variety.com/2020/film/news/academy-museum-peter-castro-sexual-assault-investigation-1234749946/ ‘Young Sheldon’ Sets Rich Syndication Deal With ViacomCBS https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/young-sheldon-sets-rich-syndication-deal-with-viacomcbs A Final Episode for the TV Listings https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/insider/TV-listings-ending.html BTS’s Dynamite Topped 12.6M Streams on Spotify on Day One… Sort Of https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/btss-dynamite-topped-12-6m-streams-on-spotify-on-day-one-but-4-9m-of-them-were-erased-from-its-chart/ Djokovic and Other Top Men Are Creating a Players’ Association https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/sports/tennis/tennis-union-men-djokovic.html After Agency Exodus, New Firm Pitches Investors On Star-Driven Production “Cash Cow” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/after-agency-exodus-new-firm-pitches-investors-on-star-driven-production-cash-cow

After COVID-19 forced movie theaters around the world to close for nearly six months, they are now set to reopen with one of the most anticipated films of the year; Christopher Nolan’s “Tenant.” There’s only one catch, the film rental terms Warner Bros. is asking for may make cinema operators want to manipulate time and go back to the simpler days when a studio got 50% of the box office and was happy. What’s more, increased film rental terms may be the new normal for movie theaters. Meanwhile China may be showing the world how to reopen movie theaters as the historic drama “The Eight Hundred” rockets to more than $100 million at the box office. And to think just a few months ago the Chinese government banned the film. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including how the Berlin Film Festival is going gender neutral, Ron Meyer is out at NBCUniversal and the Tony Awards may happen this year after all. ‘The Eight Hundred’ Marches to $119 Million Total at Chinese Box Office https://variety.com/2020/film/news/the-eight-hundred-china-box-office-2-1234745837/ Former eOne Strategy Chief Peter Micelli Launching Management Firm With Several Top Agents https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/former-eone-strategy-chief-peter-micelli-launching-management-firm-with-several-top-agents Ron Meyer Exits As NBCUniversal Vice Chairman After Disclosing Affair & Extortion Attempt https://deadline.com/2020/08/ron-meyer-exits-nbcuniversal-vice-chairman-affair-settlement-under-threatextortion-1203016461/ Netflix, Accused of Sexualizing Girls, Pulls Artwork for ‘Cuties’ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/21/movies/netflix-cuties.html As Emmys Increasingly Overlook Broadcast TV Shows, Should the Networks Launch Their Own Awards? https://variety.com/2020/tv/in-contention/emmys-saturday-night-live-broadcast-tv-1234739114/ Coachella Radius Clause Lawsuit Moving Ahead After All https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/9436939/coachella-radius-clause-lawsuit-moving-ahead Crown to Crash Cuomo’s Covid-19 Account https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/84122-crown-announces-andrew-cuomo-book.html What Happens When the Tony Awards Go Virtual? https://variety.com/2020/legit/awards/digital-tony-awards-questions-1234748234/ Berlin Film Festival To Make Acting Awards Gender-Neutral https://deadline.com/2020/08/berlin-film-festival-acting-awards-...

Online gaming allows participants to take part in massive multiplayer battles, but no one ever gets hurt. Well, in real life, Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite is taking on both Apple and Google with an antitrust lawsuit and one of these companies is definitely going to get hurt where it counts most…the bottom line. Meanwhile, as movie theaters around the world start to re-open after being shut down for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the box office is sputtering back to life. Even Comscore has started publishing a weekend box office report again. Still, the industry has lost billions of dollars and is far from returning to normal grosses. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why thousands of actors may lose their health insurance, women are ruling the Billboard music charts and how Warner Music Group is getting a bit more social. ‘Harry Potter’ Rerelease Tops China Box Office Weekend With $13 Million Haul https://variety.com/exclusive/harry-potter-tops-china-box-office-weekend/ Shia LaBeouf’s ‘The Tax Collector’ Scores on VOD and in Theaters; ‘The Secret Garden’ Strong https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/shia-labeouf-tax-collector-vod-the-secret-garden-1234578945/ Dwayne Johnson Is Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actor for Second Year in a Row https://variety.com/2020/film/news/dwayne-johnson-highest-paid-actor-1234732397/ Princess ‘Diana’ Musical To Premiere On Netflix Prior To Broadway Reopening, Making History https://deadline.com/2020/08/princess-diana-broadway-musical-netflix-premiere-reopening-1203011104/ Steiner Studios Set to Build New Production Hub in Brooklyn https://variety.com/2020/film/news/steiner-studios-production-brooklyn-1234734008/ Over 11,000 People Sign Petition Against SAG-AFTRA Health Plan Changes https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sag-aftra-health-plat-changes-petition-1234736284/ Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘WAP’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 With Record First-Week Streams https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9435213/cardi-bs-wap-debuts-no-1-hot-100 Why Warner Music Group Just Paid $85M for a Company That Makes Instagram Memes https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/why-warner-music-group-just-paid-85m-for-a-company-that-makes-instagram-memes/ Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ sales skyrocket after twins’ viral reaction video https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-08-11/phil-collins-in-the-air-tonight-sales-twins-react-viral

In his 17 years as the President of DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group, Chris Fenton helped bring 20 Hollywood movies to China, facilitating co-productions, financing and distribution on blockbusters such as “Iron Man 3” and “Looper.” In his new book, “Feeding the Dragon,” the former William Morris agent details his time working in the entertainment industry and China. Fenton helps us read the tea leaves about the future for the relationship between the major studios and China. Meanwhile, the entertainment industry is undergoing some seismic shifts. In a single week the Paramount Consent Decree was killed for good, television packaging is heading into the sunset and theatrical release windows for studio films just collapsed. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including an executive shakeup at NBC, Taylor Swift sets a new chart topping record with her new album and the Eurovision song contest is coming to the United States. Chris Fenton’s Website https://feedingthedragonbook.com/ “Feeding the Dragon” by Chris Fenton https://amzn.to/31CQh8I Made In Hollywood Censored by Beijing https://pen.org/report/made-in-hollywood-censored-by-beijing/ Hollywood ‘Kowtowing’ to China Takes Heat from Washington. But Why Now? https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-07-27/hollywoods-self-censorship-for-china-takes-the-spotlight-but-why-now NBCUniversal Launches Probe Into “Schoolboy Bigotry” By NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy https://deadline.com/2020/07/nbcuniversal-paul-telegdy-investigation-corporate-cuts-mark-lazarus-comcast-gabrielle-union-1202999588/ Tyler Perry Talks “Camp Quarantine” and Challenges of Filming Amid a Pandemic https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tyler-perry-talks-camp-quarantine-challenges-filming-a-pandemic-1304909 Judge Agrees to End Paramount Consent Decrees https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-agrees-end-paramount-consent-decrees-1306387 Facebook Sets Music Video Launch in U.S., Taking a Big Swing at YouTube https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/facebook-sets-music-video-launch-in-u-s-taking-on-youtube-1234721205/ Digital Revenue Exceeds Print for 1st Time for New York Times Company https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/business/media/nyt-earnings-q2.html Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore‘ Sees the Biggest Debut of 2020, and It Isn’t Even Close https://www.rollingstone.

Most of the world’s cinemas are closed. Studios are struggling to release films theatrically. Live theatre probably won’t return until at least 2021. Who knows when concerts can safely be held. Likewise, new movies and television shows can’t get made because producers can’t get production insurance. Is it time for governments to help the entertainment business bounce back the same way they help other industries? Meanwhile, the Emmy nominations provided some good news, at least for HBO and Netflix who racked up a combined 267 nods. In a year where an Emmy ceremony is hardly likely, the major broadcast networks only scored one nomination for a top award. We go take a stab at predicting which shows will score an Emmy this year. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why TikTok signed a deal with record labels, Drake charts another music industry record and how Universal Music Group profits from local music acts. 2020 Emmy Nominations List https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2020-emmy-nominations-live-updating-1303894 Thanks to the Daytime Emmys, Composer Alan Menken Now Has an EGOT https://news.avclub.com/thanks-to-the-daytime-emmys-composer-alan-menken-now-h-1844524706 61% Of Universal Music Group’s Revenue Comes From Local Artists https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/stat-of-the-week-61-of-universal-music-groups-revenue-comes-from-local-artists/ HBO Max and HBO Have 36.3 Million Subscribers, Up 5% From End of 2019, AT&T Says https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/hbo-max-subscribers-subscribers-q2-att-1234714316/ Drake Beats Madonna’s Record for Most US Top 10 Hits https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/28/drake-beats-madonnas-record-for-most-us-top-10-hits Juice WRLD’s ‘Legends Never Die’ Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9424726/juice-wrld-legends-never-die-tops-billboard-200-week-2 Netflix Cancels Production Of Turkish Original ‘If Only’ Amid Pressure To Remove Gay Character https://deadline.com/2020/07/netflix-cancels-turkish-original-if-only-over-gay-character-1202990576/ Q Magazine to Close After 34 Years https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/q-magazine-closing-last-issue-music-journalism-ted-kessler-a9628451.html Tik Tok Inks Global Deal with Music Publishers https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/tiktok-inks-global-multi-year-deal-with-music-publ...