Showbiz Sandbox

In a move that took the entertainment industry by surprise, Matthew Belloni, the Executive Editor of The Hollywood Reporter, announced he would be stepping down from the publication after 14 years. Within minutes competitors such as Variety and The Wrap revealed that Belloni’s departure was over editorial independence. Valence Media’s leadership allegedly wanted to block unfavorable stories about their friends and affiliated companies. As well, the sought additional coverage of subsidiaries such as Dick Clark Productions. The situation has angered the editorial staff at the Reporter leaving many to wonder who might be next to depart the world’s most widely read entertainment news outlet. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why a partner at one leading talent agency is suing the firm for wrongful termination, Activision wins a lawsuit allowing it to use Humvees in “Call of Duty” and the latest on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the global entertainment business. Directors Guild of America Members Ratify Film-TV Contract by ‘Overwhelming’ Margin https://variety.com/2020/film/news/directors-guild-of-america-film-tv-contract-ratification-1234570017/ Former CBS Chief Joe Ianniello’s 2019 Compensation Tops $125 Million https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/joe-ianniello-viacomcbs-severance-125-million-1234570763/ Cameras Roll Again at China’s Film & TV Studios https://asiatimes.com/2020/04/cameras-roll-again-at-chinas-film-tv-studios/ Paradigm Hit With Blistering $2M Breach Of Contract Suit By Debbee Klein https://deadline.com/2020/04/paradigm-lawsuit-sam-gores-debbee-klein-coronavirus-adam-kantor-1202895915/ Tidal is Offering Subscriptions For $1 to Make Staying at Home a Little Easier https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/lifestyle/tidal-offers-deals-promo-premium-976764/ Louis C.K. Unveils New Stand-Up Special for Those “Who Need to Laugh” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/louis-ck-unveils-new-stand-up-special-who-need-laugh-1288593 ‘Call of Duty’ Wins First Amendment Victory Over Use of Humvees https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/call-duty-wins-first-amendment-victory-use-humvees-1287882 Hollywood Reporter Editor Matt Belloni Steps Down Amid Debate Over Editorial Independence https://www.thewrap.com/hollywood-reporter-matthew-belloni-fired/ NPR Names Poynter’s Kelly McBride As 6th Public Editor https://www.npr.org/2020/04/06/827768275/npr-names-poynters-kelly-mcbride-as-sixth-public-editor

Impresario Evans Haile has decades of experience as a producer, artistic director and performer of live theater and opera, yet nothing could have prepared him for how the coronavirus pandemic would disrupt the industry. As the executive director of the York Theatre Company in New York, the executive director of Opera North in New Hampshire and the producing director of the Gainesville Symphony in Florida, Haile gives us his unique perspective on the impact COVID-19 is having on arts institutions from Broadway to Off Broadway and even regional theaters. In China, the few cinemas that began to open back up are now re-shuttered for fear of another coronavirus outbreak. This means that 94% of commercial movie theaters around the world are now closed. Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the historic audio recordings that the Library of Congress has entered into its registry this year. Evans Haile’s Website http://evanshaile.com/ The York Theatre Company https://yorktheatre.org/ Endeavor Begins Layoffs And Salary Cuts https://variety.com/2020/film/news/endeavor-lays-off-250-coronavirus-wme-salary-cuts-1203542447/ AMC Furloughs 600+ employees at Headquarters https://deadline.com/2020/03/amc-theatres-furloughs-600-employees-in-leawood-kansas-hq-1202892382/ China Shuts Cinemas Back Down https://deadline.com/2020/03/china-orders-re-closing-all-cinemas-nationwide-1202894103/ Authors Guild, AAP Outraged by IA’s ‘National Emergency Library’ https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/copyright/article/82861-authors-guild-aap-outraged-by-ia-s-national-emergency-library.html Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic,’ ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’ Among Library of Congress Inductees https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dr-drs-the-chronic-cheap-trick-at-budokan-among-dusty-in-memphis-library-of-congress-inductees-972810/ Polish Composer Krzysztof Penderecki Dies at 86 https://variety.com/2020/music/news/krzysztof-penderecki-composer-shining-dead-dies-1203548243/ Terrence McNally, Tony-Winning Playwright of Gay Life, Dies at 81 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/theater/terrence-mcnally-dead-coronavirus.html Stuart Gordon, Cult Classic Horror Director, Dies at 72 https://variety.com/2020/film/news/stuart-gordon-dead-dies-1203544356/ Country Artist Joe Diffie Dead From Coronavirus at Age 61

For the first time in history a majority of movie theaters around the world have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. That means there is no theatrical box office to collect and analyze. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, is one of the most widely recognized box office pundits in the world. He joins us to explain not only how the industry is coping without grosses to measure their success and failure, but also what it’s like to sleep in on Sunday morning for the first time in 30 years. In China, a few cinemas have begun opening back up, though very few people are going. Still this may provide a glimpse of where the rest of the world will be within six months after COVID-19 is under control. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how much the entertainment industry (sort of) earned last year and Woody Allen finds a publisher for his memoir. Comscore https://www.comscore.com/ Drive-Ins: How Big Screen Entertainment Survives During COVID-19 https://celluloidjunkie.com/2020/03/23/drive-ins-how-big-screen-entertainment-survives-during-covid-19/ What Will Film Critics Do, Now That Cinemas Have Closed? https://celluloidjunkie.com/2020/03/21/what-will-film-critics-do-now-that-cinemas-have-closed/ Drive-Ins Continue To Post Best Ticket Sales In Weekend Box Office Wiped Out By Theater Closures https://deadline.com/2020/03/coronavirus-drive-in-movie-theaters-exhibition-shutdown-onward-1202890329/ Paradigm Signs 5-Year WGA Franchise Agreement https://deadline.com/2020/03/paradigm-signs-5-year-wga-franchise-agreement-1202890444/ Former Prosecutor Sues Netflix and Ava DuVernay Over Central Park Jogger Series https://variety.com/2020/biz/news/central-park-five-linda-fairstein-sues-netflix-ava-duvernay-1203538010/ China Reopens More Than 500 Cinemas as Coronavirus Threat Recedes https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/cinemas-china-reopen-coronavirus-recedes-1203542000/ Woody Allen’s Memoir Is Published https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/books/woody-allen-apropos-of-nothing-autobiography-arcade.html Lyle Waggoner, Actor on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ and ‘Wonder Woman,’ Dies at 84 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lyle-waggoner-dead-carol-burnett-show-wonder-woman-actor-was-84-1167329 Kenny Rogers, Country Music’s ‘The Gambler,’ Dead at 81 https://www.rollingstone.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is causing the biggest disruption the global entertainment industry has had to contend with in the modern era. In the movie business alone it has shut down cinemas, delayed film releases and halted productions in all corners of the world. Andrew Wallenstein, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, proposed that now might be an opportune time for studios to finally reach an agreement with movie theaters on release windows. No sooner had the virtual ink dried on his piece Universal Pictures announced it would be distributing some of its current and future theatrical films via premium video on demand. It would, he suggests, be the entertainment industry equivalent of peace in the Middle East. Wallenstein joins us to discuss this fast moving story and what the future may hold for cinemas and the film industry at large. ‘Frozen 2’ Teases Disney Potential to Rattle the Rigid Windows of Film Biz https://variety.com/2020/film/opinion/frozen-2-teases-disney-potential-to-rattle-the-rigid-windows-of-film-biz-1203534938/ Disney Plus to Stream ‘Frozen 2’ Three Months Early ‘During This Challenging Period’ https://variety.com/2020/film/news/disney-plus-frozen-2-streaming-early-coronavirus-1203534308/ Universal to Make ‘Trolls World Tour,’ ‘The Hunt,’ ‘Invisible Man’ Available Early on Home Entertainment https://variety.com/2020/film/news/universal-trolls-world-tour-the-hunt-invisible-man-coronavirus-1203535541/ Strictly Business Podcast https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/variety/strictly-business-2 Coronavirus: Poland, India, Lebanon, Kuwait Among New Countries To Close Cinemas https://deadline.com/2020/03/coronavirus-poland-india-lebanon-kuwait-among-new-countries-close-cinemas-1202879447/ NCAA Going On, But No Fans https://deadline.com/2020/03/ncaa-tournament-basketball-no-fans-coronavirus-1202880069/ Uptown Theater, an Iconic D.C. Movie Palace, Shuts Down https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/uptown-theater-an-iconic-dc-movie-palace-shuts-down/2020/03/13/dcfff8a0-655b-11ea-845d-e35b0234b136_story.html

Like everyone around the globe, the entertainment industry has been consumed by the coronavirus. The ongoing health issue has pushed back the release date of the latest James Bond film, canceled the SXSW conference and is postponing music festivals. We cover more of the ripple effects of the pandemic including its effect on the worldwide box office. Not all business has been halted in Hollywood however. The Directors Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP which represents producers and studios. This paves the way for the Writers Guild of America to step in and negotiate their own deal, provided they can ever settle with talent agencies. Meanwhile, the music industry is finally making serious money again thanks to streaming. In fact, there’s a brand new streaming service in India. Music lovers in Japan though still prefer their compact discs. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Woody Allen lost the publisher of his memoir, the PGA gets a new television deal for all its golf tournaments and Led Zeppelin wins another copyright court case. Disney and Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Delivers $40 Million Debut; ‘The Way Back’ Scores $8.5M https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed2809136132/ Second-Guessing The 2020 Box Office Doomsayers https://celluloidjunkie.com/2020/02/25/second-guessing-the-2020-box-office-doomsayers/ The Return of the 52 Week Movie Business https://celluloidjunkie.com/2020/03/04/the-return-of-the-52-week-movie-business/ SXSW Canceled as Austin Mayor Declares Local Disaster Over Coronavirus https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/touring/9329923/sxsw-canceled-coronavirus-austin-local-disaster Cannes: ‘Nothing has changed’ despite new ban on gatherings of over 1,000 https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/mar/09/cannes-nothing-has-changed-despite-new-ban-on-gatherings-of-over-1000 Directors Guild Reaches Deal With Producers https://deadline.com/2020/03/directors-guild-deal-film-tv-contract-2020-1202875780/ WGA Drops Demand for Studios to Only Work With Guild-Approved Agencies https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-03-03/wga-drops-demand-for-studios-to-only-work-with-wga-approved-agencies Woody Allen Memoir Dropped by Hachette After Staff Walkout https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/woody-allen-memoir-dropped-by-hachette-staff-walk-1282978 Chris Matthews Retires From MSNBC https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chris-matthews-retire-msnbc-1282226 TikTok Parent ByteDance Launches Spotify Rival Resso in India

Between intellectual property theft, forced joint ventures and strict government regulation, the entertainment industry has come to learn that doing business in China is difficult at best, complicated at worst. Chris Fenton, the CEO of Media Capital Technologies, knows a thing or two about doing film industry business in China, having worked in the Middle Kingdom on various project for decades. He joins us to explain the dilemma facing Hollywood in China as well as his upcoming memoir “Feeding the Dragon.” China is, in fact, where the coronavirus originated before it spread to other countries throughout the world. Now, movie theaters in Italy and South Korea are joining their Chinese counterparts in shutting down, hoping to prevent further spread of the virus, and leading to what could be billions in box office losses. Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, decided to suddenly step down last week and instead take on the role of Chairman. Disney theme park head Bob Chapek will be the company’s new CEO. We cover all the reasons for the executive shuffle. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winners of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Placido Domingo apologizes for past behavior (sort of) and why YouTube can’t censor content. ‘The Invisible Man’ Reveals $29 Million Opening Weekend https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3647996932/ Coronavirus Fears Hit Box Office as ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’ Rules International https://www.screendaily.com/box-office/coronavirus-fears-hit-box-office-as-sonic-the-hedgehog-rules-international/5147746.article China’s Box Office Plummets $1.91 Billion in Two Months Due to Coronavirus Crisis https://variety.com/2020/film/asia/china-box-office-coronavirus-1203520600/ Disney CEO Bob Iger Steps Aside; Bob Chapek Named New Head https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-names-new-ceo-to-succeed-iger-11582665764 Disney Picks Bob Chapek as Next CEO https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-picks-bob-chapek-as-next-ceo-1281130 Keep Calm, It’s Just The Coronavirus (But Panic if You See Ridley Scott) https://celluloidjunkie.com/2020/03/01/keep-calm-its-just-the-corona-virus-but-panic-if-you-see-ridley-scott/ Coronavirus: List Of Canceled Or Postponed Hollywood & Media Events https://deadline.com/2020/02/coronavirus-canceled-postponed-hollywood-sports-entertainment-1202870762/ Demands to Cancel SXSW Grow Amid Coronavirus Fears as oOganizers Tout New Guests https://fortune.com/2020/03/02/coronavirus-sxsw-petition-cancel-hillary-clinton/ ‘Judge Judy’ To Wrap After 25 Seasons

For the past four weeks the Chinese government has mandated that all of its cinemas remain closed in hopes of preventing further spread of the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Not that anyone would actually show up even if movie theaters were open since a majority of China’s population are avoiding public venues and gatherings. Having the second largest movie market in the world out of business for so long will surely affect the global box office, not to mention release dates. As the Coronavirus reaches other countries and turns into a full-blown pandemic, cinemas in Northern Italy are shutting their doors in the wake of infestations and the popular Korean boy band BTS moved a press conference for its upcoming album to an online only event, rather than meet journalists in-person. In the United States, the popular indie-cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse launched its own long-awaited subscription plan. We debate the merits of Alamo’s new program and what theater operators need to consider when adopting such a scheme. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including soaring occupancy rates for Broadway productions, the United Kingdom embraces streaming in earnest and HBO Max will launch with a reunion of “Friends.” ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Holds on to #1; ‘Call of the Wild’ Overperforms into Second https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3681551364/ ‘Sonic’ Still Top Hog With $203M WW; ‘Call Of The Wild’ Paws At $15M Overseas Bow https://deadline.com/2020/02/sonic-the-hedgehog-call-of-the-wild-birds-of-prey-coronavirus-korea-global-international-box-office-1202866323/ Polish Erotic Crime Thriller Tops Box Office https://www.filmneweurope.com/news/poland-news/item/119572-polish-erotic-crime-thriller-tops-box-office Alamo Drafthouse Introduces Season Pass Subscription Program In All Locations https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/alamo-drafthouse-introduces-season-pass-subscription-program-in-all-locations/ WGA & Big 3 Talent Agencies Agree To Mediation, But Don’t Hold Your Breath https://deadline.com/2020/02/wga-talent-agencies-agree-to-mediation-caa-wme-uta-1202864861/ Broadway Box Office Soars; ‘Six’ Reigns Supreme; ‘West Side’ Rumbles https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2020/02/18/broadway-box-office-soars-six-reigns-supreme-west-side-rumbles/ ‘Six’ Is Worth $1 Million On Broadway; Industry Box Office Sinks https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2020/02/24/six-is-worth-1-million-on-broadway-industry-box-office-sinks/ The NBA’s Trouble with China, Four Months On https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/feb/24/china-nba-hong-kong-protests-financial-costs-update ‘Friends’ Cast to Reunite for Exclusive HBO Max Speci...

When James Corden and Rebel Wilson strutted onto the Oscar stage dressed as characters from the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Cats” it garnered sincere laughter from the audience. However, the duo went on to mock the visual effects of the film which they happened to star in, generating a bit of fallout. Turns out there’s a real life sad ending to the story. Fresh off it’s Oscar win for Best Picture, “Parasite” soared at the box office. Does the film’s success, not to mention the explosive popularity of international TV shows on Netflix, mean audiences in the United States will finally catch up with the rest of the world and embrace subtitles? Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the controversy over this year’s Cesar Awards in France, the streaming company Roku continues to grow and satellite radio giant Sirius XM invests in SoundCloud. ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Races to Record Video Game Opening, Potentially Reaching $70M Four-Day Debut https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3715105796/ ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Powers Past $100 Million at Global Box Office, ‘Little Women’ Eyes $200 Million https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sonic-box-office-global-little-women-milestone-1203505417/ China’s Box Office Sales Dropped From $1.5 Billion To $3.9 Million Amid Coronavirus Panic https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2020/02/13/chinas-box-office-sales-dropped-from-15-billion-to-39-million-amid-coronavirus-panic/ Former Landmark Theatres Boss Ted Mundorff Heads To ArcLight Cinemas As President & COO https://deadline.com/2020/02/arclight-cinemas-ted-mundorff-landmark-theatres-1202860283/ Roku Stock Surges But Earnings Forecast Raises Eyebrows https://www.marketwatch.com/story/roku-stock-surges-but-earnings-forecast-raises-eyebrows-2020-02-14 Streaming TV Usage Nearly Doubles in Less Than 2 Years, Nielsen Says https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/streaming-tv-usage-doubles-2-years-nielsen-says-1278637 France’s Cesar Academy Board to Resign Following Awards Backlash https://variety.com/2020/film/news/frances-cesar-board-to-resign-after-next-awards-ceremony-1203503536/ SiriusXM Acquires Minority Stake in SoundCloud With $75 Million Investment https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8550690/siriusxm-invests-75-million-into-soundcloud Bookstore Sales Fell 5.7% in 2019 https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/82433-bookstore-sales-fell-5-7-in-2019.html Moving Picture Company Closes Vancouver Studio

Though many Academy Awards pundits believed that “1917” would win the Oscar for Best Picture, the prize went to filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite.” Anne Thompson of Indiewire joins us to explain how the industry united behind the South Korean film, giving it four top Oscars, in a historic win; the first foreign language film to ever win the Best Picture Oscar. Surely none of the Oscar winners will be getting a bump at the box office in China, even if they managed to get a release date. Movie theaters have been closed for the past three weeks due to a coronavirus which has completely upended which films will get into cinemas and when in a tight calendar they’ll reach audiences. Meanwhile, the WGA overwhelmingly approved their demands for the upcoming contract talks with producers and studios. The existing contract is set to expire in the middle of this year and just about everyone in Hollywood is expecting and gearing up for another writers’ strike. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why manufacturing vinyl records might get a lot harder, how YouTube is raking in revenue and Disney plans on bringing the Broadway musical “Hamilton” to movie theaters. 2020 Oscar Predictions: ‘Parasite’ and ‘1917’ Should Win Big https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/2020-oscar-predictions-parasite-1917-win-1202208945/ Oscars 2020: Why Best Picture Winner ‘Parasite’ Unified Hollywood https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/oscars-2020-parasite-best-picture-winner-unified-hollywood-1202210414/ Judging by the Enthusiasm in the Indie Spirits Tent, ‘Parasite’ Should Have a Strong Oscars Night https://www.indiewire.com/2020/02/bong-joon-ho-renee-zellweger-indie-spirits-oscars-analysis-1202208941/ TV Ratings: Super Bowl LIV Draws 102 Million Viewers, Up a Fraction on 2019 https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/super-bowl-liv-ratings-1203490564/ ‘Hamilton’ Movie With Original Broadway Cast Coming to Theaters https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hamilton-movie-lin-manuel-miranda-2-1203490645/ Enthusiastic Streamers Also See The Most Movies In Theaters – NATO Study https://deadline.com/2020/02/enthusiastic-streamers-also-see-the-most-movies-in-theaters-nato-study-exhibition-1202853520/ Vinyl Record Industry Fears ‘Vinylgeddon’ After Fire Burns Down Apollo Masters Plant https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8550477/vinyl-record-industry-apollo-masters-plant-fire ViacomCBS Will Raise Its Streaming Game With New, “Differentiated” Service https://deadline.com/2020/02/viacomcbs-the-streaming-war-with-plans-for-new-differentiated-streaming-service-1202853604/ YouTube Reveals Revenue for First Time: $15.

About every five years a new group of deep-pocketed players shows up at the Sundance Film Festival and spends a small fortune acquiring a handful of films causing fear that the industry has been forever changed. This year, some of the world’s largest media and tech companies have invaded Park City, Utah and are picking up movies for amounts far in excess of what makes fiscal sense or what theatrical distributors are willing to pay. Such companies don’t have to worry about box office results because they are more concerned with a different metric; the number of subscribers they can attract to their streaming service. Now some industry veterans are worried about whether indie distributors will be able to stay afloat with the leftover titles the streaming giants don’t gobble up. Meanwhile, in China the film industry is down for the count with cinemas shuttered for the second week in a row due to the rapid spread of a coronavirus. Flights to and from the country have been suspended, as has all film and television production. When movie theaters finally do open for business the ripple effect on the Chinese release schedule will be felt around the world as films jockey for new playdates. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including this year’s BAFTA award winners, Apple and Netflix may be chasing MGM’s film library and MoviePass officially files for bankruptcy. “Bad Boys For Life” Tops Super Bowl Weekend https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3513779204/ Worldwide Box Office (Estimates) Weekend Ending February 2 https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office ‘1917’ Crossing $250m at Global Box Office https://www.screendaily.com/box-office/1917-crossing-250m-at-global-box-office-update/5146805.article WGA Awards: ‘Parasite,’ ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ HBO Among Top Winners https://variety.com/2020/film/news/wga-awards-winners-2020-writers-guild-1203488902/ WGA Includes Studio Ban On Non-Franchised Agents In MBA Pattern Of Demands Sent For Membership Vote https://deadline.com/2020/01/wga-studio-ban-on-non-franchised-agents-mba-pattern-of-demands-membership-vote-standoff-1202845595/ Writers Guild to Include Agency Ban in Contract Demands for AMPTP Talks https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/writers-guild-demand-studios-ban-non-franchised-talent-agents-1203485869/ MGM Leads 2020 Media Acquisition Targets as the Entertainment World Splits Into Haves and Have-Nots https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/24/mgm-leads-2020-media-acquisition-targets.html MoviePass and Parent Company Helios and Matheson File for Bankruptcy https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/moviepass-parent-company-helios-matheson-file-bankruptcy-1274423 DOJ Says That Live Nation Broke Promises to the American People As court Extends Consent Decree

With the Winter Olympics causing an abbreviated and frantic awards season, the film took a brief respite from Oscar-talk to head to Park City, Utah for this year’s Sundance Film Festival. We give you an update on all the hot titles and buzz being generated at this year’s festival, including a record breaking price for a Sundance film. Meanwhile, the Grammys were held under a scandalous cloud due to the fallout from the Recording Academy dismissing its top exec, Deborah Dugan. The evening belonged to 18-year-old Billie Eilish who became the youngest person to win four of the top awards at the event including Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year. In China, the Chinese New Year usually marks the highest grossing week on the calendar, however not this year. A highly contagious virus caused the government to quarantine large cities and the country’s cinema chains shuttered out of precaution leading to a loss of hundreds of millions yuan. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why country radio stations won’t play female artists, more talent agencies sign on to the Writers Guild code of conduct, and Netflix continues to gain subscribers. Bad Boys For Life, The Gentlemen, The Turning https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-box-office-results-bad-boys-for-life-gentlemen-turning/ ‘Bad Boys’ Rides To $215M Global; ‘1917’ Storms $201M WW; Lack Of Chinese New Year Pics Impacts Overseas https://deadline.com/2020/01/bad-boys-for-life-1917-dolittle-chinese-new-year-movies-coronavirus-global-international-box-office-1202841893/ Chinese New Year Film Releases Canceled in Response to Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinese-new-year-film-releases-canceled-response-coronavirus-outbreak-1272282 APA Agency Signs Agreement With The WGA https://deadline.com/2020/01/apa-deal-the-wga-agreement-1202837404/ 10 Years Later, an Oscar Experiment That Actually Worked https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/movies/expanded-best-picture-oscar.html Netflix Adds 8.8 Million Subscribers in Q4, Cites Competition for Lower U.S. Gains https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/netflix-q4-2019-earnings-results-1203474435/ Eminem Scores Historic 10th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With ‘Music to Be Murdered By’ https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8549077/eminem-scores-10th-no-1-album-billboard-200-chart-music-to-be-murdered-by Amazon Music Has Over 55m Subscribers Worldwide https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/amazon-music-has-over-55m-customers-worldwide/ Universal Exec Josh Goldstine Wins Massive Legal Award After #MeToo Firing

Even before this year’s Grammys are handed out next Sunday the Recording Academy is making headlines, not necessarily in a good way. In a controversial move, the organization put its CEO Deborah Dugan on administrative leave after less than six months on the job, citing reports of alleged misconduct. However, this came after Dugan sent a memo to the academy’s board highlighting voting irregularities, financial mismanagement, exorbitant legal bills as well as conflicts of interest with the organization’s board members, executive committee and outside lawyers. It will take some time to sort out what is actually going on within the Recording Academy’s executive ranks, though we should know who takes home the Album of the Year Grammy by next week. If the academy plays it safe, it just might be Vampire Weekend, but we think Lizzo should be a frontrunner. Meanwhile, Chinese New Year is upon us, the biggest movie-going week in the Middle Kingdom. As usual the country has blacked out Hollywood film releases to help bolster attendance of homegrown movies. Yet this may not even be necessary since lately domestic titles are doing better than imported content. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, Netflix plans to spend billions on content and why we might be headed for another writers strike. Disney Drops Fox From Names of Studios It Bought From Rupert Murdoch https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/business/media/disney-fox-name.html Comscore Worldwide Box Office https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office Box Office: ‘Frozen 2’ Tops $1.4B As ‘Jumanji 3’ Tops $700M Worldwide https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2020/01/19/frozen-2-jumanji-3-1917-knives-out-bombshell-parasite-jojo-rabbit-little-women-oscars-box-office/ China’s Blockbuster Lineup Signals Tough Year for Hollywood https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-14/china-s-blockbuster-film-lineup-signals-tough-year-for-hollywood ‘Parasite,’ ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Win ACE Eddie Awards for Top Feature Films https://variety.com/2020/film/news/parasite-jojo-rabbit-win-ace-eddie-awards-feature-films-1203471705/ SAG Awards: ‘Parasite’ Wins Top Film Prize; ‘Crown’ and ‘Mrs. Maisel’ Named Best Drama, Comedy Series https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2020-sag-awards-winners-complete-list-1269687 2020 PGA Awards: ‘1917’ Takes Home the Top Prize https://www.indiewire.com/2020/01/pga-producers-guild-awards-full-list-winners-film-1202204375/ A Record Four Movies With 10+ Nominations & The ‘Parasite’ Factor Means This Thing Is As Wide Open As It Gets https://deadline.com/2020/01/oscars-wide-open-race-sets-record-nominations-jok...

When the nominations for the 92nd Annual Academy Awards were announced on Monday morning, for the first time in history four films wound up earning ten or more nods; “1917,” “The Irishman,” “Joker,” and “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.” While the media will focus on who was snubbed or the lack of diversity among nominees, the real story is just how wide open this year’s highly competitive Oscar race truly is. Will this be the year that Netflix wins a Best Picture trophy? They wound up earning more total nominations than any other studio (or streamer). As well, a record 62 women received nominations, though filmmaker Greta Gerwig was overlooked as a director for “Little Women”. Meanwhile, as CES wrapped up in Las Vegas last week a new standard could make televisions a lot friendlier when it comes to showing movies. And Jeffrey Katzenberg showed up to tout his new short-form video streaming service. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including “Hamilton” closes in Chicago after earning $400 million, some drama in the romance literary world and streaming music hits an all time high. ‘1917’ Expands With Excellent $36.5 Million Weekend https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3614442500/ Comscore’s Worldwide Box Office (Estimates) https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office Comscore Reports Highest Ever Worldwide Box Office https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/comscore-reports-highest-ever-worldwide-box-office/ WGA Nominations https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/writers-guild-awards-unveils-film-nominations-1267113 DGA Noms https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/dga-awards-2020-nominations-tv-documentary-commercial-nominees-1265675 VES Announces Nominees https://deadline.com/2020/01/ves-awards-nominations-2020-list-the-lion-king-the-mandalorian-game-of-thrones-1202823016/ PGA Nominees https://deadline.com/2020/01/producers-guild-film-tv-nominations-1917-the-irishman-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-parasite-1202823279/ Oscar Nominations 2020: ‘Joker’ Leads With 11 Nods; Three Others Get 10 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/movies/oscar-nominations-academy-awards.html The 2020 Oscar Nominations Didn’t Have To Look Like This https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/13/2020-oscar-nominations-didnt-have-look-like-this/#comments-wrapper ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Spinoff ‘Clarice’ a Go at CBS https://www.hollywoodreporter.

Broadway produced its second highest grossing year in history during 2019, earning $1.7 billion, just 3% down from the year before. The season still managed to set a record for attendance, selling more tickets than any other season in modern history. Indeed, during the last decade attendance at Broadway shows was up 20% as ticket prices rose a whopping 70%. Speaking of financial figures, the worldwide movie box office numbers are still being finalized for last year but it looks as if France and China may have set new records. So did Disney, whose movies grossed $11.1 billion globally, accounting for 33% of North America’s ticket sales. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association lent their voices to this year’s awards season by handing out their Golden Globes for achievement in film and television. Despite a few unexpected winners there was no indication there choices will hold sway of the Oscars in February. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why the Kingdom of Jordan is banning a movie it helped fund, the Coachella Music Festival announces this year’s lineup and some popular works enter the public domain. Comscore Worldwide Box Office Rankings https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Tops $900M Globally, ‘Frozen 2’ #1 Animated Release All-Time & ‘Grudge’ Debuts with $11.3M https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3379561476/ ‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’ Elevates To $919M Global; ‘Jumanji’ Swings Past $600M WW https://deadline.com/2020/01/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-jumanji-the-next-level-frozen-2-knives-out-the-gentlemen-global-international-box-office-1202820947/ France Box Office: Admissions Break 50-Year Record in 2019; Hollywood Tentpoles Rule https://variety.com/2019/film/news/france-box-office-2019-admissions-break-50-year-record-hollywood-rules-1203454078/ Golden Globe Winners 2020: The Complete List https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/05/movies/golden-globes-winners-list.html ASC Awards: Cinematography Nominees Include ‘1917,’ ‘Joker’ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/asc-awards-cinematography-nominees-include-1917-joker-1265757 ‘Parasite’ Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/national-society-film-critics-winners-2020-list-full-1266375 Global Digital Game Spending Hits Record $109B in 2019 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/global-digital-game-spending-hits-record-109-billion-mark-2019-1265275 ‘Messiah’: Jordan’s Royal Film Commission Asks Netflix Not To Stream Provocative Series After Supporting Its Shoot

Facebook and YouTube might be giants in technology and media, but they have both decided to sit out the streaming wars. Sure, they’re spending $1 billion per year producing original content but pales in comparison to what the Apples and Amazons and Peacocks and HBO Maxes of the world are shelling out for new content. So, Facebook and YouTube have decided to keep their video offerings free and ad-supported. As 2019 comes to a close with one of the biggest movie-going weeks of the year it looks as if the industry will end a semi-happy note, with record international box office, perhaps a new worldwide box office record and the second biggest North American haul in history. Meanwhile, China added another 8,800 movie screens this year, bringing the country’s grand total to a titch under 69,000 in all. And most of the hits playing on those screens are Chinese films and that’s just the way the government wants to keep it. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Universal Pictures may have released a new version of “Cats” after it was already in theaters, live news and sports dominates the year’s basic cable ratings and Spotify gets out of politcs. Comscore Worldwide Box Office Rankings https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office ‘Little Women’ and ‘Uncut Gems’ Ride High Over the Five Day Holiday Weekend https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3413115908/ ‘Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker’ Climbs To $725M Global; ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ Rocks Towards $500M WW – International Box Office https://deadline.com/2019/12/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-jumanji-the-next-level-frozen-2-spies-in-disguise-cats-china-global-international-box-office-1202818158/ International Box Office Estimated to Top $30 Billion for First Time Ever https://www.thewrap.com/international-box-office-estimated-to-top-30-billion-for-first-time-ever/ A Bollywood Film About Getting Away with Murder Got a “Harmonious” Remake in China https://qz.com/1772567/bollywood-cop-film-drishyam-gets-telling-remake-in-chinas-wu-sha/ Cable Ratings 2019: Fox News Tops Total Viewers, ESPN Wins 18-49 Demo As Entertainment Networks Slide https://deadline.com/2019/12/cable-ratings-2019-list-fox-news-total-viewers-espn-18-49-demo-1202817561/ Equity Firm Agrees to Buy OverDrive https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/82066-equity-firm-agrees-to-buy-overdrive.html Elton John, Olivia Newton-John Named to Queen’s New Year’s Honours List https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/elton-john-olivia-newton-john-queen-new-years-honours-list-931818/ Spotify To Suspend Political Ads in 2020