Showbiz Sandbox

Though this year’s North American summer box office may wind up being the second biggest on record at $4.4 billion, movie studios are finding it far more difficult to predict opening weekend grosses. An article in the Hollywood Reporter details how tracking pre-release box office has become unreliable in an age when social media buzz and movie review aggregation have become so prevalent. Word-of-mouth can now spread so quickly that movies like “Ted 2” can be doomed 24 hours after release, opening 33% below its estimated $50 million first weekend gross. And it’s not just flops that suffer tracking mishaps, as evidenced by “Jurassic World” bowing to $208 million, 60% more than originally anticipated. Until now, Apple hasn’t had to worry about movie box office or even television ratings, but all that might change if rumors the company is getting into producing original content are at all true. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why Aretha Franklin wound up in court last week, why DreamWorks is leaving Disney and who the Academy selected to produce next year’s Oscar telecast. Weekend Report -‘War Room’ Walks to #1 http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4102&p=.htm ‘Welcome to Death Row’ Shopped as ‘Straight Outta Compton’ “Sequel” http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/welcome-death-row-shopped-as-819437 Box Office: Universal, Disney Fuel Second-Biggest Summer Ever in U.S. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-universal-fuels-second-820807 Summer Box Office Poised To Be 2nd-Best Ever, So Why Isn’t Everybody Happy? https://deadline.com/2015/09/summer-box-office-2015-near-record-jurassic-world-avengers-age-of-ultron-1201514455/ Summer Box Office: How Movie Tracking Went Off the Rails http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/summer-box-office-how-movie-819250 Opa! Get Ready For A ‘Mamma Mia’ Sequel http://nypost.com/2015/09/01/opa-get-ready-for-a-mamma-mia-sequel/ Matilda Reaches a Broadway Milestone http://playbill.com/news/article/matilda-reaches-a-broadway-milestone-360359 Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks to Split From Disney, in Talks With Universal http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielbergs-dreamworks-split-disney-819594 Spielberg Plunges Into The Cold War http://news.yahoo.com/fall-movie-preview-spielberg-plunges-cold-war-131839190.html Oscars: David Hill and Reginald Hudlin to Produce http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-david-hill-reginald-hudlin-819527 China Approves Film About Gay Love Story for First Time http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-approves-film-gay-love-819952

Television network executives have begun publicly acknowledging a predicament their audiences recognized some time ago; there is simply too much television. In the midst of what has been dubbed a “golden age” of television, viewers are becoming reluctant to sign up for yet another new or existing series. In fact, John Landgraf, the head of FX Networks, recently told the Television Critics Association that the glut of TV content means it has become more difficult to “cut through the clutter and create real buzz” when producing a show. With so much programming available, great shows can often go unnoticed or take longer to find an audience. Then there are countries in which content is being suppressed. In Russia a politically active Ukrainian filmmaker was recently handed a 20 year prison sentence drawing international criticism that the charges were fabricated. Bangladesh meanwhile has banned a banned a new movie because it shed light on the country’s billion dollar garment industry, which is well known for exploiting its workers. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why Warner Bros. is headed to China, Spongebob Squarepants is headed to Broadway and how Netflix is about to lose more than 1000 movie titles. ‘Terminator: Genisys’ Smashes Records at Chinese Box Office https://variety.com/2015/film/box-office/terminator-genisys-chinese-box-office-records-1201576476/ ‘Compton’ Cruises to No. 1 With $26.8 Million, Newcomers Fall Flat http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-compton-cruises-no-816948 Universal’s ‘Minions’ hits $1 billion in worldwide box office http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-universal-minions-1-billion-box-office-20150828-story.html ‘Minions’ Is Now the Third-Highest Grossing Animated Film of All-Time http://www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office-report/minions-is-now-the-third-highest-grossing-animated-film-of-all-time-118188.html Russian Court Sentences Ukrainian Director Oleg Sentsov to 20 Years in Prison on Terror Charges http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oleg-sentsov-sentenced-20-years-817446 European Film Academy Seeks Donations to Fund Oleg Senstov Appeal http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/european-film-academy-seeks-donations-818105 Moscow Premiere Film Festival Canceled After Government Pulls Funding http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moscow-premiere-film-festival-canceled-817830 Bangladesh Court Bans Movie About Fatal 2013 Factory Collapse http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bangladesh-court-bans-movie-fatal-817442 Warner Bros. in Talks to Make Movies in China http://www.wsj.com/articles/warner-bros-in-talks-to-make-movies-in-china-1440475260

After years of denying cord cutting was happening on any level, several large media companies are finally confessing that cord cutting is a growing trend which may soon affect their bottom lines. After decades of steady growth, cable operators are now beginning to see flat or declining subscriber numbers as new content streaming services pop-up. Clearly, the business models the television industry has relied on in the past are evolving rapidly, more so than movies or theater or even publishing at the moment. Yet some industry insiders believe the cable cord isn’t being cut, but that it’s slowly fraying as the definition of what it means to be a television network has changed. Some media companies aren’t waiting to study market indicators before making strategic moves. Last week NBCUniversal made a $200-million investment in the online news outlet Buzzfeed, leaving many to wonder how this could possibly benefit the network. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how boy band One Direction wants to take a break, why Spotify wants to breach your privacy and Cirque du Soleil is headed to Broadway. One Direction to ‘Take a Break in 2016’ After Release of Fifth Album http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34037397/one-direction-to-take-a-break-in-2016-after-release-of-fifth-album ‘Terminator: Genisys’ Smashes Records at Chinese Box Office https://variety.com/2015/film/box-office/terminator-genisys-chinese-box-office-records-1201576476/ ‘Compton’ Tops the Charts Again http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4098&p=.htm China’s Currency Crisis Creates Mixed Outlook for Hollywood http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinas-currency-crisis-creates-mixed-816020 Regal Cinemas Institutes Bag Checks After Theater Attacks https://variety.com/2015/film/news/regal-cinemas-bag-checks-theater-attacks-1201573858/ Media Stocks Plunge on Fears About Health of TV Business https://variety.com/2015/film/news/media-stocks-netflix-time-warner-pay-tv-decline-1201574683/ Media Stocks Face Wild Ride As Markets Plunge, Recover and Plunge Again https://variety.com/2015/biz/news/media-companies-beat-up-stock-market-crash-1201576635/ Subs May Have Drained, but Q2 Pay-TV ARPU Rises http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2015082339584/subs-may-have-drained-but-q2-pay-tv-arpu-rises.html Mexicans Quietly Cut The Cord http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2015082139558/mexicans-quietly-cut-the-cord.html Top US pay-TV Providers Lose Big In Q2 – Again http://www.rapidtvnews.com/2015081839509/top-us-pay-tv-providers-lose-big-in-q2-again.html Attention Wall St. Investors: Yes,

Last week the Walt Disney Company held its annual fan club convention, the D23 Expo, which gave the company a chance not only to promote some of its highly anticipated movie releases, such as a live-action “Jungle Book”, but also announce some new additions to their popular theme parks. Disney plans to leverage its acquisition of Lucasfilm by creating an immersive Star Wars Land at both of its theme parks in North America. The company is also working on a “Toy Story” themed land for both parks as well. This is all on top of the “Avatar” attraction Disney is building in its Animal Kingdom park in Florida. Meanwhile, the dog days of summer are usually a slow time for live theater productions, especially on Broadway. However this year multiple shows are bringing in million dollar grosses each week, including “Hamilton” a new musical that had the courage to premiere during August. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including Sesame Street’s move to HBO, the end of Columbia House and how the late talk show legend Johnny Carson is returning to late night. ‘Compton’ Another Universal Smash http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4096&p=.htm LA Police Beef Up Patrols Around Theaters Ahead of ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Debut http://www.thewrap.com/la-police-beef-up-patrols-around-theaters-ahead-of-straight-outta-compton-debut-exclusive/ Universal Hits New North American Box Office Record http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-hits-new-north-american-815617 ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Footage Sends D23 Into Frenzy http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/captain-america-civil-war-footage-815495 ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Lands ‘Jurassic World’ Director Colin Trevorrow http://www.thewrap.com/star-wars-episode-ix-lands-jurassic-world-director-colin-trevorrow/ ‘Star Wars’ Themed Lands Coming to Disney Parks; Harrison Ford Visits D23 Expo https://variety.com/2015/film/news/d23-star-wars-land-disneyland-1201571059/ Disney Reveals Plans for ‘Toy Story Land’ and ‘Avatar’ and More ‘Star Wars’ http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/herocomplex/la-et-hc-disney-parks-to-receive-an-injection-of-star-wars-toy-story-and-avatar-20150815-story.html ‘Hamilton’ Musical Making a Mint On Broadway http://www.latimes.

There is no dispute that in the entertainment business, just like in any other industry, money is the fuel that keeps the engine running. Yet raising it, accounting for it, paying it back and doling out profits is becoming more complex for media companies. Indeed, making a fortune in show business is anything but easy or straight forward. Take Relativity Media for example. The upstart movie studio and its brash CEO Ryan Kavanaugh were going to change the way Hollywood operated and movies were made. However now they’ve filed for bankruptcy. We’ll provide some background and explain the details of what could wind up being the largest studio bankruptcy ever. Movie moguls aren’t the only one’s struggling to mind their dollars and cents. Legendary musician David Byrne wants record labels to be more transparent about where all the money is going in the music business. Meanwhile the Authors Guild has a few thoughts of its own when it comes to copyright and revenue from book sales. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including Jon Stewart’s last “Daily Show”, staff turmoil at Rolling Stone magazine and changes afoot in film distribution strategies. GOP Debate Soars, Brings Fox News a Record 24M Viewers http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tv-ratings-gop-debate-soars-813856 TV Ratings: Jon Stewart Signs Off With 3.5M Viewers http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-jon-stewart-signs-813855 ‘Fantastic Four’ Gets Worst CinemaScore Ever for Studio Superhero Movie http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fantastic-four-gets-worst-cinemascore-814137 ‘Fantastic Four’ Director Josh Trank Blames Studio for Poor Reviews http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/fantastic-four-director-josh-trank-813786 Universal Sets Global Box Office Record Thanks to ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Furious 7’ https://variety.com/2015/film/news/universal-box-office-jurassic-world-record-1201557246/ Dr. Dre to Release New Album as ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Soundtrack http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dr-dre-to-release-new-album-as-straight-outta-compton-soundtrack-20150729 DreamWorks Animation Reports Quarterly Revenue Growth, Wide Losses http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-second-quarter-revenue-813132 More Theaters Sign Up for Paramount’s Daring VOD Plan http://ww...

A string of big budget Hollywood sequels and prequels like “Jurassic World”, “Avengers” and “Minions” have driven the 2015 summer box office nearly 15% higher than last year. And not just in the United States. Countries all over the world are reporting strong movie attendance, especially in China where homegrown productions have been the top grossing releases. It doesn’t hurt that North American moviegoers are currently paying the highest ticket prices on record. Just ask IMAX which just reported the highest quarterly earnings in the company’s history. It isn’t all good news for Hollywood studios however. The European Union is charging the six major distributors with antitrust violations over what regulators allege are illegal licensing contracts with cable operators. Should the EU prove their case, it could cause havoc by eradicating longstanding entertainment industry business models. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including the Emmy Award nominations, the approval of AT&T’s merger with DirecTV, why Neil Young is yanking his music from streaming services. ‘Ant-Man’ Leads With Solid, But Uneventful $58.0M Debut http://pro.boxoffice.com/latest-news/2015-07-17-north-america-thursday-night-report-ant-man-bags-64m-start-trainwreck-pulls-18m Box Office: ‘Monster Hunt’ Becomes Top-Grossing Chinese Film in History https://variety.com/2015/film/news/monster-hunt-box-office-china-2-1201548948/ Universal Finds Pirated Copy of Jurassic World Seeded From Its Own Servers http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/23/universal-pirated-copy-jurassic-world-seeded-from-its-own-servers ‘Jurassic World’ Becomes No. 3 Movie of All Time http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-jurassic-world-becomes-810460 Average Movie Ticket Price Hits Record High http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/average-movie-ticket-price-hits-810435 IMAX Posts Highest Quarterly Revenue in History on Summer Movie Strength https://variety.com/2015/film/box-office/imax-box-office-1201546783/ Emmy Award Nominations: Full List of 2015 Emmy Nominees https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/emmy-award-nominations-2015-full-list-1201537852/ Poitras FOIA Complaint https://www.eff.org/document/poitras-foia-complaint Controversial ‘Cosby’ Bio Won’t Get New Editions

Pop-culture fans from around the world made their annual pilgrimage to San Diego over the weekend for this year’s Comic-Con.  More than 130,000 attendees turned up to a show where the largest auditorium has a capacity of 6,000. Alex Billington, editor of FirstShowing, explains how some fans had to wait in line for days (literally) to get into popular panel discussions such as the one for “Star Wars: Episode VII”. Billington waited out the neverending lines so he could fill us in on all the events, panels, trailers and collectibles designed to build hype for upcoming films and television shows like “Hateful Eight”, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Deadpool”. In fact, so many movie studios and television networks showed up at Comic-Con, and with so much content, one has to wonder if their marketing messages weren’t ultimately lost in all the noise. Meanwhile, the Minions spinoff from the “Despicable Me” franchise opened to record box office in North America giving Universal Pictures yet another big hit this year. Surely the studio will want the animated film to stick around cinemas for as long as possible, whereas Paramount Pictures has teamed up with two theater chains in an experiment to shorten the release window on certain films. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a request from publishing groups for an antitrust investigation targeting Amazon, “South Park” continues to redefine television thanks to a new deal with Hulu and the Rolling Stones continue their reign as the concert industry’s top earner. Box Office: ‘Minions’ Land Record $46.2M Friday http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-minions-eyes-massive-807689 ‘Minions’ Dominates With $115.2 Million Debut http://variety.com/2015/film/news/box-office-minions-dominates-with-115-2-million-debut-1201538640/ Final Chapter In Popular Franchise Vs. First-Time Director’s Pet Project http://pro.boxoffice.com/latest-news/2015-07-07-weekly-chinese-box-office-preview-final-chapter-in-popular-franchise-vs-first-time-directors-pet-project Forever Young: A Fluffy, Saccharine Chinese Coming-of-Age Tale http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/forever-young-a-fluffy-saccharine-chinese-comingofage-tale-20150708-gi7k81.html India’s Most Expensive Film ‘Bahubali’ Opens Strongly, Garners Critical Acclaim http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/indias-expensive-film-bahubali-opens-808239 First Showing’s 2015 Comic-Con Coverage http://www.firstshowing.

With the year now half over we join the rest of the entertainment industry in reviewing how 2015 is shaping up at the box office and for music sales. As predicted, the worldwide box office is on track to set another annual record thanks in part to three blockbuster releases that have each earned more than a billion dollars. China continues to be an ever more important movie market as the country’s box office surged more than 50% during the first six months of the year with imported titles leading the way. Meanwhile, Hollywood movies have fared better in India than in past years with two passing the billion rupee level, a well-established benchmark of box office success. The picture isn’t as rosy when it comes to music revenue. North American album sales are down 4% and digital downloads have fallen more than 10%. The declines may be caused by on-demand music streaming which has increased 74% so far this year. Whatever the reason, Taylor Swift isn’t sweating it since her most recent album has sold more than 2 million copies this year alone. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the Grateful Dead perform one final concert, massive layoffs at the BBC and HBO Now is a huge hit in the iTunes app store. ‘Terminator: Genisys,’ ‘Minions’ Boost Foreign Box Office With Solid Performances https://variety.com/2015/film/news/terminator-genisys-minions-box-office-international-1201534123/ Avengers,’ ‘Inside Out’ Push Disney Past $3 Billion at 2015 Box Office https://variety.com/2015/film/news/disney-2015-box-office-3-billion-avengers-inside-out-1201534103/ ‘Inside Out’ Serves Up July 4th Fireworks Over ‘Terminator,’ ‘Magic Mike XXL’ https://variety.com/2015/film/news/box-office-inside-out-terminator-magic-mike-1201534080/ U.K. Box Office: ‘Minions’ Scores Biggest Opening Ever for Animated Film http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/uk-box-office-minions-record-806194 Gaspar Noe’s ‘Love’ Receives 16 Rating in France Following Controversy http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/07/chicago-adds-9-tax-on-electronically-delivered-amusements.html India Box Office Mid-Year: ‘Furious 7,’ ‘Jurassic World’ Reach Rare Milestone for Hollywood Films http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/india-box-office-mid-year-805915 China Box Office Surges Nearly 50% In First Half of 2015 http://www.latimes.

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited over 300 new members to join their ranks this year, many noted not only the number of young women and minorities among the group, but also 36 international invitees. According to Oscars pundit Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter, that’s the highest number of new international members than at any other time in the Academy’s 88-year history. We explain why the organization is looking to filmmakers and craftspeople from around the world when adding to their ranks, as well as how that might change the demographics of the Academy moving forward. At a time when international box office has never been more dominant and important, it is nice to see the Academy’s membership become a little more diverse. E-commerce giant Amazon is also making a few changes, especially in the way it pays authors of titles in its monthly book rental offering. Instead of paying writers for every book a user starts but may not finish, the company will pay based upon how many actual pages a subscriber reads. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including why NBC and Univision fired Donald Trump, Harry Potter heads to London’s West End and Apple signs a deal with indie record labels for its new music streaming service. Foreign Box Office: ‘Jurassic World’ Roars to $82.5 Million, ‘Minions’ Racks Up $36 Million https://variety.com/2015/film/news/jurassic-world-foreign-box-office-minions-1201530142/ ‘Ted 2’ Disappoints at Box Office, but ‘Jurassic World’ Still Roars http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/at-box-office-ted-2-disappoints-but-jurassic-word-still-roars/?_r=0 HBO’s ‘True Detective’ Strong in Return; ‘Ballers’ Off to Solid Start https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/ratings-hbos-true-detective-strong-in-return-ballers-off-to-solid-start-1201525136/ Dwayne Johnson to Star in Film Adaptation of ‘Rampage’ Video Game http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/dwayne-johnson-star-film-adaptation-804458 Lawrence Kaufman and 3-D Con http://3d-con.com/ Amazon’s New Way of Paying Authors Makes Sense, and Here’s Why https://fortune.com/2015/06/24/amazon-kindle-authors/ Apple Loses Appeal, E-book Decision is Affirmed http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/67353-apple-loses-appeal-e-book-decision-is-affirmed.html Univision Ends Miss Universe Deal After Donald Trump’s “Rapists” Immigrant Remarks

When Apple announced its new streaming music service earlier this month certain members of the music industry were quick to voice their dismay over the terms the tech giant was offering. Specifically, indie record labels weren’t happy to see that Apple wouldn’t be paying licensing fees during the three month trial period the company was offering new subscribers. As the chorus of opposition grew louder it was none other than Taylor Swift who pushed Apple to reverse its payment policy. In an open letter published to her website, the country musician turned pop star criticised the world’s largest music retailer for not compensating writers, producers, or artists during a new subscriber’s three month trial period. She says new artists, young songwriters and independent producers depend on such royalties to survive. In a move that some will argue demonstrates Swift’s influence within the industry, Apple actually relented. Another entertainment business model currently being disrupted is that of television. With more consumers opting to cut their cable cord for over the top solutions, the NBA announced they would let basketball fans purchase out-of-market games on a per-game and per-team basis. This has huge implications for the broadcast industry as programming continues to slowly become unbundled. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the box office success of “Jurassic World” and “Inside Out”, a big payday for Jennifer Lawrence on her next film and gambling on who will be the next actor to play James Bond. ‘Jurassic World’ to Become Fastest Film to Cross $1 Billion https://variety.com/2015/film/news/jurassic-world-box-office-1-billion-international-1201524803/ ‘Jurassic World’ Climbs to $300M Domestically in Record Time http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-milestone-jurassic-world-803750 ‘Inside Out’ Hits Record $90.4M; ‘Jurassic World’ No. 1 With $106.6M http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-inside-hits-record-804015 ‘Whiplash’ Becomes Sleeper Hit in Japan http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/whiplash-becomes-sleeper-hit-japan-803633 The NBA Just Changed the Game for Watching Sports Online http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-17/the-nba-just-changed-the-game-for-watching-sports-online À La Carte: These Are the TV Channels People Would Actually Pay For http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/a-la-carte-these-are-the-tv-channels-people-would-actually-pay-for-1201520900/ Sony Hack: WikiLeaks Releases New Batch of 270,000 Documents

Apple finally announced its long rumored music streaming service last week, which is meant to compete with market leaders Pandora and Spotify. The offering seems in direct conflict with the ongoing business of the largest music retailer in the world, but as Ryan Faughnder of the Los Angeles Times points out, Apple may have had no choice since iTunes digital music sales have significantly decreased. Now, the music industry is hoping that Apple can ride to their rescue once again, as they did with digital music previously, by attracting the large subscriber base required to make music streaming profitable. Faughnder gives us his thoughts on what the new service means to the business, and tells us how competitors have responded to Apple’s entrance into the market. There seemed to be no competition for “Jurassic World” during its theatrical debut. The film was released globally and gobbled up opening weekend box office records both in North America and internationally, earning more $500 million in just three days. That gross is more than the combined weekend receipts for every other film currently in theaters worldwide. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including Rupert Murdoch steps down as CEO of 21st Century Fox, video games get their own hall of fame and what happened when Dave Grohl of the rock band Foo Fighters broke his leg in the middle of a concert. ‘Jurassic World’ Sets Box Office Record http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/business/media/jurassic-world-sets-box-office-record.html Jurassic World Review: One of the Most Exciting Movies About People Running Away From Stuff Ever http://www.vulture.com/2015/06/jurassic-world-review.html ‘Jurassic World’ Sets Global Record With $511.8 Million Debut https://variety.com/2015/film/news/jurassic-world-global-box-office-record-1201519430/ Disney Could Lose $140 Million on ‘Tomorrowland’ Flop http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-could-lose-140-million-801244 ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ Moving Forward at Universal With Writer Kay Cannon http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pitch-perfect-3-moving-forward-801237 Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson Returning for ‘Pitch Perfect 3’ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/anna-kendrick-rebel-wilson-returning-802561 Rupert Murdoch to Relinquish Fox CEO Title July 1 http://www.wsj.com/articles/rupert-murdoch-to-leave-as-fox-ceo-on-july-1-1434486911 James and Lachlan Murdoch Take Reins; Chase Carey Steps Aside as COO

A musical about family, sexuality and suicide along with a play about an adolescent with Aspberger’s syndrome won the top prizes at this year’s Tony Awards over the weekend. Based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, “Fun Home” was awarded Best Musical and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” earned Best New Play. On paper, both could have been marginal longshots to win Tonys, which can at times go to more commercial productions. We go over the list of this year’s Tony Award winners and choose a few highlights from a ceremony in which they were quite sparse. It was great to see Kelli O’Hara win a Tony for Best Actress In A Musical after she had been overlooked the last five times she was nominated. Yet, in a year which saw Broadway break box office records, the telecast flirted with all-time low ratings. Meanwhile, as we record this episode Apple appears set to announce their streaming music service which some big record label executives see as a tipping point that could save the industry. That seems like a tall order given how late the company is getting to market, but it’s never a good idea to underestimate Apple. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including how Netflix is heading to Spain, Senator Chris Dodd is staying on as head of the MPAA and Showtime is going over the top with its new streaming service. ‘San Andreas’ Rumbles to $287.1M Worldwide http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-san-andreas-rumbles-800671 Top Theaters for San Andreas: Stunning 19 out of 20 in San Francisco, LA Area http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/top-theaters-san-andreas-stunning-799017 Cameron Crowe Apologizes for Emma Stone’s Asian Character in ‘Aloha’ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aloha-cameron-crowe-emma-stone-799782 3-D Film About Twin Towers High-Wire Walk to Open New York Film Fest http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/3-d-film-about-twin-towers-high-wire-walk-to-open-new-york-film-fest/?_r=0 Tony Awards: ‘Fun Home’ Wins Best Musical and ‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ Best Play http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/theater/theaterspecial/curious-incident-captures-the-tony-for-best-play.html?_r=1 Ratings: Tony Awards Flirt With Record Lows Opposite Big NBA Finals https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/ratings-tony-awards-cbs-nba-finals-abc-1201514469/ 2015 Tony Awards: All the Winners! “Fun Home”, “Curious Incident” Lead Way

BookExpo America and BookCon are two of the most important events in the North American book publishing business. BEA is a trade show where the publishing industry talks to itself. Editors, writers, publicists, librarians and bookstore owners all get together for meetings and professional seminars. BookCon is where the publishing industry talks directly to the world through a conference aimed at book lovers. There are loads of author talks, book signings and even movie screenings. Our own Michael Giltz attended both shows last week and fills us in on all the emerging industry trends and hot new titles. Meanwhile, Broadway is gearing up for the Tony Awards next weekend to honor the best and brightest productions from the past year. They have a lot to celebrate too, as the most recent Broadway season set a number of records, grossing a record $1.3 billion and selling 13.1 million tickets in all. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including why Iggy Azalea canceled her upcoming tour, why film composers are suing Hollywood studios and China cracks down on reality television. ‘San Andreas’ Shakes Up International Box Office With $60 Million http://variety.com/2015/film/news/san-andreas-international-box-office-1201508955/ Some Native Hawaiians Disapprove of ‘Aloha’ Movie Title http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/some-native-hawaiians-disapprove-aloha-797852 Road Movie ‘Gueros’ Big Winner at Mexico’s Academy Awards http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/road-movie-gueros-big-winner-798466 China’s Wanda Buys Australia’s Hoyts Multiplex Chain http://variety.com/2015/film/asia/chinas-wanda-buys-australias-hoyts-1201510298/ FIFA’s Corruption Stains World Soccer http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/opinion/fifas-corruption-stains-world-soccer.html?_r=0 FIFA Crisis Turns Political As Sponsors & Broadcasters Watch Presidential Election Results http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/features/the-not-so-secret-shame-of-sepp-blatter-and-the-fifa-scandal-20150529?page=2 2014-15 Season Is Broadway’s Best Attended, Highest Grossing in Recorded History http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/2014-15-Season-Is-Broadways-Best-Attended-Highest-Grossing-in-Recorded-History-20150526 More Than One Dozen Advertisers Pull Out of ’19 Kids and Counting’

The 68th annual Cannes Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend with the French drama “Dheepan” winning the Palme d’Or. In a festival filled with artistic works commenting on modern social issues, director Jacques Audiard’s film tells the story of three Sri Lankan refugees who form a family-of-convenience while fleeing to France in hopes of a better life. Anne Thompson, Editor-at-Large for Indiewire, joins us to discuss the highs and lows of this year’s Festival de Cannes, which include many of the films that took home awards, not to mention a 3D porno. But as Thompson explains, many of the big buzzworthy films were Hollywood titles screened out-of-competition; “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Inside Out” come to mind. Time Warner Cable meanwhile, fresh from having broken up with their previous suitor, Comcast, may now be acquired in a $56.7 billion deal. Though this move was widely expected, it is an indicator of how the market is attempting to stay ahead of the fast changing ways by which audiences consume television content. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the David Letterman’s signs off the “Late Show” one final time, Jennifer Lopez is taking up residency in Las Vegas for a string of shows next year, and multi-hyphenate Barbra Streisand is penning her memoirs. Memorial Day Box Office Worst Since 2001 http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/26/media/memorial-day-box-office/ Cannes Closing Night Awards Are In http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/cannes-closing-night-awards-are-coming-in-live-stream-20150524 Anne Thompson’s 2015 Cannes Coverage http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/tag/cannes-2015 Cannes: 21 Films That Stood Out at the 2015 Festival https://variety.com/2015/film/columns/cannes-21-films-that-stood-out-at-the-2015-festival-1201504524/ Fox to Be First Studio to Create All Movies in High Dynamic Range, Ultra HD for Home Viewing http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/fox-be-first-studio-create-796952 Letterman Finale Ratings: Show’s Fourth Largest Audience Ever https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/letterman-finale-ratings-letterman-retirement-1201501845/ New York Times Cuts Movie Reviews in Blow to Independent, Documentary Films http://www.thewrap.com/new-york-times-cuts-movie-reviews-in-blow-to-independent-documentary-films/ New York Times Changes Film Review Policy, Can’t Guarantee Coverage

It is impossible to see all the films at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, but halfway through the 68th edition at least three films have scored some positive buzz, all of them about tortured souls. Director Todd Haynes is leading the pack with “Carol” a film about repressed sexuality set in the 1950s, the Hungarian entry “Son of Saul” set in a Nazi concentration camp and “Amy” a powerful and moving documentary about the life of singer “Amy Winehouse”. From the official screenings to the behind-the-scenes press conferences, we give you all the ins and outs of this year’s Cannes, including the world premiere of Pixar’s “Inside Out” which wowed attendees. Join us for our annual trip to the south of France. Meanwhile, back in the United States, television networks have been busy selling advertising for next season’s lineup at the upfronts. We’ll tell you which shows got canceled, which new series got picked up and whether the television season has become year round. Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the BAFTA TV Awards, David Lynch heads back to “Twin Peaks” again and “American Idol” sings its final note. The Cannes Film Festival Has A History of Telling Tales https://medium.com/@sperling/the-cannes-film-festival-has-a-history-of-telling-tales-4e4c078314d1 Selections from J. Sperling Reich’s Cannes Film Festival Coverage http://www.sperlingspeaks.com ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ crescendos past ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ to $70.3 million http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-mn-box-office-pitch-perfect-2-20150517-story.html Can Hollywood Stop Its Sexist Assumption That Women’s Stories Don’t Sell? http://www.salon.com/2015/05/18/pitch_perfect_…/ Evening News Ratings Grew in 2014, Even as Cable Shrank http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/evening-news-ratings-grew-2014-792197 David Lynch Says ‘Twin Peaks’ Showtime Revival Is Happening https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-lynch-says-twin-peaks-showtime-revival-is-happening-1201498131/ ‘Mindy Project’ Moving to Hulu After Fox Opts Out http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mindy-project-hulu-fox-opts-793757 Bill Simmons and ESPN Are Parting Ways http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/sports/bill-simmons-and-espn-are-parting-ways.html ‘Sherlock,’ ‘True Detective’ Among BAFTA TV Award Winners