Showbiz Sandbox

In one of the most significant antitrust cases in decades, last week a federal judge cleared the way for AT&T to complete its acquisition of Time Warner, ruling that the Department of Justice failed to make a convincing argument the deal would be bad for consumers. The decision opens the door for what many believe will be a wave of corporate mergers as existing media outfits look to thwart off threats from tech giants entering the space such as Amazon, Apple and Netflix. Evidence of this was apparent within days as Comcast made an official all-cash offer to acquire a majority of Twentieth Century Fox’s assets. The Fox board will meet this week to decide who will wind up acquiring them; Disney or Comcast. We follow up the Tony Awards to applaud its big winner “The Band’s Visit,” celebrating the success of indie producers on a Great White Way dominated more and more by corporations. We also shoot down the idea that winning the Tony for Best Musical isn’t a boost at the box office. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Bryan Singer will wind up with director’s credit on the Queen biopic from which he was fired, Oprah Winfrey signs a deal with Apple and why a tax scandal in China over a major star’s salary has the industry on edge. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of June 17, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-june-17-2018-300667509.html Cannes Winner ‘Shoplifters’ Sets 2018 Japan Box-Office Record https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-winner-shoplifters-sets-2018-japan-box-office-record-1120070 Fan Bingbing Tax Evasion Probe Sparks Film Industry Crisis in China https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fan-bingbing-tax-evasion-probe-sparks-film-industry-crisis-china-1116723 China Movie Stars and The Two-Contract Problem http://chinafilminsider.com/china-movie-stars-and-the-two-contract-problem/ Internal Memo Reveals Tighter Regulations On Chinese Films And Television Dramas https://supchina.com/2018/06/12/internal-memo-reveals-tighter-regulations-on-chinese-films-and-television-dramas/ Bookstore Sales Up Again in April https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/77247-bookstore-sales-up-again-in-april.html Can a Tony Award Affect a Show’s Path to Economic Success? https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Can-a-Tony-Award-Affect-a-Shows-Path-to-Economic-Success-20180612 John Lasseter to Exit Disney at End of the Year https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-lasseter-exit-disney-at-end-year-1069547

Never before has a major broadcast network canceled a number one rated television show, let alone done so within hours of a brewing controversy sparked by one of its stars. Yet that’s exactly what happened last week when a racist tweet from Roseanne Barr caused ABC to ax the popular reboot of her eponymous hit sitcom. What’s remarkable is not only the unprecedented nature of the move, but more so the speed at which the decision was made and carried out. Meanwhile the Tony Awards are being held next week to honor the best new Broadway productions, however there is little suspense over who will win since it’s already seen as a foregone conclusion. That’s why we look ahead to next year’s theater season and tell you which shows we’d back as investors. And MoviePass is once again in the news, though this time it’s not for their subscription movie ticket service but rather a film they are co-distributing in North America. Turns out they may have an indie-hit on their hands. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why YouTube stars are so stressed out, how much Taylor Swift is raking in with her latest tour and Neil Portnow will step down as the head of the Recording Academy. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of June 3, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-june-3-2018-300658767.html Hailee Steinfeld to Star in Emily Dickinson Comedy Series for Apple https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/hailee-steinfeld-star-emily-dickinson-comedy-series-apple-1115752 James Marsden to Star in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Movie https://variety.com/2018/film/news/james-marsden-sonic-the-hedgehog-movie-1202825952/ China Experiments With New Ventures to Boost Movie Ticket Sales https://variety.com/2018/biz/asia/china-movie-ticket-sales-1202825628/ MoviePass Co-Release ‘American Animals’ Roars at Indie Box Office https://www.thewrap.com/moviepass-american-animals-indie-box-office/ ABC Cancels ‘Roseanne’ http://programminginsider.com/abc-cancels-roseanne/ ‘Roseanne’ Canceled By ABC Following Star’s Racist Tweets https://deadline.com/2018/05/roseanne-canceled-barr-abc-racist-tweets-1202399123/ ‘Roseanne’ Reruns Pulled From Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT After Racist Tweet https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/paramount-network-tv-land-cmt-pull-roseanne-reruns-schedules-racist-tweet-1115518 Maybe ABC Does Not Have to Cancel ‘Roseanne’ After All https://www.campaignlive.com/article/maybe-abc-does-not-cancel-roseanne/1466214 Tom Arnold on ‘Roseanne’ Cancellation: “She Wanted...

On paper Han Solo seemed like the most obvious character for which to pursue a standalone Star Wars spinoff, however the resulting movie, “Solo,” opened to less than stellar numbers. What’s worse, the movie didn’t fly internationally either. Whether it was the film’s highly publicized production troubles or a case of franchise fatigue, everyone involved will be able to point the finger at someone else for the end result. Meanwhile, just as Disney begins reexamining how many Star Wars films they should release in a single year, they may have to revise their offer for Twentieth Century Fox. Comcast came along last week and beat Disney’s purchase price, upping the ante to $60 billion in what would be an all-cash deal. Production coordinators aren’t asking for that kind of money, but they are asking to be unionized. Such a move might help those who are employed in what has become an essential position on any film or television crew from having to renegotiate their fees on every new production. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a K-Pop band tops the billboard charts, Harvey Weinstein is charged with sexual assault and James Bond heads to Universal Pictures. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of May 27, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-may-27-2018-300655356.html ‘Star Wars’: Boba Fett Movie in the Works With James Mangold (Exclusive) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-boba-fett-movie-is-happening-james-mangold-direct-1113273 ‘Solo’ Sputters at Box Office, Raising Worries of ‘Star Wars’ Fatigue https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/27/movies/solo-a-star-wars-story-sputters-at-box-office.html Wang Xiaohio named head of China Film Bureau http://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-wang-xiaohui-named-head-of-china-film-bureau/ Ryan Reynolds, Michael Bay Team for Skydance and Netflix’s ‘Six Underground’ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ryan-reynolds-michael-bay-team-six-underground-movie-1114068 Comcast is preparing bid for Fox TV and movie assets, rivaling Disney’s offer http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-ct-fi-fox-disney-comcast-20180523-story.html Sony Agrees to Buy Additional 60 Percent Stake in EMI Music Publishing, Now to Own 90 Percent https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8457178/sony-buys-60-percent-stake-in-emi-music-publishing Sony Doubles Its Song Catalog – and Its Control of the Music Industry https://www.rollingstone.

Despite all the griping over the lack of glitz and glamour, or at the very least big movie stars, at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the event lived up to its reputation for programming some of the most artistic movies currently being made around the world. When the Palm d’Or was handed out over the weekend it went to Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda for his touching family drama “Shoplifters.” Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” won the Grand Jury Prize and the Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki was awarded the Jury Prize for her movie “Capernaum,” about a scrappy young boy dealing with the hardships of life ont he street in Beirut. China too is becoming more diverse when it comes to the movies it is allowing in multiplexes. While Hollywood was quick to dominate the market with big blockbusters, Chinese distributors showed up in Cannes to acquire mid-budget titles from around the world. Meanwhile, the mounting number of mergers and acquisitions of global media companies have begun to cause a chain reaction where each deal may affect the next. The latest merger has caused CBS to sue its parent company to prevent a merger with Viacom. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a movie deal for a Lin Manuel Miranda musical, YouTube tweaks its music subscription service and Congress looks to extend copyright protections. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of May 20, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-may-20-2018-300651597.html U.S.-China Film Talks Now Hostage to Trade War (Report) http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/us-china-film-talks-trade-war-1202817057/ Cannes: China Dealmaking Soars as Massive Market Diversifies https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-china-dealmaking-soars-as-massive-market-diversifies-1111203 Critics’ Picks: The 20 Best Films of Cannes 2018 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/cannes-2018-thr-film-critics-pick-20-favorites-1112152/item/woman-at-war-best-cannes-2018-1112147 Screen Daily Cannes Critics Poll https://www.screendaily.com/news/burning-sets-record-score-in-history-of-screens-cannes-jury-grid/5129480.article Cannes 2018 – Tableau final des étoiles de la critique http://www.lefilmfrancais.com/cinema/137179/cannes-2018-tableau-final-des-etoiles-de-la-critique Cannes: Gaspar Noe’s ‘Climax’ Wins Directors’ Fortnight Top Prize http://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/cannes-film-festival-2018-directors-fortnight-prizes-climax-1202813841/ Cannes: Neon’s Horror Film ‘Border’ Wins Un Certain Regard Prize

Only three films by female directors are competing for the top prize at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival, but that hasn’t stopped women from raising their voices. In fact, a red carpet protest was held by 82 female filmmakers and actresses, representing the number of films made by women that have appeared in the festival over its seven decade span. That said, the nine-member Cannes jury this year has five women on it and is headed up by actress Cate Blanchett. As always, we’re in Cannes for the festival and will fill you in on all the noteworthy films and events. Though media reports may be saying the event has lost its luster, and indeed it has been very low-key this year, one should never underestimate Cannes for being able to find the next great auteur. Meanwhile in China, western theme parks are flourishing while the 2,700 homegrown parks are collapsing, almost literally. Will the future of theme parks in the Middle Kingdom predict how Hollywood movies will ultimately fare? Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why the Nobel Prize in Literature will not be handed out this year, questions over the legitimacy of a Chinese box office hit and why Spotify is distancing itself from R. Kelly. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of May 13, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-may-13-2018-300647402.html Netflix Takes Chinese Blockbuster ‘Us and Them’ for the World (Exclusive) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-netflix-takes-chinese-blockbuster-us-them-world-1109132 China Box Office: Questions Surround ‘Us and Them’ $88 Million Holiday Weekend Win http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-box-office-questions-us-and-them-holiday-weekend-1202791492/ Mexican Superstar Eugenio Derbez Inks TV Deal at Lionsgate https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mexican-superstar-eugenio-derbez-inks-tv-deal-at-lionsgate-1110040 Former Wanda Exec Jack Gao Launches Smart Cinema in China (EXCLUSIVE) http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/jack-gao-launches-smart-cinema-in-china-1202805137/ Saudi Arabia Reps Tout Production Incentives, Get Grilled on Women’s Rights http://variety.com/2018/film/markets-festivals/saudi-arabia-film-womens-rights-1202806912/ MoviePass Parent Company Sees Stock Plunge as Cash Runs Out https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moviepass-parent-company-sees-stock-plunge-as-cash-runs-1109839 MoviePass Owner Hits Back at Reports Service Is Dying http://variety.com/2018/film/markets-festivals/moviepass-owner-service-not-dying-1202808835/

Movie theater owners from around the world descended upon Las Vegas for CinemaCon last week. Studios wooed exhibitors with clips from upcoming film releases while industry manufacturers lured attendees with the latest technology, including high-resolution LED screens as a method of showing movies to the masses. Much like the subscription service MoviePass, the screens left cinema operators wondering if they were just one more “innovation” nobody had asked for. Meanwhile “Avengers: Infinity War” broke box office records both in North America and globally when it opened over the weekend. The latest Marvel superhero movie earned over $640 million in just three days, putting it on track to pass the billion dollar mark. Speaking of “war,” one is brewing between the Writers Guild of America and talent agencies. The WGA wants to cancel their current agency agreements and rewrite them to prevent franchised agents from profiting off of packaging deals with television networks. Such arrangements currently allow agents to double dip and at times earn more than their clients for a project. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including Steven Spielberg signing on to direct the movie adaptation of DC Comic’s “Blackhawk,” the next “Star Trek” film lands a female director and Bill Cosby is found guilty of sexual assault. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of April 29, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-april-29-2018-300638624.html Sprint and T-Mobile Agree to Merge, in Bid to Remake Wireless Market https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/business/dealbook/sprint-tmobile-deal.html Amazon Increases Price of Prime Membership https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amazon-increases-price-prime-1106284 It’s Official: Lars Von Trier to Return to Cannes 7 Years After Ban for Hitler Comments https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lars-von-trier-return-cannes-7-years-ban-hitler-comments-1101744 First Gay-ish Film Widely Released in China http://chinafilminsider.com/first-gay-ish-film-widely-released-china/ Kenya Bans LGBT Love Story ‘Rafiki’ Ahead of Cannes Premiere http://variety.com/2018/film/news/kenya-lgbt-rafiki-cannes-wanuri-kahiu-2-1202789998/ NATO Chief Questions Need to ‘Disrupt’ Movie Business http://variety.com/2018/film/news/nato-chief-questions-need-to-disrupt-movie-business-1202784457/ How the New LED Cinema Screen Could Change Filmmaking and Moviegoing https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/how-new-led-cinema-screen-could-change-filmmaking-moviegoing-1104745 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: MoviePass Can Help Bring Marginaliz...

Though Beyoncé was unable to headline Coachella last year due to being pregnant with twins, she more than made up for it this year with a performance that music critics are rightly hailing as the best live music event in decades. In a two hour set that included more than 100 performers from dancers to musicians, even a full marching band, Beyoncé put on a spectacular show that managed to be technically brilliant as well as socially relevant to the times. We were there and provide first hand reporting from this year’s Coachella. Another festival making news is Cannes, which announced the films in this year’s competition, leaving out many of the event’s favorite auteurs. The festival also parted ways with Netflix, not inviting films produced by the streaming giant since they won’t be released in movie theaters. Speaking of Netflix, a shareholder has sued the company for what they allege to a scheme which assured senior management and board members performance bonuses. The complaint accuses Netflix of using the performance bonuses to avoid paying taxes, rather than for any actual performance gains. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including the kurfuffle over Apu, an Indian character on “The Simpsons,” Kendrick Lamar wins a Pulitzer Prize for his latest album and Fleetwood Mac parts ways with its longstanding guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. Every Top New York Times Best-Seller This Year Has Been About Trump http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/16/media/trump-new-york-times-best-selling-books/index.html Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Networks Group London Offices Raided by European Commission https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rupert-murdochs-london-fox-offices-raided-by-european-commission-1101539 comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of April 15, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-april-15-2018-300630029.html Cannes Lineup Includes New Films From Spike Lee, Jean-Luc Godard http://variety.com/2018/film/news/cannes-lineup-includes-new-films-from-spike-lee-jean-luc-godard-1202751300/ Cannes: Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman,’ Jafar Panahi’s ‘Three Faces’ in Competition https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-film-festival-unveils-2018-lineup-1101705 Netflix Pulls Out of Cannes Following Rule Change http://variety.com/2018/film/news/netflix-cannes-rule-change-ted-sarandos-interview-exclusive-1202750473/ MoviePass Bundles Subscription With iHeartRadio Streaming Service https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moviepass-bundles-subscription-iheartradio-streaming-service-1102485 The Great Disruptor: MoviePass Upends the Movie Business, But Can It Survive?

The merger of concert promoter Live Nation and ticketing giant Ticketmaster was supposed to increase competition, stabilize the price of live events and lower the cost of ticketing fees. Nine years later the deal has achieved none of those results. In fact, there are now reports that the Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation on Live Nation. Who could have ever predicted that would happen when the merger was first proposed? Oh yes, that’s right… everyone (including us)! As the recorded music industry slowly scratches it’s way back to 2008 revenue levels, one of the companies instrumental in the upswing is looking to cash in. More specifically, investors in Spotify are looking to reap the rewards of their ownership stake in Spotify, the streaming music giant, as it goes public. That begs the question however, do record labels with a piece of the company now have an incentive to give Spotify better terms? And where does that leave artists? Meanwhile, the MPAA announced global box office reached a record high of $40.6 billion in 2017. North America contributed $11 billion to the total, a level reached mostly through increased ticket prices since attendance was at a 23 year low. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including some of the changes taking place at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bruce Springsteen extends his stay on Broadway and online piracy continues to grow. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of April 8, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-april-8-2018-300626064.html The Daily Fix: Why did it take 20 years for Salman Khan to be convicted in the blackbuck case? https://scroll.in/article/874617/the-daily-fix-why-did-it-take-20-years-for-salman-khan-to-be-convicted-in-the-blackbuck-case Spielberg Beaten by Brazil Evangelicals on ‘Fake’ Box Office https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/2018/04/03/spielberg-beat-by-brazil-evangelical-biopic-on-fake-box-office Global Box Office Hits Record $40.6 Billion in 2017; U.S. Attendance Lowest in 23 Years http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/global-box-office-hits-record-40-6-billion-in-2017-u-s-attendance-lowest-in-23-years-1202742991/ China Box Office Overtakes North America in First Quarter of 2018 http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-box-office-global-biggest-first-quarter-2018-1202742159/ The Case of Hong Kong’s Missing Booksellers https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/magazine/the-case-of-hong-kongs-missing-booksellers.html MoviePass Lifts Blackout of Popular AMC Locations

Hollywood studios are no strangers to coming-of-age romantic comedies (see any John Hughes film), but never before has a mainstream film centered around a gay teenager. Even so, Twentieth Century Fox didn’t cover up the subject matter of “Love, Simon” and instead used it in their marketing campaign. What’s more, such films are now being made by members of the LGBTQ community lending them a sense of credibility through what Los Angeles Times film reporter Tre’vell Anderson calls the “queer gaze”. Anderson joins us to discuss the present state of queer films and the future of a genre that is becoming more prominent. Meanwhile the music industry has something to celebrate as 2017 marked the second year in a row with double digit revenue growth. Streaming services accounted for more than half the year’s total earnings, which are finally back at 2008 levels. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including some of the changes taking place at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bruce Springsteen extends his stay on Broadway and online piracy continues to grow. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 25, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-25-2018-300619111.html ‘Black Panther’ Surpasses ‘The Avengers’ as Highest-Grossing Superhero Movie of All Time in U.S. http://variety.com/2018/film/news/black-panther-surpasses-avengers-highest-grossing-superhero-movie-1202735863/ Marvel-Themed Lands Coming to Three Disney Parks http://variety.com/2018/film/news/marvel-land-disneyland-california-paris-hong-kong-1202731764/ China Movie Industry Oversight Shifted to Communist Propaganda Department http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-movie-regulation-communist-propaganda-department-1202732209/ MoviePass’ Low Subscription Price Just Got Lower https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moviepass-low-subscription-price-just-got-lower-1096892 The 43rd Annual IRA Film Award Winners for 2017 http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-43rd-annual-ira-film-award-winners.html U.S. Music Industry Hits Highest Revenue Mark in a Decade, Fueled by Paid Subscriptions https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8257558/us-music-industry-2017-highest-revenue-in-decade-fueled-paid-subscriptions U.S. Music Industry Hits Highest Revenue Mark In a Decade, Fueled By Paid Subscriptions

It used to be that to promote a faith-based film release, especially one geared toward Christian audiences, all a distributor had to do was screen the film for church groups or pastors, and maybe create some study material. But once studios saw there was money in faith-based movies, they began making more of them. As Ryan Faughnder, a film business reporter for the Los Angeles Times, explains, promoting such titles in a crowded market has become a lot more difficult. In China, regulators are cracking down on marketing agencies that use hundreds or thousands of fake accounts to promote (or bash) products, movies, personalities… almost anything really. Known as the “internet water army” or “cyber navy,” they have made it hard to gauge the public’s true sentiment about a movie, actor, etc. via social media. MoviePass meanwhile continues to make headlines, though this time it’s for something they’re not doing. Despite claiming two weeks ago that their mobile app tracks subscriber’s every move, it turns out MoviePass doesn’t really do that and the company had to apologize Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why YouTube is teaming up with Wikipedia, IHeatMedia files for bankruptcy and Netflix looks to get into the news game. No Longer a Novelty, the Faith-Based Film Business is Trying New Ways to Attract Audiences http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-christian-films-i-can-only-imagine-20180314-story.html Cynthia Nixon Enters Race for New York Governor https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/nyregion/cynthia-nixon-new-york-governor-cuomo.html comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 18, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-18-2018-300615676.html Guns for Hire: China’s Social Media Militia Engage on Command http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1001904/guns-for-hire-chinas-social-media-militia-engage-on-command China to Put Media Under Cabinet-Level Control, Abolish SAPPRFT http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-media-under-cabinet-level-control-abolish-sapprft-1202725104/#article-comments China Falls in Love With Bollywood All Over Again https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-03-09/china-falls-in-love-with-bollywood-all-over-again-101219236.html MoviePass Clarifies How It Does, and Does Not, Track User Location https://celluloidjunkie.com/2018/03/12/moviepass-clarifies-how-it-does-and-does-not-track-user-location/ Tomorrow by Damian Dibben – BookFilter http://bookfilter.

As the Department of Justice prepares for its antitrust trial to prevent the merger of AT&T and Time Warner, they are submitted a brief to the court claiming the outcome of the case shape how video-content is delivered in the United States for years to come. They believe the merger will stifle competition, prevent competitors from entering the market and ultimately disadvantage consumers. If the government succeeds in court, could they go after Comcast NBCUniversal next? Meanwhile, even though the Academy Awards were last week, Academy Award preferential balloting, there is still some debate over the preferential balloting system used to select Best Picture. Does the method lead to a consensus choice rather than the film most people voted for in the first place? Certainly, complaints about Best Picture winners are not new, nor is preferential balloting, which was first used at the Oscars n 1934. The Fox television network plans on cutting advertising on its primetime lineup down to two minutes per hour by 2020. This comes as NBC and CBS recently announced similar ad-limiting initiatives. Why are TV networks suddenly so keen to dump their lucrative advertising and how will they make up that lost revenue? Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how “Hamilton” has conquered the West End in London, e-sports turns into a billion dollar business and Facebook will broadcast Major League Baseball games this season. Weinstein Co. Sale to Ron Burkle Investor Group Collapses http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/weinstein-co-deal-collapses-ron-burkle-1202719365/ comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 11, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-11-2018-300612014.html China Box Office: ‘Black Panther’ Roars With $67M Opening https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-black-panther-roars-67m-opening-1093677 Box-Office Milestone: ‘Black Panther’ Joins Billion-Dollar Club https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/box-office-milestone-black-panther-joins-billion-dollar-club-1093586 MoviePass CEO proudly says the app tracks your location before and after movies https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/05/moviepass-ceo-proudly-says-the-app-tracks-your-location-before-and-after-movies/ UK Copy Cat of MoviePass Revealed https://celluloidjunkie.com/2018/03/08/uk-copy-cat-moviepass-revealed/ How the Oscars Preferential Ballot Turns the Best Picture Race Into a Celebration of the ‘Least Disliked’ http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-oscars-preferential-ballots-20180301-story.html “The Many Saints Of Newark” at New Line

The 90th Academy Awards went down pretty much as everyone expected it would. After a lengthy awards season there were few surprises over who would go home with Oscars. There were no upsets (or mistakes) when it came time to announce Best Picture, as Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” won the honor. During a year which saw the rise of the #MeeToo movement, the vociferous calls from the Oscar stage for gender inclusion and racial diversity within the motion picture industry were also highly anticipated. Anne Thompson, Indiewire’s editor-at-large, was backstage during the ceremony and she joins us to share her insights about. Meanwhile, though Comcast may have been turned down by 20th Century Fox, the cable giant hasn’t given up on growing its conglomerate through acquisitions. Last week they made a $31 billion offer to buy Europe’s Sky Broadcasting, something Fox has been struggling to do for some time now. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Spotify is finally going public, the Swiss back public broadcasting and why YouTube is punishing a prominent conservative conspiracy theorist. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 4, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-4-2018-300607822.html ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Release Date Moves Up One Week http://variety.com/2018/film/news/avengers-infinity-war-release-date-moves-up-1202714656/ Xi Jinping May Be President for Life. What Will Happen to China? https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/xi-jinping-may-be-president-for-life-what-will-happen-to-china China’s Censors Ban Winnie the Pooh and the Letter ‘N’ After Xi’s Power Grab https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/world/asia/china-censorship-xi-jinping.html MoviePass Won’t Let Its Customers Buy Tickets to Red Sparrow In Some Markets https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/2/17073386/moviepass-limited-access-red-sparrow-death-wish-amc-film-studio-negotiations MoviePass Partners with TaskUs to Sharpen Focus on Customer Experience https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/moviepass-partners-with-taskus-to-sharpen-focus-on-customer-experience/ Cesar Awards: ‘BPM ‘ Wins Best Film as France Promotes #NowWeAct http://variety.com/2018/film/news/robin-campillos-bpm-beats-per-minute-wins-best-film-at-cesar-awards-1202715674/ Film Independent Spirit Awards Lean Into Future Oscar Winners, Including ‘Get Out’ and ‘Three Billboards’ http://www.indiewire.

In the first round of a copyright infringement lawsuit, Disney failed to win an injunction preventing the DVD rental company Redbox from selling digital copies of its films. Instead, a judge ruled that since Redbox is forced to buy retail copies of Disney films, they have the right to sell the digital copy that accompanies each disc. To make matters worse, the federal court faulted Disney for copyright misuse, making the studio vulnerable to an existing countersuit filed by Redbox. While Disney and Redbox duke it out in court over copyright issues, the cinema-going subscription company MoviePass is suing an upstart competitor named Sinemia over patent infringement while at the same time trying to straighten out its customer service. In China the Lunar New Year closed out by bringing in $500 million at the box office, the highest weekend tally ever recorded in a single market. In total, the country took in whopping $901 million during the Spring Festival. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why actor Brendan Fraser disappeared from Hollywood, The Weinstein Company is forced into bankruptcy and Netflix debuts its first Arabic content. Kevin Smith Reassures Fans After Surviving Widowmaker Heart Attack http://ew.com/movies/2018/02/26/kevin-smith-heart-attack/ Albert Brooks – Defending Your Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DufE-dcQ70k comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 25, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-25-2018-300603800.html China Box Office Sets New Global Record on Chinese New Year – With No Hollywood Movies https://www.thewrap.com/china-box-office-sets-new-global-record-on-chinese-new-year/ China’s New Year Box Office Hits Record $901M in One Week https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinas-new-year-box-office-hits-record-901m-one-week-1087735 Better Business Bureau Page on Movie Pass https://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/internet-service/moviepass-in-new-york-ny-137535/ MoviePass Sues Subscription Rival Sinemia for Patent Infringement http://variety.com/2018/film/news/moviepass-sues-sinemia-1202709289/ One Goal by Amy Bass – BookFilter http://bookfilter.com/2017/06/09/one-goal/ Yiannopoulos Drops Lawsuit Against Simon & Schuster https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/76105-yiannopoulos-drops-lawsuit-against-s-s.html David Mamet Says He’s Writing a Play About Harvey Weinstein

As Barnes & Noble loses an ever increasing number of customers to Amazon, the largest bookstore chain in the United States continues struggles to remain a viable business, if not relevant. Now comes word the retailer has cut 1,800 workers representing all of its full-time in-store staff. Should this last ditch effort to stay in business fails, the publishing industry is in for a world of hurt. Meanwhile, “Black Panther” roared into theaters, shattering records as it came out on top of this week’s worldwide box office, despite Chinese New Year releases earning over half a billion dollars. Will the success of a big budget movie with a minority cast change the culture of Hollywood and the kinds of projects it chooses to make? The BAFTA Awards were held on Sunday, reinforcing what everyone is saying about this year’s Oscar race: the acting categories look to be locked in stone, but Best Picture is still up for grabs. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news with special guest Karen Woodward, including television producer Ryan Murphy’s rich deal at Netflix, musician Justin Timberlake’s upcoming tour is a huge hit even before tickets go on sale and why MoviePass is in the news yet again. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 18, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-18-2018-300600484.html “Black Panther” Claws Its Way To Massive $192 Million 3-Day Debut. This Weekend at the Box Office. https://celluloidjunkie.com/2018/02/18/black-panther-claws-its-way-to-massive-192-million-3-day-debut-this-weekend-at-the-box-office/ Sony Apologizes for ‘Peter Rabbit’ Movie’s Allergy Scene https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/arts/peter-rabbit-food-allergy.html Can ‘Black Panther’ Be A Box Office Game-Changer Overseas? http://deadline.com/2018/02/black-panther-african-american-films-foreign-box-office-1202286475/ China Curbs Ticket Subsidies in Blockbuster Season http://chinafilminsider.com/china-curbs-ticket-subsidies-blockbuster-season/ “Black Panther” Soundtrack Debuts At #1 On Billboard Top 200 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/black-panther-album-debuts-at-no-1-billboard-200-chart-1085978 MoviePass Terminated a ‘Small Percentage’ of its Users for Violating Its Terms of Service — and People Are Freaking Out http://www.businessinsider.com/moviepass-terminated-users-for-violating-terms-of-service-premium-tickets-2018-2 BAFTA Awards: 2018 Complete Winners List http://variety.

As consumers abandon physical media like compact discs and DVDs they are signing up for streaming services like Hulu and Spotify by the tens of millions. Even so, profitability has proven elusive for such companies. We’ll try and understand why, despite all their earnings and tons of headlines, such services continue to be in the red. Meanwhile the movie awards season has reached a fever pitch, with the Writers Guild handing out their top awards to “Call Me By Your Name” and “Get Out.” Could the horror flick be gaining momentum in the Oscar race just like “Moonlight” did last year? The Grammys may be over but Michael Giltz just finished his list of the best albums of 2017. Oce you move beyond the big prize for Album Of The Year, his picks have a lot in common with the winners at this year’s ceremony. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why Russia has launched a smear campaign against an Oscar nominated documentary, a hiccup in the sale of The Weinstein Company and a respected television executive gets picked to head up Amazon Studios. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 11, 2018 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-11-2018-300596824.html Box Office: Pad Man Is Second Highest Weekend Grosser of 2018 After Padmaavat http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/box-office-special-features/box-office-pad-man-is-second-highest-weekend-grosser-of-2018-after-padmaavat/ WGA Awards: ‘Get Out,’ ‘Call Me by Your Name’ Among Winners https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2018-wga-winners-full-list-1078506 Music: The Best Albums Of 2017 or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Streaming https://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2018/02/music-best-albums-of-2018-or-how-i.html White Horses by Amy Bloom – BookFilter http://bookfilter.com/2018/02/08/white-houses/ Jill Messick’s Family Issues Blistering Statement on Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jill-messicks-family-issues-blistering-statement-harvey-weinstein-rose-mcgowan-1083173 Refusing Weinstein’s Hush Money, Rose McGowan Calls Out Hollywood https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/28/us/rose-mcgowan-harvey-weinstein.html 38 Male Executives Call on Neil Portnow and Recording Academy to End Gender Disparity: ‘Now Is the Time to Lead’ http://variety.com/2018/music/news/38-male-executives-call-on-neil-portnow-and-recording-academy-to-end-gender-disparity-now-is-the-time-to-lead-1202690350/ ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators to Write,