Showbiz Sandbox

Movie theater owners from around the world gathered in Las Vegas last week to see what upcoming releases studios have in store for them. Sony skipped this year’s CinemaCon leaving many puzzled as to why and Fox showed up with their new owner, Disney. Yet it was a company that doesn’t willingly release films in cinemas that generated some of the biggest buzz; Netflix. What we learned from attending this year’s CinemaCon is that theatrical windows aren’t disappearing anytime soon, neither are moviegoing subscription services, but 3D grosses have collapsed everywhere but in Asia. Saudi Arabia, the hot topic of last year’s show, was barely mentioned. You’d think during a year in which worldwide box office set a new record, cinema operators would be rejoicing, however exhibitor and studio consolidation has everyone on edge, as they wait and see how Disney handles its acquisition of Fox. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a big ratings decline for “The Walking Dead,” the WGA and talent agencies continue their contentious discussions and the Justice Department goes after the Academy. ‘Shazam!’ Leads Weekend with $53M Debut; ‘Pet Sematary’ Digs Up $25M https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4501&p=.htm ‘Shazam!’ Strikes $102M Overseas Bow; ‘Pet Sematary’ Digs $17M; ‘Dumbo’, ‘Us’ Top $200M WW – International Box Office https://deadline.com/2019/04/shazam-opening-weekend-china-global-international-box-office-1202589047/ “Unplanned” Abortion Film Promotes Nutty Conspiracy Theory a la QAnon https://www.mediaite.com/online/mike-pence-promoted-an-anti-abortion-movie-hours-before-films-organizers-pushed-qanon-conspiracy/ Class Reunion Remake Becomes Box Office Hit in Latvia http://filmneweurope.com/news/latvia-news/item/117837-box-office-class-reunion-remake-becomes-box-office-hit-in-latvia The List Of Cinema Subscription Services Expands As Infinity Enters U.S. Market https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamos/2019/03/26/the-list-of-cinema-subscription-services-expands-as-infinity-enters-u-s-market/ Atom Tickets Launches “Atom Movie Access,” A Movie Subscription Service For Exhibitors https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/atom-tickets-launches-atom-movie-access-a-movie-subscription-service-for-exhibitors/ Lil Nas X Has Hit with “Old Town Road” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-country-trap-interview-815846/ Lil Nas Does Remix of “Old Town Road” With Billy Ray Cyrus https://news.avclub.com/lil-nas-x-made-a-remix-to-old-town-road-with-billy-ra-1833807373 Don Flemons on Lil Nas X

After years of anticipation and endless speculation, the technology giant Apple finally announced its plans for its video streaming service. Not only will Apple TV now be available on all smart televisions and integrate with existing cable providers, it will offer a la carte over the top services. What’s more, Apple revealed a slate of six homegrown series marking its first foray into original content. Apple is not starting small either, launching their service with shows from some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, to name just a few. The only thing they didn’t make public about Apple TV+ is its subscription price. And while new digital streaming platforms are all the rage, there is still plenty of money to be earned at the theatrical box office. Official numbers for 2018 have now been finalized, with North American box office rising 7%, helping boost worldwide receipts 2% to over $41 billion. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the contentious talks between the WGA and talent agencies over packaging fees, Disney officially acquires Fox and the Library of Congress adds 25 new sound recordings to the National Recording Registry. Global Box Office Revenue Hits Record $41B in 2018, Fueled By Diverse U.S. Audiences https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/global-box-office-revenue-hits-record-41b-2018-fueled-by-diverse-us-audiences-1196010 Netflix Reaches Tipping Point With Original Content https://deadline.com/2019/03/netflix-reaches-tipping-point-as-originals-now-outpace-acquired-titles-study-1202579260/ David Simon Weighs In On The Agency v. Writer Debate https://nofilmschool.com/David-Simon-ATA-Letter Netflix US original content library triples in two years https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2019032155544/netflix-us-original-content-library-triples-in-two-years.html Netflix trials mobile plan in India https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2019032555565/netflix-trials-mobile-plan-in-india.html Billie Eilish’s Record-breaking Album Shows Why ‘pre-adds’ Are Now The New ‘pre-orders’ https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/apple-record-breaking-billie-eilish-lp-with-800k-pre-adds-shows-future-for-albums-on-streaming/ Narnia For Ever: The Internet Age Demands A Copyright Rethink https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/mar/20/internet-age-demands-copyright-rethink-francis-spufford-narnia-cs-lewis Francis Spufford Pens Unauthorised Narnia Novel https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/19/francis-spufford-pens-unauthorised-narnia-novel ‘Supernatural’ to End With Season 15 on The CW

In February the RIAA reported that music sales in the United States reached $9.8 billion in 2018, up nearly 12% over the previous year. Total worldwide sales were up over 13% reaching $18.9 billion. What’s remarkable is of that figure $9.6 billion, or 51%, came from streaming revenue, the first time that figure has outpaced digital and physical sales. While some might see this as just a bunch of numbers and sales figures, labels and artists are beginning to see more revenue from streaming. In fact, musicians selling directly to fans grew 35% last year, topping out at $643 million, none of which went to record labels or middlemen. Meanwhile, “Captain Marvel” continues to top the box office and looks to be headed toward $1 billion with the release of “Avengers: End Game” just a month or so behind. In China, the Oscar winning “Green Book” is doing surprisingly well. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the head of Warner Bros. resigns amid a sexual misconduct scandal, Netflix cancels “One Day At A Time” and MySpace loses it’s music (or at least some of it) . Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 17, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-17-2019-300813634.html Kevin Tsujihara Out as Warner Bros. Chief Amid Sexual Impropriety Scandal https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/kevin-tsujihara-warner-bros-sexual-impropriety-1203165653/ Neil deGrasse Tyson Will Return to National Geographic After Assault Investigation https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-national-geographic-channel-cosmos-star-talk-1203156820/ ‘I was stupid’: K-Pop Scandal Engulfs Third Star Who Admits Watching Secret Sex Video https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/14/i-was-stupid-k-pop-scandal-engulfs-third-star-who-admits-watching-secret-sex-video Disney Rehires James Gunn For Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 https://deadline.com/2019/03/james-gunn-reinstated-guardians-of-the-galaxy-3-disney-suicide-squad-2-indefensible-social-media-messages-1202576444/ Yanni Comes To Broadway https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Yanni-Takes-the-Broadway-Stage-in-Upcoming-Residency-20190318 The 145-Pound Long Snapper and Other Tales of College Admissions Puffery https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/sports/college-admissions-athletes.html New ‘When Calls The Heart’ Episode Pulled By Hallmark Channel Amid Lori Loughlin Scandal https://deadline.com/2019/03/when-calls-the-heart-lori-loughlin-episode-pulled-hallmark-channel-college-scandal-1202576139/

The showdown between the Writers Guild of America and talent agents is growing ever more heated. The WGA wants to upend the way business has been done in Hollywood for decades while agents continue to increase their conflicts of interest through lucrative television packaging fees. Thankfully we have Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney and a contributing editor at the Hollywood Reporter, to help figure out what all the bickering is about. Actually, the WGA has been quite busy lately, making headlines after filing an arbitration claim against Netflix over how the streamer calculates (or more specifically, doesn’t calculate) residuals on residuals. Apparently Netflix has a conflict of interest too. Meanwhile, the MoviePass rival Sinemia has jettisoned it’s one-movie-per-day subscription plan and replaced it with a buffet of options that are harder to explain but perhaps easier on the bottom line. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why the creators of the hit 1970s TV show “Columbo” are taking Universal Studios to court, Amazon Prime gets serious about India and the nominees for this year’s Olivier Awards. Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 10, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-10-2019-300809680.html WGA Files Arbitration Claim Against Netflix Over Residuals From 33 Original Films https://deadline.com/2019/03/wga-files-arbitration-claim-against-netflix-over-residuals-from-original-films-1202570957/ ‘Columbo’ Creators Win First Phase of $135M Profits Trial Against Universal https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/columbo-creators-win-first-phase-135-million-profits-trial-universal-1193685 Hozier Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With ‘Wasteland, Baby!’ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8501829/hozier-debuts-no-1-billboard-200-chart-wasteland-baby Come From Away, Company & The Inheritance Lead 2019 Olivier Award Nominations https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195046/come-from-away-company-the-inheritance-lead-2019-olivier-award-nominations/ DVR Viewing Collapses After Three Day Window https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dvr-viewing-falls-a-lot-3-days-1193462 ‘Mockingbird’ Play Publisher Demands $500,000 From Harper Lee Estate https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/theater/mockingbird-broadway-harper-lee-dispute.html Entertainment Lawyers Nervous After Meeting With Writers Guild Over Agent Feud https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/entertainment-lawyers-nervous-meeting-writers-guil...

Fox lost a blockbuster lawsuit to the stars and creative talent behind their smash television series “Bones.” An independent arbitrator used scathing language to describe 21st Century Fox executives, calling them out for lying, cheating and “reprehensible” studio fraud. Though Fox says the will appeal the ruling, it could have a big impact on sweetheart deals between studios, their own networks, their own cable channels and their own streamers. There’s no bones about it. Meanwhile book publishers and the National Writers Union, along with many others, are decrying the practice of Controlled Digital Lending, or CDL. As publishers restrict e-book access and raise their prices, libraries that own a physical copy of a book are making a digital PDF available for loans to patrons. When a digital PDF is borrowed, the physical copy is removed from circulation until the digital copy is returned. So what’s the problem? Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why a hologram of Amy Winehouse will not be going on tour, why the movie theater chain Cineworld dumped BAFTA and box office in China is down 5% this year despite rosier forecasts. The End of an Era for HBO—And for Television https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/03/hbo-ceo-richard-plepler-steps-down-att/583894/ Writers Guild Declares It’s ‘at an Impasse’ With Talent Agencies Over New Rules https://variety.com/2019/film/news/writers-guild-impasse-talent-agency-rules-1203154540/ Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 3, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-3-2019-300805557.html Cineworld Withdraws Support for BAFTAs https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/cineworld-withdraws-support-bafta-over-192712296.html Netflix Responds to Steven Spielberg’s Push to Bar It From Oscars https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netflix-steven-spielberg-oscars-1203154092/ Beverly Hills 90210 Includes Most Of Original cast https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/90210-revival-lands-at-fox-summer-debut-1191050 Rambo: Last Blood Opens Sept 27 https://deadline.com/2019/02/rambo-last-blood-release-date-sylvester-stallone-paz-vega-lionsgate-1202567293/ Will Smith Out Of Suicide Squad https://variety.com/2019/film/news/will-smith-the-suicide-squad-sequel-exits-1203151442/ Publisher, Author Groups Protest Library Book Scanning Program https://www.publishersweekly.

In a year when diversity took center stage at the Oscars, with people of color and women taking home some of the major prizes, the Academy awarded Best Picture to “Green Book,” a film partially about race relations that has been faulted by some as being whitewashed. Anne Thompson, Indiewire’s Editor-at-Large, attended the Oscar ceremony and joins us to discuss all the winners, including how “Green Book” managed to overcome a number of obstacles to walk off with the top award. Though “Roma” was a frontrunner throughout the Oscar race, and wound up winning three awards including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron, it didn’t win Best Picture to the relief of some in the industry who did not want to reward a film which shunned a traditional theatrical release. The film caused quite a stir when it took home the top BAFTA award earlier in the month. Meanwhile, in China, the Lunar New Year box office was extraordinary but it came at a price: record grosses and record ticket prices were matched with record piracy. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the layoffs at Activision Blizzard, why Celine Dion parted ways with her long-time agent and millions attend a virtual concert on the video game Fortnite. Hollywood Studios Won the Oscar Battle Against Netflix, but Will They Lose the War? https://www.indiewire.com/2019/02/the-hollywood-studios-oscar-netflix-green-book-roma-spike-lee-1202047272/ Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 24, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-24-2019-300800910.html Superhero Blogger Geoff Boucher Launches Hero Nation https://deadline.com/2019/02/geoff-boucher-hero-nation-launch-superhero-genre-blog-deadline-hollywood-1202557754/ 21 Savage Released From ICE Detention on Bond https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/21-savage-released-on-bond-793921/ How the Private Sector is Helping China to Modernise Propaganda https://www.economist.com/china/2017/11/30/how-the-private-sector-is-helping-china-to-modernise-propaganda Major Int’l Cinema Chain Vue Threatens To End BAFTA Support Following Awards For Netflix’s “Made For TV Film” ‘Roma’ https://deadline.com/2019/02/vue-bafta-roma-awards-criticize-alfonso-cuaron-1202560172/ Academy Confirms Four Oscar Presentations Set for Commercial Breaks https://variety.com/2019/film/awards/academy-confirms-four-oscar-presentations-set-for-commercial-breaks-1203136380/ All Oscar Categories to Air Live After Hollywood Protest https://variety.com/2019/film/news/all-oscar-categories-to-air-live-a...

Sinemia is taking on MoviePass in hopes of achieving what no movie subscription service has ever attained before: profitability. We are joined by Rıfat Oğuz, the CEO of Sinemia, who discusses the history of the service, how they chose their $30 price point and what lies ahead for this emerging business. If it catches on, it could dramatically change when and how often people go to the movies. Meanwhile, in a complete reversal of fortunes, this year’s Grammy Awards finally honored female musicians as well as handing out prizes to hip-hop artists. Maybe next year some of the big stars won’t shrug off the ceremony like they seemed to do this past Sunday. In the United Kingdom “The Favourite” was the favorite at the BAFTA Awards winning seven prizes, but it was Alfonso Cuaron’s Netflix film “Roma” which took home Best Picture, Best Director and Best Cinematography. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the deal between Actor’s Equity and the Broadway League, why NBC is dumping its live telecast of “Hair” and Spotify finally turns a profit. Sinemia https://www.sinemia.com/ Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 10, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-10-2019-300792860.html ‘Roma’ Wins BAFTA for Best Film; ‘The Favourite’ Takes Seven https://variety.com/2019/film/news/bafta-announces-film-awards-winners-updating-live-1203132750/ Grammys 2019: Cardi B, Lady Gaga and Kacey Musgraves Make It a Year for Women https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/arts/music/grammy-awards.html 2019 Grammy Winners: The Complete List https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/10/arts/music/2019-grammys-winners-full-list.html Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham – BookFilter http://bookfilter.com/2018/08/30/midnight-in-chernobyl/ Woody Allen Files $68 Million Suit Against Amazon for Film Deal Breach https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/woody-allen-amazon-lawsuit-1203131466/ Landmark Broadway Deal Gives Actors a Piece of the Profits https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/theater/broadway-profit-sharing.html Spotify Hits 96 Million Paid Users, Scores First Operating Profit in Fourth Quarter https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8496809/spotty-fourth-quarter-financial-results-paid-user-totals-2018 A 44% Streaming Royalty Rise Is Now Locked In For Songwriters https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/a-44-streaming-royalty-rise-is-now-locked-in-for-us-songwriter...

This year’s Sundance Film Festival was more diverse than it usually is in every way one might imagine. Sure, there were the usual crop of independent films and documentaries, but the predominance of women and people of color and queer voices was more notable than ever. In fact, female filmmakers took home most of the festival’s top prizes. Sundance also proved to be a feeding frenzy for independent distributors with Amazon swooping in to spend more money than any other studio has ever spent during a single year at the festival. Usually, if one selection sells for over $10 million it makes headlines. This year there were at least three films that fell into that category. Meanwhile the Super Bowl weekend proved to be a bust both at the box office, which was reached a 20-year-low, as well as on television, where the broadcast of the big game fell to a 10-year-low. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary, Hulu raises its prices and Spotify turns on a feature that allows users to turn off artists. ICE Apprehends 21 Savage, Claims Rapper Is British and Overstayed Visa https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ice-apprehends-21-savage-claims-rapper-is-british-and-overstayed-visa-789370/ Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 3, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-3-2019-300788750.html CinemaCon Shake-Up: Sony Sitting Out Annual Gathering https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cinemacon-shake-up-sony-sitting-annual-gathering-1178819 Viacom CEO Bob Bakish’s Annual Pay Falls Slightly https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/viacom-ceo-bob-bakishs-annual-pay-falls-slightly-1171011 Australia Box Office Recovers, Grows 3.6% in 2018 https://variety.com/2019/film/asia/australia-box-office-recovers-in-2018-1203113594/ Japan Box Office Dips 3% in 2018, Holds Above $2 Billion https://variety.com/2019/film/asia/japan-box-office-down-in-2018-1203121975/ Another Record Year for Polish Cinema http://filmneweurope.com/news/poland-news/item/117534-another-record-year-for-polish-cinema International Box Office Top 100 of 2018: Another Record Year, but Rise Is Slight https://variety.com/2019/film/box-office/avengers-infinity-war-2018-international-box-office-1203112626/ Netflix Becomes First Streamer to Join the Motion Picture Association of America https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-advanced-talks-join-mpaa-1177926 SAG Awards Winners: Complete List

Despite having cultivated a reputation for keeping its viewership statistics under tight wraps, Netflix has made a complete about face and is now boasting about how many subscribers are tuning in to its original content. The company says nearly 45 million accounts watched its hit movie “Bird Box” and nearly as many watched its latest series “Sex Education”. In the midst of all this success, Netflix has decided to raise it’s monthly subscription fee by $2 in certain territories, including North America. Unlike the Netflix subscription price, a number not on the rise is the theatrical box office in Germany. After edging up slightly in 2017, grosses in the 8th biggest movie-going market in the world were down 16% last year. Hollywood titles grabbed 75% of the $965 million box office as attendance also dipped 15.5%. Meanwhile, award season continues with no clear frontrunner emerging as this year’s Oscar nominations are about to be revealed. We take a glance at the makeup, costume and directors guilds awards, not to mention the BAFTAS and nods from one group that really matters; the Producers Guild. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why RCA Records is dropping R. Kelley from its label, the Emmys are dumping DVD screeners and sportscaster Bob Costas is leaving NBC. Olivia de Havilland Denied Hearing by Supreme Court https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-olivia-de-havilland-decision-20190107-story.html Actors’ Equity Calls for Strike Against Developmental Labs http://www.playbill.com/article/actors-equity-calls-for-strike-against-developmental-labs Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of January 20, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-january-20-2019-300781274.html German Box Office Plunges 16% in 2018 https://variety.com/2019/film/news/german-box-office-plunges-2018-1203103372/ Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Annual Pay Rises 80 Percent to $65.6 Million https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bob-igers-annual-pay-rises-80-percent-656-million-1171080 Bafta 2019 nominations – LIVE: A Star is Born and Roma vie for best film, Bohemian Rhapsody loses out https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bafta-2019-nominations-live-updates-full-list-time-date-when-favourites-predictions-a8718481.html DGA Awards Unveils Nominations in Feature Film Categories https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/dga-awards-2019-nominations-list-full-1172544 Costume Designers Guild Awards: ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Among Nominees

As the 2019 award season continues its steady pace toward the Oscars, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association kicked the year off by confounding pundits when they gave Golden Globes to a few underdogs. While many thought “A Star Is Born” or “Roma” would run the table at this year’s ceremonies, it was “Green Book” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” that took the night’s top prizes. Though the Golden Globes may be a swanky affair and an honor to receive, the nominations that are more telling of who might walk off with an Oscar are those from the craft guilds. This week the unions representing Art Directors, Cinematographers, Editors, Producers and Writers all announced their 2019 nominees. We’ll tell you what their selections mean for the Academy Awards. We also revisit the Great White Way, where we take a look back at some of the predictions we made about the fall Broadway season. Most of the productions we thought might not fare so well are, indeed, underperforming, or in some cases, have closed already. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the continuing kerfuffle over whether Kevin Hart should host the Oscars, Apple buys an indie record label and why dozens of works will enter the public domain this year as their copyrights expire. Netflix to ‘Bird Box’ Fans: Please Open Your Eyes https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/theater/london-theaters-toilets-bathrooms-women.html Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of January 6, 2019 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-january-6-2019-300773463.html Chinese Art Movie ‘Long Day’s Journey’ Enjoys Big Opening Amid Growing Backlash https://variety.com/2019/film/news/long-days-journey-into-night-bi-gan-tang-wei-box-office-1203097415/ Dynamics Change as Korea Box Office Ends Flat in 2018 https://variety.com/2019/film/asia/korea-box-office-ends-flat-2018-dynamics-change-1203099043/ Golden Globe Awards 2019 Winners: The Complete List https://www.eonline.com/news/996805/golden-globe-awards-2019-winners-the-complete-list ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ ‘Escape at Dannemora’ Among ACE Editing Nominees https://variety.com/2019/film/awards/ace-editing-nominations-bohemian-rhapsody-crazy-rich-asians-escape-at-dannemora-1203100157/ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Among Art Directors Guild Award Nominees https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/art-directors-guild-nominations-2019-1172557 WGA Awards: Full List of Nominations https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-wga-nominations-tv-new-media-radio-news-more-noms-1165913 PGA Awards: ‘Black Panther,

A string of big movie releases during the holidays helped the North American box office set a record in 2018, ending the year at $11.9 billion. Ticket sales also set a record in China where roughly $8.7 billion was earned. These two territories combined accounted for 48% of the $41.7 billion global box office. However, growth in the second largest movie market in the world slowed to 9%, down from nearly 14% the year before. That’s why China ignored it’s quota on imported films at the end of 2018, allowing several Hollywood titles to be released. We’ll see if that trend continues into the new year. In somewhat related news, a survey commissioned by the National Association of Theatre Owners showed that streaming services like Netflix do not adversely affect the frequency of moviegoing. Apparently people who watch a lot of movies at home, also like to watch movies in theaters. Go figure. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Aretha Franklin’s back taxes, Ed Sheeran’s blockbuster tour and why CBS wants to dump Nielsen. Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of December 30, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-december-30-2018-300771392.html Netflix to give Roma a 70mm theatrical rollout, even though streaming at home is just as good https://news.avclub.com/netflix-to-give-roma-a-70mm-theatrical-rollout-even-th-1831288820 Box Office By the Numbers: 5 Game Changers for 2018 https://variety.com/2018/film/news/box-office-2018-records-black-panther-1203095795/ China Gives Hollywood an Early Christmas Present http://chinafilminsider.com/china-gives-hollywood-an-early-christmas-present/ Travis Scott to Perform With Maroon 5 at Super Bowl, Will Be Joined by More Guests https://variety.com/2018/music/news/travis-scott-to-perform-with-maroon-5-at-super-bowl-report-1203094035/ CBS Considers Dropping Nielsen Ratings Contract as TV Landscape Changes https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/cbs-nielsen-tv-ratings-contract-drop-1203093249/ Aretha Franklin’s Attorney Says Singer’s Estate Has Paid $3 Million in Back Taxes https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/8491683/aretha-franklins-attorney-says-singers-estate-has Tucker Carlson Comes Under Advertiser Scrutiny After Immigration Remarks https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/tucker-carlson-advertisers-controversy-immigration-1203092478 Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour Generated $432M in 2018 – A New World Record ...

When John Landgraf, head of the FX network, proclaimed we had reached a state of “peak TV” back in 2015, he predicted the 422 television shows being produced at the time would inevitably decline since there was no way for audiences to keep up. Last year however, that number rose to 495 series being produced. To put this increase in perspective, there were 182 shows on the air in 2002. It’s safe to assume these numbers are bound to rise with new entrants into the video streaming market launching in 2019 including Disney and WarnerMedia. What’s more, the annual amount of money being spent on all this content is astonishing with the likes of Netflix and Amazon each spending $8 billion and $5 billion respectively. And that’s nothing compared to the $22 billion Disney is shelling out. Meanwhile, the awards season is underway with all sorts of groups weighing in on their favourites, including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Golden Globes and the first awards that matter: the Screen Actors Guild. Spoiler alert: “Roma” just hit a roadblock. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Grammy nominations, new entrants to the National Film Registry and Mariah Carey’s latest chart-topping hit is a quarter century-old Christmas song. The Game Awards Winners 2018: Full List https://variety.com/2018/gaming/news/game-awards-2018-winners-list-1203083370/ 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards Winners: The Complete List https://www.eonline.com/ap/news/995187/2018-mnet-asian-music-awards-winners-the-complete-list Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of December 16, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-december-16-2018-300767185.html With $7 Billion at Global Box Office for 2018 https://variety.com/2018/film/news/disney-box-office-2018-1203085934/ ‘Roma’ Named Best Picture by L.A. Film Critics Association https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-film-critics-association-voting-under-way-1167808 Golden Globes Nominations: ‘Vice’ Leads With 6, ‘Versace’ Tops TV With 4 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-golden-globes-nominations-full-list-1165090/item/best-motion-picture-drama-116512 Critic’s Notebook: A Crucial Lesson From the Golden Globes for the Emmys https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/a-crucial-lesson-golden-globes-nominations-emmys-1167083 ‘The Favourite,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘First Man’ Lead Critics’ Choice Movie Nominations https://variety.com/2018/film/awards/2018-critics-choice-awards-film-nominees-list-1203085441/ Kevin Hart Refuses to Apologize, Despite Academy Ultimatum,

By 2023 the country of India is forecast to have 550 million people streaming content, earning $18 billion in video streaming alone. Of course, most of people will be watching on their mobile devices, but big players like Amazon, Disney, Netflix and Spotify don’t care, so long as they wind up with the largest piece of the Indian market. One major hurdle; India makes its own content and doesn’t need Hollywood. That is why streaming companies have begun to produce their own India-centric shows, though that can be challenging in a country with more than 20 languages and wildly diverse cultures. Plus all the major providers have to compete with the likes of YouTube, which is by far India’s most popular streaming service thanks to its advantageous price point; free. Meanwhile, the awards season is clearly upon us with the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics weighing in on their favorites. Los Angeles Film Critics will be making their picks shortly and Golden Globe nominations will be announced this week. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a lucrative new deal at Warner Bros. for director and producer Ava DuVernay, actor Hugh Jackman is planning a worldwide concert tour and the collapse of independent bookstores. Variety Wins Seven National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards https://variety.com/2018/scene/news/variety-national-arts-entertainment-journalism-awards-2018-1203077995/ Hollywood Reporter Tops National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards With 11 Wins https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/thr-tops-national-arts-entertainment-journalism-awards-11-wins-1165668 Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of December 2, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-december-2-2018-300758708.html National Board of Review Names ‘Green Book’ Best Film of 2018 https://variety.com/2018/film/awards/national-board-of-review-names-green-book-best-film-of-2018-1203035378/ ‘Roma’ Named Best Picture by New York Film Critics Circle https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2018-ny-film-critics-circle-award-winners-list-full-1164782 Small Bookstores Are Booming After Nearly Being Wiped Out https://www.cbsnews.com/news/small-bookstores-are-booming-after-nearly-being-wiped-out-small-business-saturday/ Neil deGrasse Tyson Sexual Misconduct Claims Being Investigated by Fox, ‘Cosmos’ Producers https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-sexual-misconduct-claims-being-investigated-by-fox-cosmos-producers-1203071093/ Neil DeGrasse Tyson Addresses Sexual Misconduct Claims: “Why Believe Me At All?”

When her current recording contract expired at Big Machine, Taylor Swift went looking for a new label. After a heated bidding war, Swift wound up at Universal Music landing a deal that allows her to retain control of her masters. Swift also demanded that if the label ever sold its share in Spotify that she get a cut. More importantly, she insisted on this for every single act in Universal’s roster. This is especially notable because Swift is not a big player in music streaming, because she holds back her albums with a window to urge fans to purchase them instead. Unfortunately, the sales of physical albums, like vinyl LPs and CDs, is collapsing, causing many artists to get out of the habit of actually creating them. Instead, some big acts release a constant stream of singles, videos and live cuts since that’s how their fans listen to music these days. Meanwhile the North American box office continues to chug along at 10% over last year’s tally, with a record breaking $12 billion in sight. That growth rate is keeping pace with the Chinese box office, which is up 11% this year, earning $8.1 billion thus far. Maybe the date for when China’s theatrical box office will surpass that of North America’s needs to be pushed back a year or two. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why pop stars may be headed to Broadway, how YouTube has begun showing blockbuster movies (with ads) and the winners of this year’s International Emmy Awards. Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of November 25, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-november-25-2018-300754926.html Box Office: Netflix’s ‘Roma’ Opens Strong in Limited Release, Say Experts www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-netflix-s-roma-opens-strong-limited-release-say-experts-1163716 China Box Office: ‘Venom’ Enjoys Spectacular $87 Million Second Weekend https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-box-office-venom-spectacular-second-weekend-1203032056/ How the Oscar Race Became a Referendum on Netflix https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-oscar-race-became-a-referendum-netflix-1160629 ‘Pirates’ Screenwriter Terry Rossio Apologizes for N-Word Tweet https://variety.com/2018/dirt/news/terry-rossio-n-word-pirates-screenwriter-antivax-1203035692/ Studios Expected to Push for Early Home Release in 2019 https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/studios-movise-early-home-release-1203030705/ Legendary Says It Has “No Interest” in Investment From Saudi Fund https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/saudi-arabia-considering-700m-investment-legendary-entertainment-report-1161539 China’s Reliance on Hollywood Increases Again

In a career that spanned over six decades, Stan Lee became one of the most influential creators and publishers of comics that ever worked in the medium. He helped build Marvel Comics by creating dozens of superheroes including most notably Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and X-Men. Geoff Boucher, the new genre editor at Deadline Hollywood, joins us to discuss how Lee’s enduring work has heavily influenced the modern pop culture landscape. Boucher also tells us how he got the exclusive story on Fox’s plans to release a PG-13 version of “Deadpool 2” in the midst of the holiday season. You might be interested to hear how this led to the kidnapping of actor Fred Savage, best known for his role in “The Wonder Years”. Meanwhile a team from China just won the 2018 “League of Legends” World Championship. Though 110 million people in China play the game, it’s the first time the country has ever captured one of the most prestigious prizes in e-sports. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how we’re headed toward a record year at the North American box office, why Fox News is chastising some of its hosts and pay TV loses over one million subscribers in the third quarter. Set for ‘Westworld’ and Other Shows Destroyed in California Fire https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/10/arts/westworld-set-woolsey-fire-california.html Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of November 11, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-november-11-2018-300748061.html Agony and Ecstasy: China Wins First ‘League of Legends’ Title http://chinafilminsider.com/agony-and-ecstasy-china-wins-first-league-of-legends-title/ Jessica Fletcher and “Murder, She Wrote” Are Alive and Well https://crimereads.com/jessica-fletcher-and-murder-she-wrote-are-alive-and-well/ Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes’s Hollywood by Karina Longworth http://bookfilter.com/2018/02/20/the-seducer-2/ Booksellers Unite in Protest as Amazon’s AbeBooks Withdraws from Several Countries https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/06/booksellers-protest-amazon-abebooks-withdraw-russia-south-korea After Protest, Booksellers Are Victorious Against Amazon Subsidiary https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/technology/amazon-bookseller-protest-strike.html Netflix Grants Exclusive Theatrical Release To Andy Serkis’ ‘Mowgli’ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflix-grants-theatrical-release-andy-serkis-mowgli-1159414 Netflix Is Developing Animated Shows From the Creators of Moana, Inside Out, and Finding Dory https://www.theverge.