Showbiz Sandbox

When Netflix announced its earnings for the third quarter of 2023 it also confirmed that it would be increasing prices for those that don’t want to view ads. Amazon recently said it would also be raising the price for the ad-free tier of Prime Video. It turns out these streaming services have discovered they make more revenue per subscriber when they are willing to watch ads. Now all they need to do is scale their advertising subscriber-base. Meanwhile, there are signs that talks to settle the actors’ strike may be going well. Though the strike’s damages have already been done with studios postponing releases until 2025 and television ad rates plummeting. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why music publishers are taking legal action against artificial intelligence companies, how record labels are trying to prevent artists from re-recording their albums and the untimely death of Matthew Perry. ‘Five Nights At Freddy’s’ Has Super Game With $131M Global Bow; Biggest Horror Start Of 2023 https://deadline.com/2023/10/five-nights-at-freddys-records-global-international-box-office-1235586521/ Box Office: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ Terrifies With Monstrous $78M Opening https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/five-nights-at-freddys-box-office-opening-1235630735/ Hollywood’s Biggest Stars Offer To Kick In $150M Over Three Years In Dues To Help End Actors Strike Stalemate https://deadline.com/2023/10/hollywood-stars-offer-150-million-dollars-over-three-years-in-higher-dues-to-help-end-actors-strike-stalemate-1235578089/ SAG-AFTRA Negotiator on AI Issue and Strike Talks: ‘A Lot of Issues Still Open’ https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/sag-aftra-ai-strike-negotiations-1235773193/ TV Commercial Prices Advertising Costs Fall 2023 https://adage.com/article/media/tv-commercial-prices-advertising-costs-fall-2023/ SAG-AFTRA Responds to Studios, as Some Progress Seen Toward Ending Strike https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/sag-aftra-responds-studios-progress-seen-1235769774/ Blatant Plagiarism? 5 Key Takeaways From Universal’s Lyrics Lawsuit Against AI Unicorn Anthropic https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/blatant-plagiarism-5-key-takeaways-from-universals-lyrics-lawsuit-against-ai-unicorn-anthropic/ The Top 10* Most-Produced Plays of the 2023-24 Season https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/10/18/the-top-10-most-produced-plays-of-the-2023-24-season/ The Top 20 Most-Produced Playwrights of the 2023-24 Season

Hollywood studios often try to camouflage the success or failure of their movies. Sometimes they claim a film is unprofitable, yet go on to make several sequels, as Nu Image did with the “Has Fallen” franchise. Other times a studio insists a movie is a modest box office hit despite paying hundreds of millions for the underlying property, as with Universal Pictures’ recent “The Exorcist: Believer.” It many not matter to moviegoers, but it does to those with profit participation. There is no denying that Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concert film is a huge success after its weekend in cinemas around the world. Though it didn’t live up to early box office forecasts, its opening was three times bigger than any concert movie in history. It became the highest grossing such film of all time in North America after just three days. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the latest on the actors’ strike, some questions over Spotify’s audiobook offering and Microsoft finally completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. ‘Taylor Swift: Eras Tour’: Swifties Drop Everything Now For Concert Pic’s Global Opening, Shelling Out $123M+ https://deadline.com/2023/10/taylor-swift-eras-tour-global-international-box-office-1235574038/ Taylor Swift Box Office: ‘Eras Tour’ Opening Lowered to $92.8M but Still Belts Out Record Numbers https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-box-office-opening-1235618828/ 2,000+ Top Producers Sign Petition To Drop Second “P” From AMPTP, Part Of Larger Push To Address Inequities https://deadline.com/2023/10/producers-petition-change-amptp-name-hollywood-labor-1235567984/ Directors Guild to Members: Our Contract Deal Was Good, Too https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/directors-guild-defends-deal-social-media-criticism-1235615979/ SAG-AFTRA Alleges ‘Bully Tactics’ as Studios Suspend Negotiations https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/sag-aftra-talks-suspended-1235752709/ How SAG-AFTRA Talks Collapsed: ‘I Was Taken Completely By Surprise,’ Union Chief Says https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/sag-aftra-talks-collapse-streaming-residual-1235753971/ What’s Really Inside the Hollywood Writers’ Deal? https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-10-07/wga-amptp-contract-annotation Now What? The Five Crises Confronting a Post-Strike Hollywood https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/writers-actors-strikes-end-hollywood-crises/the-kids-prefer-tiktok/ Microsoft’s $69 Billion Activision Blizzard Acquisition Finally Approved

Spotify, the music streaming service, is going all in on audiobooks in hopes of attracting and maintaining subscribers. Previously, Spotify offered some audiobooks for sale. Now the company’s 220 million premium subscribers get 15 hours of free audiobook listening each month. The service is launching with 150,000 titles and will pay publishers based on consumption. Meanwhile, while the writers’ strike may be over, actors continue to walk picket lines outside Hollywood studios, networks and streamers. The good news is that SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP are finally sitting down to negotiate a new contract. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Taylor Swift’s film is breaking records even before its release, Dreamworks Animation plans to outsource production and why Wall Street financiers are souring on investing in entertainment companies. ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Scares Up $45M WW Debut; ‘PAW Patrol’ Nears $100M; WB Crosses $2B Overseas For 2023 To Date https://deadline.com/2023/10/the-exorcist-believer-opening-paw-patrol-the-mighty-movie-jawan-global-international-box-office-1235567119/ ‘Exorcist’ Box Office: ‘The Believer’ Delivers $27.2M Opening Before Taylor Swift Storm Arrives https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/exorcist-the-believer-box-office-opening-1235611963/ Hi, ‘Barbie’! Russian Theaters Find Ways to Screen Blockbusters Amid Sanctions. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/world/europe/barbie-russia-hollywood-ukraine-war.html Walt Disney Pictures VFX Workers Vote to Unionize With IATSE https://variety.com/2023/artisans/news/walt-disney-pictures-vfx-workers-unionize-1235730179/ ‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Head Writers Decline to Return After Host’s WGA Strike Controversy https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/drew-barrymore-writers-decline-return-strike-1235745464/ CAA, Disney Sued For Allegedly Enabling Sex Crimes By Harvey Weinstein https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/caa-sued-harvey-weinstein-julia-ormond-1235608906/ CAA Claims Julia Ormond Wanted $15M To Keep Agency Out Of Harvey Weinstein Lawsuit https://deadline.com/2023/10/caa-julia-ormond-lawsuit-response-harvey-weinstein-assault-1235564520/ J-Pop Agency Johnny & Associates To Change Name Amid Sexual Abuse Scandal https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/02/j-pop-talent-agency-johnny-associates-change-name-sexual-abuse-scandal Johnny’s Founder Accused of Sexually Abusing Teen in NHK Bathroom

The Writers Guild of America released details of the new contract they negotiated with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers ending their historic 148 day strike. The 94-page document is filled with big gains for writers in pay and protection from artificial intelligence. It’s also a compromise to the deal the WGA initially sought from the AMPTP, as is to be expected. Meanwhile the Golden Globe Awards has christened two new categories; one for cinematic and box office achievement (which makes no sense) and another for best performance ni stand up comedy on television (which seems like a good idea). Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Juilliard’s acting program is about to get a lot cheaper to attend, how artificial intelligence is augmenting a classic Ingmar Bergman film and Beyoncé is bringing a movie of her Renaissance tour to cinemas. ‘PAW Patrol’ Mighty At $46M WW Bow-Wow; ‘The Creator’ Begins With $32M Global; Zhang Yimou’s ‘Under The Light’ Leads China Holiday; ‘Jawan’ Sets New Records https://deadline.com/2023/10/paw-patrol-the-mighty-movie-creator-jawan-global-china-india-international-box-office-1235561051/ Box Office: ‘Paw Patrol’ Sequel Scares Off ‘Saw X’ and ‘The Creator’ With $23M Opening https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/paw-patrol-mighty-box-office-opening-beats-saw-x-1235605699/ Bruce Springsteen Postpones Remaining 2023 Shows to Recover From Peptic Ulcer Disease https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-postpones-2023-concerts-illness-1235426996/ Netflix Ships Last DVD, Ends Iconic ‘Red Envelope’ Era https://www.thewrap.com/netflix-ships-last-dvd-ends-iconic-red-envelope-era/ “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” Will Take Over Movie Theaters, Worldwide This December https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/renaissance-a-film-by-beyonce-will-take-over-movie-theaters-worldwide-this-december/ Juilliard’s Top-Tier Graduate Acting Program Is Going Tuition-Free https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/27/theater/juilliard-drama-tuition-free.html Netflix, Max, Disney and More Form Streaming Industry Trade Alliance https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-max-disney-and-more-form-streaming-industry-trade-alliance-1235600700/ Göteborg Film Festival To Produce & Debut AI-Altered Version Of Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Persona’ https://deadline.com/2023/09/goteborg-film-festival-ai-ingmar-bergman-persona-1235555410/ Amazon Restricts Authors From Self-publishing More Than Three Books a Day After AI Concerns

The Writer’s Guild of America reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) potentially ending its strike after 146 days. Entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel wrote the book on Hollywood strikes, literally, and is a contributing writer at Puck where he covers labor issues. He fills us in on what is known about the deal the WGA negotiated and when striking actors may follow suit. Handel also helps us understand why some big name authors and comedians are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement after discovering the company used their work to train their artificial intelligence platform, ChatGPT. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how HBO is adding sports to its streaming service, Amazon will add advertisements to Prime Video and Ruper Murdoch announces his retirement from Fox and News Corp. Jonathan Handel’s Website https://jhandel.com/ ‘The Nun II’ Tops $200M Global, ‘Jawan’ Now Biggest Bollywood Movie Ever In India https://deadline.com/2023/09/the-nun-2-jawan-shah-rukh-khan-milestones-expendables-4-global-international-box-office-1235554810/ ‘The Nun II’ Narrowly Prevails Over ‘A Haunting in Venice’ With $14.5M https://deadline.com/2023/09/the-nun-2-jawan-shah-rukh-khan-milestones-expendables-4-global-international-box-office-1235554810/ The Golden Fleece – Harper’s Bazaar https://harpers.org/archive/2023/10/the-golden-fleece-kloc/ Star Wars 1923 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj07nrtc9JI A Taylor Swift Instagram Post Helped Drive a Surge in Voter Registration https://www.npr.org/2023/09/22/1201183160/taylor-swift-instagram-voter-registration Japan’s Legendary Studio Ghibli, Co-Founded by Hayao Miyazaki, Sells Stake to Nippon TV https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/studio-ghibli-hayao-miyazaki-nippon-tv-stake-deal-1235595768/ WGA and the Studios Reach Tentative Deal to End Writers’ Strike https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-09-24/writers-strike-over-wga-studios-reach-deal-actors Hollywood’s Post-Writers Strike Reality https://puck.news/hollywoods-post-writers-strike-reality/ Residuals Are Key to Nearly Every Strike in Hollywood History — Here’s Why https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/residuals-strike-hollywood-history-wga-sag-aftra-1235727986/ Amazon Is Sticking Ads in Prime Video Shows and Movies Unless You Pay More

Every annual awards season has its own strange rhythm and unexpected twists. But with both actors and writers on strike, unable to promote certain movies, surely this year’s awards season will be the strangest of all. At the heart of the madness is Anne Thompson, the Editor-at-Large of Indiewire. The awards season expert is back from both the Telluride and Toronto International Film Festival and she fills us in on which movies managed to drum up some buzz during the fall festival circuit. Meanwhile, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes roll on without any contract negotiations taking place. Drew Barrymore and Bill Mahr both got into hot water with the guilds by trying to start up production of their talk shows without writers. They quickly reversed course. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Dua Lipa’s book club, music sales hit a new record and why the founder of Rolling Stone magazine was booted out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dua Lipa’s Latest Book Club Rec Is ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel García Márquez: ‘It’s Irresistible’ https://people.com/dua-lipa-october-book-club-rec-is-one-hundred-years-of-solitude-7971733 Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Get Their Own Press Corps https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/business/media/taylor-swift-reporter-gannett.html ‘A Haunting In Venice’ Hosts $37M Global Opening Seance, ‘The Nun II’ Rises To $159M WW, ‘Jawan’ Rounds $100M https://deadline.com/2023/09/haunting-in-venice-opening-nun-2-jawan-oppenheimer-expendables-4-china-global-international-box-office-1235548799/ ‘The Nun II’ Narrowly Prevails Over ‘A Haunting in Venice’ With $14.5M https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nun-ii-box-office-prevails-over-haunting-in-venice-1235592719/ Russell Brand Accused of Rape, Sexual Assaults and Abuse https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russell-brand-rape-sexual-assault-abuse-allegations-investigation-v5hxdlmb6 Disgraced Japanese Talent Agency Johnny and Associates to Forgo Fees, Set Sexual Abuse Compensation Structure https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/johnny-associates-sexual-abuse-compensation-fees-1235722111/ Amazon & Jeremy Clarkson: It’s Not Over Yet As Prime Video Gears Up To Renew ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ https://deadline.com/2023/09/jeremy-clarkson-farm-amazon-season-4-1235545475/ Wasserman Merges Sports and Entertainment by Buying Brillstein https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/business/wasserman-brillstein-acquisition.htm Disney, Challenged Elsewhere, Plans to Spend $60 Billion on Parks and Cruises

The 1923 silent film “The Spanish Dancer” starring Pola Negri is the latest restoration project being theatrically released by Milestone Film & Video, one of the key players over the past 30 years in resurrecting forgotten and neglected films. We are joined by Dennis Doros, the co-founder of Milestone, who tells us how he turned a labor of love into a viable business. Meanwhile, unlike the carriage dispute between Disney and the cable provider Charter Communications, which was settled early this week, the writers and actors strike against Hollywood studios and networks appears to have no end in sight. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winners of this year’s Venice Film Festival, a new artist-centric royalty scheme for music streaming and how criminals are using Spotify to launder money. ‘The Nun II’ Conjures $85M+ Global Bow; Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ Thrills At Home & Abroad https://deadline.com/2023/09/nun-2-jawan-shah-rukh-khan-oppenheimer-barbie-global-international-box-office-1235542325/ ‘The Nun II’ Kicks Off Fall Box Office With $32.6M Domestic Opening https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nun-ii-box-office-my-big-fat-greek-wedding-1235586187/ Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s ‘Poor Things’ Wins Golden Lion at Venice, Peter Sarsgaard and Cailee Spaeny Take Acting Prizes https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/poor-things-wins-golden-lion-at-venice-film-festival-1235718607/ J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, Greg Berlanti, Mindy Kaling, Bill Lawrence and More Overall Deals Suspended By Warner Bros. TV https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/mindy-kaling-greg-berlanti-bill-lawrence-warner-bros-deals-suspended-strike-1235715723/ Striking Writers Try to Exploit Conflicts Between Studios and Streamers https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/09/08/writers-union-calls-out-studios-streamers-escalation-strike/ ‘Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel’ to End HBO Run After 29 Seasons https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/real-sports-with-bryant-gumbel-hbo-ending-1235715019 Multiple Criminal Gang Members Confirm They’ve Used Spotify for Money Laundering in Bombshell New Report in Sweden https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/multiple-criminal-gang-members-confirm-theyve-used-spotify-for-money-laundering-in-bombshell-new-report-in-sweden/ TV Museum Will Die in 48 Hours Unless Sony Retracts YouTube Copyright Strikes https://torrentfreak.com/tv-museum-will-die-in-48-hours-unless-sony-retracts-youtube-copyright-strikes-230904/

Carriage disputes between cable companies and media companies are nothing new. They happen regularly around big events like the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup or the Oscars. However this time Charter Communications, the second largest cable operator in the United States, has pulled all of Disney’s 19 networks from its service, refusing to pay the higher licensing fees, arguing that the bundled pay television business model no longer works. Settling the disagreement could significantly alter the future of the television landscape. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift has conquered the album charts and football stadiums and now she’s going to conquer movie theaters. And with summer box office hitting $4 billion, Swift’s concert film comes at the perfect time, at least for those in North America. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Hollywood Reporter gets another editor-in-chief, more details about Kevin Costner’s departure from “Yellowstone” and Michael Mann brings his “Ferrari” to the Venice Film Festival. ‘Equalizer 3’ Clocks Franchise-Best WW Debut; ‘Oppenheimer’ Reaches $851M Global With Strong China Start, ‘Barbie’ Dances To $1.38B+ https://deadline.com/2023/09/the-equalizer-3-oppenheimer-china-barbie-global-international-box-office-1235535334/ ‘Equalizer 3’ Box Office: Pic’s $42M Opening Pushes Summer Domestic Revenue Past $4B in Post-Pandemic First https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/equalizer-3-box-office-opening-1235580551/ “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” History-Making, Record-Breaking Concert Film Experience Comes to AMC Theatres and to Other Movie Operators in the Theatrical Event of the Millennium https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-history-making-record-breaking-concert-film-experience-comes-to-amc-theatres-and-to-other-movie-operators-in-the-theatrical-event-of-the-millennium/ The Power of Taylor Swift Compels Exorcist: Believer to Move Release Date https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/09/the-power-of-taylor-swift-compels-exorcist-believer-to-move-release-dates Netflix Sets Fall Release Dates for Theaters and Streaming: Zack Snyder, Emily Blunt, David Fincher and More https://variety.com/2023/film/news/netflix-movies-fall-rebel-moon-maestro-1235707847/ Iranian Filmmaker Ali Asgari Banned From Traveling, Making Movies After Cannes Premiere of ‘Terrestrial Verses’ https://variety.com/2023/film/news/iranian-filmmaker-ali-asgari-banned-traveling-cannes-terrestrial-verses-1235710532/ Maer Roshan Named Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Hollywood Reporter, Joining Nekesa Mumbi Moody at the Editorial Helm ht...

The recent success of the television series “Suits” on Netflix has shined a spotlight on how much money writers make on a cable or broadcast hit versus one on a streaming service. Last week one of the show’s writers revealed the vast difference in residual payments he received between linear and streaming underscoring why the WGA is currently on strike. Meanwhile, with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA striking in strong solidarity, the AMPTP has hired a public relations crisis management firm. Studios, realizing the strike shows no sign of ending, have begun postpone tentpole releases such as “Dune 2” into 2024. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Amazon has shown interest in partnering with Disney on ESPN, how preview screenings are messing up box office calculations and why musicians seem to be dumping manager Scooter Braun. ‘Barbie’ Reaches $1.34B, Will Become WB’s Biggest Movie Ever Worldwide On Monday; ‘Oppenheimer’ Nears $800M Global https://deadline.com/2023/08/barbie-oppenheimer-records-china-global-international-box-office-1235529072/ Box Office: ‘Gran Turismo’ Declares Victory With $17.4M — But ‘Barbie’ Says She’s the True Winner https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/gran-turismo-box-office-barbie-1235575327/ China Box Office: ‘No More Bets’ Hits $470 Million After Fourth Weekend on Top https://variety.com/2023/film/news/china-box-office-no-more-bets-fourth-weekend-top-1235705866/ Why Billy Bragg Rewrote Oliver Anthony’s Chart-Topping “Rich Men North of Richmond” https://slate.com/culture/2023/08/oliver-anthony-rich-men-north-of-richmond-billy-bragg.html WGA Leaders Meet with Key CEOs; AMPTP Releases Details of Latest Contract Offer https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/wga-ceos-amptp-offer-details-1235702701/ Walt Disney Pictures VFX Workers Move to Unionize https://variety.com/2023/artisans/news/walt-disney-pictures-vfx-workers-union-1235706136/ Disney+ Production Nautilus Scrapped After Wrapping on the Gold Coast https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/aug/29/disney-plus-nautilus-tv-show-series-scrapped-gold-coast-why Disney To Offer Free Cricket As It Fights Back In India’s Streaming Wars https://deadline.com/2023/08/disney-ipl-free-cricket-india-streaming-wars-1235530149/ Amazon in Talks With Disney About ESPN Streaming Partnership https://www.theinformation.com/articles/amazon-in-talks-with-disney-about-espn-streaming-partnership?rc=zoqijx Eminem Warns Vivek Ramaswamy Not To Perform Or Use Hi...

The number of households in the United States subscribing to traditional pay television services has dropped below 50% for the first time in the two years Nielsen has been tracking such metrics. And it’s not that viewers are cutting the cable cord, they’re just watching their favorite television shows and movies on streaming services more than they are on broadcast and cable. Meanwhile, the writers and actors’ strikes show no sign of ending. One of the big sticking points is over the use of artificial intelligence in future productions. Now a new court ruling sided with the Copyright Office and said works solely generated by AI cannot be copyrighted. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney is being sued by one of its finance partners, why an Iranian filmmaker is being thrown in prison and some box office shenanigans taking place in Korea. ‘Oppenheimer’ Rises To $718M Global, ‘Barbie’ Basks In $1.28B, ‘Meg 2’ Chomps Past $300M; ‘Blue Beetle’ Scurries To $18M Overseas Start https://deadline.com/2023/08/oppenheimer-barbie-blue-beetle-meg-2-global-international-box-office-1235523488/ Box Office: ‘Blue Beetle’ Beats ‘Barbie’ With $25.4M Debut, ‘Strays’ Gets Lost https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/blue-beetle-box-office-barbie-strays-1235570507/ The Cinema Foundation Announces the Second Annual National Cinema Day, America’s Day at the Movies on Aug. 27th https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/the-cinema-foundation-announces-the-second-annual-national-cinema-day-americas-day-at-the-movies-on-aug-27th/ Billy Bragg Releases Pro-Unionisation Response Song to Viral Country hit Rich Men North of Richmond https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/21/billy-bragg-releases-response-song-to-oliver-anthony-rich-men-north-of-richmond The 40(ish) Most Important People in Podcasting in 2023 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/most-powerful-people-in-podcasting-2023-1235567134/ South Korean Police Uncover Box Office Inflation Scandal Involving Major Industry Players https://celluloidjunkie.com/digest/south-korean-police-uncover-box-office-inflation-scandal-involving-major-industry-players/ SAG-AFTRA Modifies Interim Agreement Policy To Exclude WGA-Covered Projects Shot In The U.S. https://deadline.com/2023/08/actors-strike-waivers-writers-guild-1235519273/ WGA Slams Netflix, Amazon and Disney as ‘New Gatekeepers’ in Antitrust Report https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-08-17/wga-writers-s...

Though Disney had previously dismissed the idea of venturing into sports betting, saying it didn’t fit the company’s image, the media giant signed a billion dollar agreement this week with a little known online gambling company. The move comes as Disney’s linear television revenue is declining with no end in sight and losses for its streaming service continue to mount. Will ESPN Bet help bolster Disney’s balance sheet? Meanwhile the dual writers and actors strikes continue though the AMPTP held what was reportedly a productive conversation with the Writers Guild over the past week. Hollywood will need to get comfortable with holding labor negotiations since more of its workers are opting to unionize. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Paramount is selling publishing giant Simon & Schuster, India has one of its biggest box office weekends of all time and why you might not want to work for Lizzo anytime soon. ‘Barbie’ Sails Past $1.18B Global, ‘Oppenheimer’ Closing In On $650M, ‘Meg 2’ Tops $250M & ‘Gran Turismo’ Starts Early Overseas Engines https://deadline.com/2023/08/barbie-oppenheimer-gran-turismo-meg-2-global-international-box-office-1235475535/ ‘Barbie’ Takes Fourth No. 1 as ‘Last Voyage of the Demeter’ Sinks at Box Office https://www.thewrap.com/barbie-last-voyage-demeter-box-office/ Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailer,’ Sunny Deol’s ‘Gadar 2,’ Chiranjeevi’s ‘Bhola Shankar,’ Akshay Kumar’s ‘OMG 2’ Create Indian Box Office History https://variety.com/2023/film/asia/rajinikanth-jailer-sunny-deol-gadar-2-chiranjeevi-bhola-shankar-india-box-office-1235695378/ Twilight of the Serial Killer: Cases Like Gilgo Beach Become Ever Rarer https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/nyregion/serial-killers-gilgo-beach-rex-heuermann.html Pixar President on ‘Elemental’s’ Unlikely Box Office Rebound: ‘This Will Certainly Be a Profitable Film’ https://variety.com/2023/film/news/pixar-elemental-box-office-rebound-1235691248/ Marvel’s VFX Workers Have Moved to Unionize—and It’s a Huge Deal for Hollywood https://www.wired.com/story/marvel-vfx-unionization-big-deal/ ‘Suits’ Continues To Dominate Nielsen Streaming Top 10; ‘Bluey’ Records First Billion-Minute Week https://deadline.com/2023/08/nielsen-streaming-ratings-suits-netflix-peacock-bluey-the-summer-i-turned-pretty-1235459890/ Six Takeaways from Disney’s Quarterly Earnings Call https://www.npr.org/2023/08/09/1192746089/disney-earnings-call Disney Shrinks Streaming Losses to $512M, Ups Cost-Cutting Goal From $5.5B https://www.hollywoodreporter.

One of the key disputes striking actors are having with the AMPTP (the studios and the streamers) is over artificial intelligence and how it will be used in movies and television shows in the future. What rights will actors have and will they get paid if their image and likeness is used through AI? We look at some of the issues surrounding AI and how it relates to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Meanwhile, talks between the Writers Guild and the AMPTP over their own strike for a new contract resumed last week. Unfortunately it seemed all they talked about was whether they should start talking again. It would help if both sides could agree on what they are arguing about. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why an opera star is suing the Metropolitan Opera, how Lizzo is accused of fat-shaming and the economic impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. ‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Reach Major Milestones, ‘Meg 2’ Chomps On $142M Global Debut https://deadline.com/2023/08/barbie-oppenheimer-box-office-milestones-global-international-meg-2-opening-china-1235455131/ ‘Barbie’ Rules Box Office Again With $53 Million, Taking Down ‘Meg 2’ and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/barbie-box-office-third-win-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-the-meg-2-1235688787/ Comscore Box Office https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings Box Office Mojo https://www.boxofficemojo.com China Box Offic http://english.entgroup.cn/boxoffice/cn/ A Bollywood Box Office Tracker https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/box-office-collections/ Writers Blast Latest AMPTP Efforts to Resume Negotiations: “Insulting and Out-of-Touch” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/writers-react-studios-streamers-attempt-resume-negotiations-1235551675/ Lizzo Hit With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit By Former Tour Dancers https://www.billboard.com/business/legal/lizzo-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-former-tour-dancers-1235382865/ ‘Days Of Our Lives’ Co-EP Albert Alarr Out Following Misconduct Investigation & Cast Petition; Janet Drucker To Replace Him https://deadline.com/2023/08/days-of-our-lives-co-executive-producer-albert-alarr-fired-out-misconduct-investigation-cast-petition-janet-drucker-1235453139/ UK Broadcast TV Viewing Plummets https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2023080364046/uk-broadcast-tv-viewing-plummets.html Warner Bros. Discovery Sheds 1.

The idea of counter-programming the simultaneous global release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” over the same summer weekend always seemed like a gamble. But somehow Greta Gerwig’s comedy about a popular toy doll and a Christopher Nolan’s biopic of the renowned nuclear physicist wound up becoming a worldwide phenomenon breaking all sorts of box office records over its first two weeks. Now, instead of capitalizing on this success, Hollywood studios are determined to drag out a dual strike with writers and actors which shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Having joined the Writers Guild of America on the picket lines, SAG-AFTRA continues to make its case in the court of public opinion. Unfortunately, producers (meaning studios, streamers and networks) aren’t ready to start negotiating a compromise. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including country music’s big moment, why Disney CEO Bob Iger called in some former senior executives to consult with the company and how video streaming is hitting new heights. ‘Barbie’ Pirouettes To Powerhouse $781M Global, ‘Oppenheimer’ A Phenom At $406M WW Through Sunday https://deadline.com/2023/07/barbie-oppenheimer-barbenheimer-second-weekend-global-international-box-office-1235450844/ ‘Haunted Mansion’ Spooked, ‘Barbie’ Scores Record $93M Second Weekend in U.S. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/haunted-mansion-box-office-opening-barbie-oppenheimer-1235547428/ Warner Bros. Apologizes After ‘Barbenheimer’ Posts Spark Criticism From Studio’s Japan Unit https://variety.com/2023/film/news/warner-bros-japan-criticizes-barbie-twitter-barbenheimer-posts-1235683885/ China Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Gains Foothold, Crosses $25M https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/china-box-office-barbie-1235547738/ AMC Theatres to Pivot Away From Sightline at AMC Following the Completion of the Pilot Test of the Program https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/amc-theatres-to-pivot-away-from-sightline-at-amc-following-the-completion-of-the-pilot-test-of-the-program-new-type-of-front-row-seating-will-be-tested-instead/ Bethenny Frankel Calls for Reality Stars Union: ‘Networks and Streamers Have Been Exploiting People for Too Long’ https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/bethenny-frankel-reality-union-strike-1235674531/ Documentary Workers Union Ratifies Groundbreaking Contract With International Documentary Association https://deadline.com/2023/07/documentary-workers-united-ratifies-groundbreaking-contract-with-international-documentary-association-1235445737/ SAG-AFTRA Strike: AI Fears Mount for Background Actors

Film and television production ground to a halt last week in Hollywood (and elsewhere) when actors joined the already striking writers on the picket line. This marks the first time in 63 years that the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild has been on strike at the same time and it is an existential moment for the entertainment business which could set the tone for labor relations for decades to come. Entertainment attorney and journalist Jonathan Handel drops by to give us all the details. Meanwhile, the Emmy Award nominations were announced last week, though thanks to the ongoing strike(s) who knows when the ceremony will be held. What we do know based on the nominations is that in a world of peak TV, Emmy voters watched about…four shows last year! Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney is looking to sell off certain television assets, the BBC finds itself embroiled in another scandal and Taylor Swift becomes only the third artist to ever have four albums in Billboard’s top ten in a single week. Jonathan Handel’s Website https://jhandel.com/ ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Lights Fuse With $235M Global Bow https://deadline.com/2023/07/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-opening-china-global-international-box-office-1235438237/ Box Office: ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Falls Short of Expectations With $56 Million Debut, Collects $80 Million Over Five Days https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/mission-impossible-7-box-office-opening-weekend-falls-short-1235671300/ China Box Office: ‘Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ Opens in Third Place Behind Local Duo https://variety.com/2023/film/news/china-box-office-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-opens-third-1235671685/ Box Office: Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ Opens Strong in Japan (Despite No Marketing) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hayao-miyazakis-the-boy-and-the-heron-opens-strong-in-japan-1235538620/ Burning Questions on Hollywood’s Summer From Hell https://puck.news/burning-questions-on-hollywoods-summer-from-hell/ Without ‘RRR’, ‘K.G.F.’ Impact, India’s Box Office Down 15% In 2023 1st https://deadline.com/2023/07/india-box-office-south-indian-hindi-films-pathaan-jawan-salaar-1235439429/ Berlin Film Festival Cuts Close To A Third Of Its Lineup, Including Berlinale Series Amid Budget Struggles https://deadline.com/2023/07/berlin-film-festival-cuts-lineup-berlinale-series-budget-cuts-1235435057/

The Writers Guild of America members have been on strike for over two months now and might soon be joined by the Screen Actors Guild. When it comes to artificial intelligence however both guilds agree; when their members’ work is used to train AI, actors and writers should be paid. Some writers are now taking matters into their own hands and filing lawsuits against companies for training their A.I. models using their work without permission. Meanwhile, we’ve known how big music streamers have become on a global level, but now the National Music Publishers Association announced it has cracked the code on figuring out how many subscribers each major service has in the United States. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how a movie that Disney dumped five years ago beat out Indy 5 at the weekend box office, NBCUniversal promotes some senior executives and Elton John finally wraps up his farewell tour after earning $900 million. Bitter Rivals. Beloved Friends. Survivors. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/interactive/2023/chris-evert-martina-navratilova-cancer/ ‘Insidious: The Red Door’ Scares Up Best Overseas Horror Bow Since 2019; ’Indiana Jones’ Moves Dial To $248M Global; ‘Elemental’ Catching Fire Offshore; ‘Fast X’ Tops $700M WW https://deadline.com/2023/07/insidious-red-door-indiana-jones-dial-of-destiny-fast-x-elemental-china-global-international-box-office-1235432599/ ‘Insidious: The Red Door’ Sinks ‘Indiana Jones’ With $32.7M Box Office Opening, ‘Joy Ride’ Stalls https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/insidious-red-door-sinks-indiana-jones-box-office-1235531618/ On the Brink of a Possible SAG-AFTRA Strike, Some Actors Are Wary of AI. Here’s Why. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-07-07/hollywood-actors-strike-sag-aftra-artificial-intelligence SAG-AFTRA Strike Could Hinge On AI; Deep Divisions Remain Between Actors & Studios In Final Hours Of Talks https://deadline.com/2023/07/actors-strike-ai-kim-kardashian-fran-drescher-contract-deadline-1235432142/ Sarah Silverman Sues OpenAI and Meta Over Copyright Infringement https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/10/arts/sarah-silverman-lawsuit-openai-meta.html Claims About BBC Presenter Are Rubbish, Says Young Person at Centre of Scandal https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jul/10/claims-about-bbc-presenter-are-rubbish-says-young-person-at-centre-of-scandal NBCUniversal Shakeup: Film Boss Donna Langley Will Now Also Lead TV https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-07-06/nbcuniversal-shakeup-donna-langley-film-tv-susan-rovner What Donna Langley’s Promotion Means for the Future of NBCUniversal