Showbiz Sandbox

After originally splitting 10 years ago, Viacom and CBS may once again become a single organization. While a merger may help save Viacom, it doesn’t necessarily benefit the cash rich CBS. Even so, since the Redstone family owns the controlling share of both companies, it seems inevitable the two will once again be joined whether they like it or not. Meanwhile the Federal Communications Commission has paused its attempt to wrestle the control of television set-top boxes away from cable providers, delaying a vote in order to clarify some of the rules included in the proposed legislation. That means consumers in the United States will still spend $20 billion for at least the next two years renting cable boxes. At the box office, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” helped reverse the fortunes of Tim Burton’s latest films and even “Deepwater Horizon” may be not be the disaster some had predicted. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why NBC is dumping its “Mail Order Bride”, Disney plans on making a live-action version of “The Lion King” and a huge chunk of Rolling Stone magazine gets sold off. New California IMDb Age Law Probably Unconstitutional, Experts Say http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/new-california-imdb-age-law-932808 comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of October 2, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-october-2-2016-300337726.html FCC Pulls Set-Top Box Rules From Meeting Agenda http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2016/09/29/fcc-pulls-set-top-box-rules-meeting-agenda/91264890/ The FCC is Putting Off a Historic Vote to Disrupt Your Cable Box https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/09/29/the-fcc-is-poised-to-disrupt-your-cable-box-heres-what-we-know-so-far/ By Gaslight by Steve Price http://bookfilter.com/2015/12/08/by-gaslight/ Elena Ferrante’s ‘My Brilliant Friend’ Goes From Page to Stage http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/books/elena-ferrantes-my-brilliant-friend-goes-from-page-to-stage.html Harry Styles: Happy One Direction Broke Up — It’s ‘Good’ To Explore New Things http://hollywoodlife.com/2016/09/28/harry-styles-one-direction-split-exploring-different-things/ TV Ratings: Clinton-Trump Debate Tops 80-Million Record http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/debate-ratings-clinton-trump-showdown-932785 Amazon Bans Incentivized Reviews Tied to Free or Discounted Products https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/03/amazon-bans-incentivized-reviews-tied-to-free-or-discounted-products/

After more than a decade in decline, the sale of recorded music in the United States is set to grow for the second straight year thanks to increased revenue earned from music streaming services such as Spotify. Even so, the music industry is taking in half of what it earned at its peak late 1990s because streaming revenue hasn’t made up for the falloff in actual sales. Meanwhile, the Dalian Wanda Group continues its invasion of Hollywood by cutting a deal with Sony Pictures to market movies in China. Wanda can practically guarantee the success of a new release given that it controls the largest movie theater chain in China ensuring a film will be scheduled heavily when it opens. There is no sure bet at Viacom however as the media giant’s leadership remains in turmoil. It’s interim CEO is stepping down sooner than expected and the vice chairman of Paramount Pictures is also exiting. Then last week the company announced it would take a $115 million loss on a movie that hasn’t even been released yet. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a new law requiring websites like IMDb remove an actor’s age upon request, the BBC gets into a bake off battle and why Netflix is getting more original every day. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of September 25, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-september-25-2016-300333726.html China Box Office: ‘Odyssey’ Clings to Top in Quiet Weekend https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/china-box-office-odyssey-top-in-quiet-weekend-1201870060/ Feng Xiaogang’s ‘Madame Bovary’ Release Delayed https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/mystery-distribution-delay-for-feng-xiaogangs-madame-bovary-1201866753/ TimeWarner Chief Jeff Bewkes on their DC Movies: “There’s Room For Improvement” https://variety.com/2016/biz/news/jeff-bewkes-batman-v-superman-suicide-squad-time-warner-1201866932/ Disney CEO Bob Iger Deems ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’ “an Experiment, of Sorts” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-ceo-bob-iger-deems-931450 Sony and Wanda Team Up to Market Films in China http://www.wsj.com/articles/sony-and-wanda-team-up-to-market-films-in-china-1474600691 AMC Theatres CEO Blasts NATO Head for Attacking James Murdoch http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amc-theatres-ceo-blasts-nato-head-john-fithian-932238 The Music Industry Is Finally Making Money on Streaming http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-20/spotify-apple-drive-u-s-music-industry-s-8-first-half-growth iHeartMedia Announces Plans for Its Entry Into Paid Streaming

With an ever increasing number of high profile movies competing for awards at the end of each year, film festivals such as those in Telluride and Toronto have never been more important in helping promote a release. Anne Thompson, Indiewire’s editor-at-large, has just returned from both festivals and gives us a complete rundown of all the films creating the most buzz. And just as the number of movies worth seeing has grown, so too has the number of television shows. There’s so much good TV these days that in fact, the Emmys are more and more like the Academy Awards, where viewers haven’t even seen most of the Best Picture nominees. Maybe that’s why the Emmys keep honoring the same old shows year-after-year. Meanwhile, the number of books on offer has grown at least 21% recently thanks to self-publishing. That includes both e-books and print. The crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has been responsible for thousands of titles, enough to make them the unofficial fifth largest publisher in North America. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why Argentina is sending school-aged children to the movies, how the Rio Olympics proved profitable for NBC after all and the Lady Gaga is booked for the Super Bowl half time show. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of September 18, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-september-18-2016-300329838.html China Box Office: ‘Odyssey’ Sequel Dreams up Holiday Weekend Win http://variety.com/2016/film/asia/china-box-office-odyssey-sequel-weekend-win-1201864452/ Korea Box Office: ‘Shadows’ Holds Holiday Weekend http://variety.com/2016/film/asia/korea-box-office-shadows-wins-holiday-weekend-1201864335/ Cinemark Drops $700,000 Claim Against Aurora Theater Shooting Victims, Ending Legal Battle http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/cinemark-aurora-theater-shooting-legal-battle-ends-1201859702/ Geekdom Wins at the 2016 Emmy Awards http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-emmy-2016-awards-geeks-win-20160919-snap-story.html Emmys 2016 Winners List: ‘Game of Thrones’ Wins Best Drama http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/09/18/emmys-2016-winners-list/ The Kept Woman – BookFilter http://bookfilter.com/2016/08/17/the-kept-woman-5/ Hero of the Empire – BookFilter http://bookfilter.com/2015/09/14/untitled-on-churchill-in-south-africa-2/ Sales at B&N Down Over 6% in Q1 http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/71417-sales-at-b-n-down-over-6-in-q1.html Bowker Report Shows Self-Publishing Growth

In a widely expected move, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Tom Wheeler, laid out a regulatory plan that would allow consumers to use the set-top box of their choice to access television. Naturally, pay television providers weren’t happy since they earn $20 billion annually by forcing their customers to rent such equipment. They claim Wheeler’s mandate is overreaching and his call for universal streaming app adoption could stifle innovation. The September box office has kicked off the run up to the holiday moviegoing season in fine form. While ticket sales for the month are slightly higher than last year in the United States, it is international markets that continue to outperform. In fact, some films do so much better in China than in North America, that industry pundits wonder whether certain sequels should be China-centric and simply skip a U.S. release. We’ll be back next week with our regular show that will cover all the news making headlines around the entertainment world. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of September 11, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-september-11-2016-300325921.html Why ‘Warcraft 2’ May Never Play in US Theater http://www.thewrap.com/why-warcraft-2-may-never-play-in-us-theaters/ Nate Parker Deflects Question About Lack of Public Apology in Rape Case https://variety.com/2016/film/news/nate-parker-rape-controversy-birth-of-a-nation-1201857529/ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Reviews ‘Birth of a Nation’…And Nate Parker: “Important and Flawed” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nate-parkers-troubled-past-importance-926112 The Hidden Life of Trees – BookFilter Entry http://bookfilter.com/2016/06/30/the-hidden-life-of-trees/ FCC Chairman: Here Are the New Proposed Rules for Set-top Boxes http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-wheeler-set-top-box-rules-20160908-snap-story.html

The competition between Apple Music and Spotify for subscribers has been cutthroat over the past year. Now comes word that Spotify may be retaliating against artists working with Apple. We’ll take a look at how exclusive new releases have raised the stakes in the ongoing battle for streaming music supremacy. We also explain why it’s time everyone stopped discussing how abysmal North American summer box office was. After all, 2016 box office and attendance is actually up over the previous year, which had record earnings. And in what might be a case of the pot calling the kettle black, China is questioning whether Universal’s acquisition of DreamWorks Animation breaks its antitrust regulation. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Jackie Chan will be awarded an honorary Oscar, Frank Ocean makes history by topping the Billboard charts with a self-released album and Baz Lurmann’s “Moulin Rouge” is being turned into a musical. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of September 4, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-september-4-2016-300322423.html Gene Wilder’s ‘Willy Wonka,’ ‘Blazing Saddles’ Returning to Theaters http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/gene-wilders-willy-wonka-returning-to-theaters-w437529 ‘Don’t Breathe’ Inhales Huge $19.6M; ‘Morgan’ Bombs With $2.4M http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/weekend-box-office-dont-breathe-925671 Hollywood’s Summer of Extremes: Megahits, Superflops and Little Else http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/business/media/hollywoods-summer-of-extremes-megahits-superflops-and-little-else.html Summer Box Office: Feast or Famine as Blockbusters Either Hit Big or Flop Spectacularly https://variety.com/2016/film/news/summer-box-office-finding-dory-secret-life-of-pets-suicide-squad-captain-america-civil-war-1201850401/ Comcast’s DreamWorks Animation Acquisition to Face Anti-Trust Review in China http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/comcasts-dreamworks-animation-acquisition-face-925331 Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen http://bookfilter.com/2015/12/14/razor-girl/ Fox Updating King Arthur as Police Procedural Drama ‘Camelot’ (Exclusive) http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fox-updating-king-arthur-as-924730 NBC Turning ‘Oliver Twist’ Into Contemporary Female-Driven Procedural (Exclusive) http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/oliver-twist-procedural-set-at-925383 ‘Moulin Rouge!’ Stage Musical In the Works http://www.

Much has been made about the decline in box office this summer, with franchise sequels underperforming and certain pricey movies failing to attract an audience. Kevin Lincoln, a senior editor at New York Magazine and Vulture, takes a look at this summer’s biggest flops and predicts which mega-budget releases might suffer a similar fate as we round out the year. In China it might be more difficult to know which movies are box office disappointments or crowd favorites since online and mobile ticketing companies have been offering hefty subsidies to cinemagoers in their heated battle for market share. This means the gross of any release is almost always higher than what moviegoers actually paid to see it. We’ll also dip back into audience figures from the recently completed Summer Olympics in Rio. This time however we have some data about viewership in Europe, Canada and elsewhere. To nobody’s surprise, more people streamed coverage online than ever before. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Netflix international subscribers will soon outnumber those in the United States, a changing of the guard at Twentieth Century Fox gets expedited and the late Prince’s home and music studio is set to become a museum. Which Upcoming Movies Could Flop Harder Than Ben-Hur? http://www.vulture.com/2016/08/bigger-flop-ben-hur.html Little People, Big Woes in Hollywood: Low Pay, Degrading Jobs and a Tragic Death http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/little-people-actors-actresses-low-pay-degrading-jobs-tragedy-922261 Plagiarism Accusation Ignites Behind-the-Scenes Battle Over Costume Design http://www.indiewire.com/2016/08/kristen-stewart-equals-movie-costume-design-credits-abby-osullivan-alana-morshead-1201718808/ comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of August 28, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-august-28-2016-300319092.html Chinese Media Lobby Against Cinema Blackout Periods for Hollywood Films https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/chinese-media-against-cinema-blackout-periods-1201845080/ Alibaba Pictures Loses $69 Million From Ticket Subsidies http://variety.com/2016/biz/asia/ticket-subsidies-push-alibaba-pictures-into-loss-1201845400/ How Subsidies Distorted China’s “Record” February Box Office https://celluloidjunkie.com/2015/03/05/subsidies-distorted-chinas-record-box-office-february/ Despite TV Ratings Drop, NBC Says the Rio Games Was Still a Financial Success http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-nbc-olympics-20160824-snap-story.html The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Canadian Medals Boost CBC’s O...

We keep hearing that cord-cutting is going to destroy the U.S. cable industry. But SNL Kagan analyst Ian Olgeirson says the economic outlook for the business over the next decade is actually quite solid. Olgeirson joins us to explain how cable companies are turning cord-cutters into more profitable cord-swappers and what that means for their long-term health. Meanwhile, for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio you didn’t need to have a cable subscription since so much of the action was streamed live online. In fact, while television viewership may not have reached the levels some networks around the world had hoped, a record number of hours were streamed over the Internet from this year’s games. We also launch a new segment that tells you the one new book worth reading out of the thousands that are published each week, as listed on BookFilter, a book lover’s best friend. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including the dispute over Tom Cruise’s salary for “Mission: Impossible 6”, the power struggle at Viacom nears a resolution and Barbara Streisand tells Apple’s Siri how to pronounce her name properly. Ian Olgeirson’s Twitter Account https://twitter.com/ianolgeirson comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of August 21, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-august-21-2016-300316177.html NBC’s $12 Billion Olympics Bet Stumbles, Thanks to Millennials http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-19/nbc-s-12-billion-olympics-bet-stumbles-thanks-to-millennials TV Ratings: Rio Games Take Silver with 27.5 Million Average for Competition Coverage https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/tv-ratings-olympics-rio-27-5-million-average-viewership-1201841815/ TV Ratings: Rio Olympics Hit Low in Final Stretch http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-rio-olympics-hit-921334 France Télévisions’ Olympics Digital Coverage Hits New High http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016082044033/france-televisions-olympics-digital-coverage-hits-new-high.html Surrender New York on BookFilter http://bookfilter.com/2016/02/08/surrender-new-york/ Kickstarter Hits a Publishing Milestone http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/71246-kickstarter-hits-a-publishing-milestone.html J.K. Rowling Announces E-Book Series, ‘Pottermore Presents’ http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/business/jk-rowling-announces-e-book-series-pottermore-presents.html Viacom, Sumner Redstone Close to Deal Ousting CEO Philippe Dauman

In a scathing open letter published last week, an alleged ex-Warner Bros. employee took the studio and its chairman Kevin Tsujihara to task for a number of recent missteps. The author mocks studio brass for doubling down on the talent delivering critical duds such as “Batman v Superman” and their inability to make a hit movie, despite somehow managing to keep their jobs. Though the veracity of the letter is questionable, it caused ripples in Hollywood not because it revealed a trove of inside secrets, but more due to the fact that it publicly stated what so many have been whispering about Warner Bros. lately; a lack of leadership and a confused executive team have led to a year of mixed results. Meanwhile, we’ve been watching the Rio Olympics, along with three or four billion viewers around the world. Despite audience figures that are down from the London games in numerous territories, the Summer Olympics is arguably still a ratings juggernaut hard to compete against, giving networks broadcasting the event a serious advantage. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how a Netflix documentary helped overturn a murder conviction, why Thomas Gibson got fired from “Criminal Minds” and Comedy Central cancels “The Nightly Show”. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of August 14, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-august-14-2016-300313183.html ‘Ghostbusters’ Heading for $70M-Plus Loss, Sequel Unlikely http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ghostbusters-heading-70m-loss-sequel-918515 Korea’s Smash Summer Hit is a Zombie Movie That Strikes a Deep Chord http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-korea-zombie-movie-snap-story.html Box-office France : Suicide Squad Passe Déjà le Cap du Million de Spectateurs http://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18655007.html NBC Sports Chief Says Olympics Advertisers “Happy” With Ratings; Another $30 Million Booked http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-sports-chief-says-olympics-918938 Rio Olympics Shatters Multi-Platform Viewing Records http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2016081243953/rio-olympics-shatters-multi-platform-viewing-records.html Olympics Viewership Soars for Michael Phelps’ Final Event https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/tv-ratings-olympics-michael-phelps-final-event-1201837152/ As Olympic Viewership Falls, NBC Thinks of the Bigger Picture http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/sports/olympics/tv-ratings-for-olympics-on-nbc-down-20-percent-from-london-games.html TV Ratings: NBC’s Olympic Coverage Adds 10 Million on Sunday, Narrowing Wide Gap With London http://www.

The 2016 Summer Olympics are underway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and there are more ways to watch the games than ever before. In the United States, NBC is broadcasting 6,800 hours of coverage from Rio across 11 television channels and 41 live online streams. We look at the declining TV ratings and whether all the action is happening in primetime or online. And does that even matter? What didn’t seem to matter at all were the dozens of negative reviews movie critics skewered threw at the latest DC Comics adaptation, “Suicide Squad”. After being universally panned, the film went on to break global and North American box office records when it opened over the weekend. The Television Critics Association summer press tour has proven to be a hotbed of video streaming news. For instance, Time Warner bought a 10% stake in Hulu and NBC let slip they will be announcing their own streaming plans soon. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that Apple wants to build a TV guide to let everyone know how and where there favorite shows can be found. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including Oprah’s latest book club pick, the albums nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize and George R. R. Martin books another TV series. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of August 7, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-august-7-2016-300310189.html China Box Office: ‘Time Raiders’ Runs Away With $65 Million Weekend https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/china-box-office-time-raiders-weekend-winner-1201832486 Imax Strikes Biggest Ever Theater Deal With China’s Wanda https://variety.com/2016/film/news/imax-wanda-1201828062/ TV Ratings: Olympic Competition Opens With 19.5 Million Viewers, Still Down From London http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-olympic-competition-opens-917873 TV Ratings: Olympic Competition Opens With 19.5 Million Viewers, Still Down From London http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-rio-olympics-opening-917393 Redstone Family Blasts Dauman After Viacom Profit Tumbles 27% http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-viacom-earnings-redstone-paramount-woes-20160803-snap-story.html Behind Oprah’s Book Club Pick of ‘The Underground Railroad’ http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/08/04/behind-oprahs-book-club-pick-of-the-underground-railroad/ Kesha’s Dismissal of Her California Lawsuit Isn’t the End of Anything http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7460896/kesha-california-lawsuit-dismissal-means-little-new-songs-mean-more Turner CEO John Martin Predicts CNN Will Pass Fox News in Ratings

Rumors about how Apple plans to conquer television have circulated for years. Initially it was thought the company intended to manufacture a television set. This led to speculation that it was putting together an over-the-top alternative to cable. Now reports have emerged that numerous deals between Apple and the TV industry have collapsed over the company’s aggressive negotiating tactics. Did Apple blow it by trying to tackle too much at once, or did television networks simply feel threatened? We’ll also spend some time catching up on international movie box office. As much as Hollywood has discovered the benefits of doing business around the globe, so to have its movie stars and filmmakers. In addition, we discuss the flurry of mergers and acquisitions activity taking place among some of the world’s leading cinema chains. In the publishing world it turns out that 2015 was a pretty good year with over $28 billion in sales just in North America. As well, it appears the release windows between formats like hardcover, paperback and e-books are collapsing or becoming non-existent. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including the official end of the VCR, Netflix nabs the new “Star Trek” series and why the final installment of the “Divergent” franchise is headed straight to television. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of July 31, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-july-31-2016-300306659.html Movie Ticket Prices Hit Record High https://variety.com/2016/film/news/movie-ticket-prices-1201816485/ New Movie Screen Slows for Glasses-Free 3-D at a Larger Scale http://news.mit.edu/2016/glasses-free-3d-larger-scale-0725 Box Office Meltdown: Hollywood Races to Win Back Summer Crowds https://variety.com/2016/film/features/box-office-decline-summer-blockbusters-the-bfg-1201822322/ Everything You Need to Know About the AMC Acquisition of Odeon & UCI https://celluloidjunkie.com/2016/07/13/analysis-amc-got-odeon-cheap-will-make-pay/ AMC Increases Carmike Acquisition Offer to $1.2 Billion Ahead of Shareholder Vote https://celluloidjunkie.com/2016/07/26/amc-increases-carmike-acquisition-offer-1-2-billion-ahead-shareholder-vote/ Wanda Poised to Spend $30 Billion in Year of Deals https://variety.com/2016/biz/asia/wanda-30-billion-of-deals-1201814189/ Warner Bros. to Expand Korean Film Production https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/warner-bros-to-expand-korean-film-production-1201824127/ Emmy Nominations 2016: Full List of Nominees https://variety.com/2016/tv/awards/2016-emmys-nominees-list-drama-comedy-acting-nomination-1201814021/

After endless hype everyone is finally getting a chance to experience virtual reality and augmented reality in the best way possible; by playing a game. Pokémon Go was an instant hit when it launched recently for mobile phones. It’s literally and figuratively a game-changer and the first of what’s sure to be many new products making clever use of AR. Meanwhile, for the first time in years, the Chinese box office is not just slowing down, it’s shrinking. Hollywood movies are dominating the market but that hasn’t stopped the Chinese government from loosening the reins to let in more Hollywood movies just to sell more tickets. In fact, the deal limiting the number of imported films into China to 34 per year ends in 2017. As Hollywood goes back to the negotiating table with the Chinese government, they will not only be pushing to get more movies into the country, but also a bigger piece of the box office, which is presently limited to 25%, though is often less. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why season seven of “Game of Thrones” is going to be delayed, how music streaming services have surpassed 55 million paid subscribers and the three leads of the Broadway sensation “Hamilton” have taken their final bow. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of July 10, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-july-10-2016-300296284.html China Box Office Shrinks for First Time in Half a Decade http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-shrinks-first-908701 China Lifts Summer Blackout on Hollywood Films Amid Box-Office Slowdown http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-lifts-summer-blackout-hollywood-909264 Chinese Regulators to Allow Hollywood Films in Summer https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/chinese-regulators-to-allow-hollywood-films-in-summer-1201810624/ ‘Under the Sun’ documentary catches North Korea with its guard down http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-under-the-sun-north-korea-doc-20160705-snap-story.html Gretchen Carlson of Fox News Files Harassment Suit Against Roger Ailes http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/business/media/gretchen-carlson-fox-news-roger-ailes-sexual-harassment-lawsuit.html?_r=0 Gretchen Carlson Suit Against Fox News Head Forces Network to Face Changing Mores http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/business/media/gretchen-carlson-suit-against-fox-news-head-forces-network-to-face-changing-mores.html Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Final Bows in ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/11/theater/hamilton-lin-manuel-miranda-final-show.html?_r=0 A New Disney Princesa Carries Responsibilities Beyond Her K...

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences invited a record number of filmmakers, craftsman and executives to join its ranks in 2016, including a record number of women, people of color and international artists. While this helps make its membership more diverse, the Academy itself points out, this amounts to a drop in the bucket. Meanwhile, the Jay-Z digital music service is generating some of its own headlines, literally. Word leaked out, probably from within the company itself, that the streaming music service was in talks to be acquired by Apple. Even though people are consuming more media than ever, the streaming music business may not be a quick route to profitability. The Chinese box office, on the other hand, has been growing at an astronomical pace over the past few years; 50% last in 2015 alone. However, those gains might be slowing down, as the growth rate has dropped to 20% so far. Maybe the prediction that China would become the biggest movie market in the world by 2017 were premature. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a lawsuit over special effects technology which is causing problems for ongoing productions, a host of “Top Gear” crashes and burns, though not literally, and longtime newscaster Nancy Grace will depart CNN. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of July 3, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-july-3-2016-300293580.html China Box Office Growth Poised for First Half Slowdown https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/china-box-office-slowdown-1201808305/ CJ Analysis: AMC Acquisition of Carmike In Jeopardy https://celluloidjunkie.com/2016/06/30/cj-analysis-amc-acquisition-carmike-jeopardy/ How Much Do We Love TV? Let Us Count the Ways http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/business/media/nielsen-survey-media-viewing.html Nielsen Unveils Streaming Ratings for ‘Orange is the New Black,’ ‘Seinfeld’ http://www.wsj.com/articles/nielsen-unveils-streaming-ratings-for-orange-is-the-new-black-seinfeld-1467217573 Apple in Talks to Acquire Jay Z’s Tidal Music Service http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-in-talks-to-acquire-jay-zs-tidal-music-service-1467325314 Spotify Says Apple Won’t Approve a New Version of its App http://www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-store-rejection Apple Fires Back At Spotify In App Approval Spat http://fortune.com/2016/07/01/apple-spotify-app-approval-spat/ That Digital Music Service You Love Is a Terrible Business http://fortune.com/2016/07/01/digital-music-business/ Nancy Grace to Depart HLN After 12 Years (Exclusive)

Thanks to the passage of a referendum in the United Kingdom dubbed Brexit, Britain will soon be leaving the European Union. Entertainment companies beyond those in the UK suddenly face a lot of uncertainty and confusion over deals they have already made and will be making in the months and years to come. We discuss how the Brexit vote may affect the entertainment industry. In other troubling news, the long awaited (as in 20 years) sequel to “Independence Day” opened to disappointing box office returns. This has led to industry pundits spouting erroneous lessons Hollywood can take away from its release. Knowledgeable nuggets such as don’t wait too long to make a sequel (or did they forget about “Star Wars”) and don’t make sequels without the original star (though “Jurassic World” proved that theory wrong just last year). We also take a look at virtual print fees or VPFs. A letter from one of our listeners asked us to clarify how small independent distributors can afford them. So, we review the history of VPFs, how they work around the world and when studios will stop paying them to theater owners. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a court decides that legendary rock band Led Zeppelin didn’t plagiarize its biggest hit, “Mr. Robot” gets more episodes in its second season and “Star Trek” fan films get a green light from Paramount Pictures (sort of). comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of June 26, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-june-26-2016-300290316.html Gunman Killed in German Cinema, Hostages Injured https://celluloidjunkie.com/2016/06/23/gunman-killed-german-cinema-hostages-injured/ Movie Theater Gunman in Germany Killed by Special Forces https://variety.com/2016/digital/global/germany-movie-theater-shooting-guman-kinopolis-viernheim-1201802113/ Brexit: Seven Likely Consequences for the British Film and TV Industry https://variety.com/2016/biz/global/brexit-seven-likely-consequences-u-k-film-tv-industry-1201803039/ 3 Ways Brexit Could Devastate the Movies http://nofilmschool.com/2016/06/brexit-movies-film-industry Paramount, CBS Establish ‘Star Trek’ Fan Film Guidelines http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/paramount-cbs-establish-star-trek-fan-film-guidelines-20160624 Alicia Keys Latest Artist to Enforce No Cell Phone Policy at Concerts http://www.slashgear.com/alicia-keys-latest-artist-to-enforce-no-cell-phone-policy-at-concerts-20444936/ Matt LeBlanc Is ‘Planning To Quit Top Gear if Co-host Chris Evans Does Not Go First’ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/26/matt-leblanc-is-planning-to-quit-top-gear-if-co-host-chris-evans/ BBC to Accelerate HbbTV Development http://www.rapidtvnews.

It would seem keeping one’s job as a senior executive at a major Hollywood movie studio has become much harder of late. Last year both Paramount and Sony Pictures replaced their studio heads. Now the executive shuffles at Sony and Fox, as well as the turmoil at Viacom, have our heads spinning. We’ll be joined by Anne Thompson of Indiewire who explains why Hollywood is in turnaround. We also breakdown the past week’s worldwide box office, where a little fish swam a long way. Apparently audiences hadn’t forgotten the forgetful character from “Finding Nemo” and thus turned the Pixar movie “Finding Dory” into a box office smash. Amazon plans to expand its streaming music service, but will it be worth listening to? Meanwhile, CBS won a potentially significant lawsuit when it argued successfully that a remastered album can in fact be considered a brand new work in terms of copyright. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including the Tony Awards telecast get a ratings bump, Disney opens a theme park in Shanghai and ESPN devotes itself to soccer (or football, depending where you live). comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of June 19, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-june-19-2016-300286859.html “Finding Dory” Finds Box Office Records https://celluloidjunkie.com/2016/06/19/finding-dory-finds-box-office-records/ How China Won the Keys to Disney’s Magic Kingdom http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/business/international/china-disney.html?_r=0 Walt Disney Co. Already Expanding Shanghai Disney Resort, Says Bob Iger http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/walt-disney-sets-800m-expansion-902988 California Was World’s Top Film Production Center in 2015, U.K. Generated Most Spending https://variety.com/2016/film/news/california-2015-movie-production-uk-spending-1201795800/ ‘Warcraft’ Shatters Records With $156 Million China Debut https://variety.com/2016/film/box-office/warcraft-china-box-office-2-1201793829/ Summer Box-Office Slump: Revenue Down a Steep 22 Percent http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/summer-box-office-slump-revenue-901816 Exclusive: Amazon Is Preparing to Launch Streaming Music Service http://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-music-exclusive-idUSKCN0YW28U CBS Beats Lawsuit Over Pre-1972 Songs With Bold Copyright Argument http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/cbs-beats-lawsuit-pre-1972-898633 Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney Among 180 Artists Signing Petition For Digital Copyright Reform

After the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences failed to recognize the work of minority actors and filmmakers for the second year in a row, the organization promised to double the number of minorities within the next four years. The Los Angeles Times has taken matters into their own hands by suggesting 100 industry professionals that could make the Academy more diverse. Tre’vell Anderson, the staff writer who oversaw the project, joins us to explain how the list was compiled and what the response has been. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that Disney has scheduled four weeks of reshoots for the Star Wars spin-off “Rogue One”. There is some speculation that Disney felt the film was too dark, however it could just be the standard reshoots multi-million dollar blockbusters often go through. Sony made some revisions of their own last week to their senior executive ranks. Specifically the heads of both the motion picture and television groups both announced their departure from the studios. What’s noteworthy about the news is that both had worked at the studio for 25 years. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including when the Broadway hit “Hamilton” might lose its leading man, Nintendo revamps Pokemon in China and Amazon expands its content offerings in Japan. comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for the Weekend of June 5, 2016 http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-the-weekend-of-june-5-2016-300279831.html Reshoot First: Rogue One’s Familiar Troubles http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/05/reshoot-first-rogue-ones-troubles-sound-like-star-wars-history/484973/ Sony Pictures Shakeup: Doug Belgrad to Step Down as Film President http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sony-pictures-shakeup-doug-belgrad-876850 Sanford Panitch To Replace Doug Belgrad Atop Columbia Pictures http://deadline.com/2016/06/sanford-panitch-columbia-pictures-president-doug-belgrad-1201767016/ Chairman of Sony Pictures TV, Steve Mosko, to Leave Studio http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/02/business/media/chairman-of-sony-pictures-tv-steve-mosko-to-leave-studio.html Fans Protest as Chinese Translations Rename Pokémon Characters http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/05/31/fans-protest-as-chinese-translations-rename-pokemon-characters Disney announces ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ with stars Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda http://www.insidethemagic.net/2016/05/disney-announces-mary-poppins-returns-with-stars-emily-blunt-and-lin-manuel-miranda/ ‘Hamilton’s’ Lin-Manuel Miranda Sets Exit Date as Original Cast Jockeys for Raises http://www.