Showbiz Sandbox

The “Star Wars” franchise was never a huge phenomenon in China the way it was elsewhere in the world, so it wasn’t much of a shock when the latest installment, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” flopped in its opening weekend in the country. It even came in second behind a local martial arts epic from Donnie Yen. In fact, eight out of the top ten earning movies in China during 2019 were homegrown hits as the country’s annual box office reached new heights. The box office won’t break any records in North America this year, despite the strong opening of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” A film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Cats” sure isn’t helping either. It opened to scathing reviews and grosses to match. Good news though, a new version of the film should be in theaters for its second week. Meanwhile, Netflix released subscriber info region by region and investors liked what they heard. Obviously, Netflix has hit peak subscribership in the United States, but when you look at how the company is doing in the rest of the world, you can see its customer base is growing substantially. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a new owner for Miramax, NBC/Universal reveals the pricing for the upcoming streaming service and “South Park” rules cable television for the seventh year in a row. ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ Delivers $175.5M Debut While ‘Cats’ Coughs Up a Furball https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3446670340 China Box Office: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Flops Spectacularly https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-wars-rise-skywalker-flops-spectacularly-china-1264737 Cats Is Still Being Finished https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/universal-notifies-theaters-cats-is-being-updated-improved-visual-effects-1264689 Cohen Media Group Acquires Curzon and Artificial Eye in UK https://deadline.com/2019/12/curzon-cinemas-acquired-cohen-media-group-1202816303/ Top 10 Films Of The Year in Chinese Box Office http://chinafilminsider.com/2019-year-in-review-top-10-blockbusters-in-chinese-cinema/ Chinese Box Office Sets All Time Record https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-hits-all-time-high-2019-1263609 South Park Tops Cable in Key Demo For 7th Year In A Row https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/south-park-viewers-watched-30-billion-minutes-show-2019-1263298 Cox Fined $1B For Failing To Stop Copyright Infringement https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/legal-and-management/8546842/cox-1-billion-piracy-lawsuit-labels-publishers TV Academy Charges Fees For Digital Screeners https://variety.com/2019/tv/awards/emmys-television-academy-screeners-cost-dvds-rules-1203444574/ ‘Pulp Fiction’ studio Miramax stake sold to ViacomCBS

As Hollywood’s major guilds begin announcing their nominations for best films of the year a trend seems to be emerging; Netflix is becoming a player in prestige cinema. Similar to how cable networks disrupted the domination of broadcast companies at the Emmys, the streaming giant has a growing number of entries vying for top awards. In China the government has had to pivot from censoring basketball to worrying about how to deal with soccer now that one of the sports star players has spoken out over the protests taking place in Hong Kong. Can the government continue to pull sports off the airwaves without creating a huge programming problem? Meanwhile, there has been some industry murmurings about the lack of big titles from Marvel or Lucasfilm on next year’s release schedule, leading some to believe box office will be down significantly. We take a quick look at some of the upcoming 2020 releases and explain why there is no need to panic. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the controversy that might break the reality show “Survivor,” why Billboard is adding video streaming to its album charts and the National Film Registry announces its latest selections. ‘Jumanji 2’ Roars to $60M Opening While A24’s ‘Uncut Gems’ Delivers Studio Record Debut https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3480224772/ ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ Steps It Up To $213M Worldwide – International Box Office https://deadline.com/2019/12/jumanji-the-next-level-frozen-2-knives-out-sheep-without-a-shepherd-china-global-international-box-office-1202809670/ Cineworld Group Announces Proposed CAD $2.8bn / USD $2.1bn Acquisition of Cineplex https://celluloidjunkie.com/wire/cineworld-group-plc-announces-proposed-c2-8bn-us2-1bn-acquisition-of-cineplex/ Despite Turnaround, ‘Beetlejuice’ Being Forced Out of Theater https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/theater/beetlejuice-broadway-evicted.html Verve The First To Respond To The #PayUpHollywood Movement: Will Boost Pay Of Assistants And Mailroom Employees 25%-40% https://deadline.com/2019/12/pay-up-hollywood-verve-agency-will-boost-pay-of-assistants-and-mailroom-employees-first-response-to-movement-1202804981/ Steve Harvey Revives His Daytime Talk Show For Facebook Watch https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/steve-harvey-facebook-watch-talk-show-1203431367/ ‘Purple Rain,’ ‘Clerks, ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ Added to National Film Registry https://variety.com/2019/film/news/purple-rain-clerks-shes-gotta-have-it-national-film-registry-1203431784/ ‘Survivor’ Boots Contestant Dan Spilo Following Off-Camera Incident https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/survivor-dan-spilo-kicked-off-inappropriate-behavior-1203433949/ ...

After just one season on “America’s Got Talent” celebrity judges Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough had done what they were hired to do; increase the show’s social media footprint. Yet their contracts were not renewed for a second season and Union gained a huge amount of attention for her claims the show has a toxic culture. The show’s producers and network NBC are being very careful in how they handle the situation. In Hong Kong, mass protests continue to disrupt the city and its significant entertainment industry. The ongoing demonstrations have affected Asian year-end awards, Hong Kong’s box office and generally made it harder to do business for entertainment companies who are both trying to please China yet show they have a moral compass. Meanwhile, it looks as if this year won’t set any North American box office records, though it might be the second highest on record. Disney, however, has nothing to worry about as they set theatrical earnings records thanks to a string of billion dollar releases. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Golden Globe nominations, the bidding war ver Ali Wong’s next comedy special and Comcast looks to expand in the United Kingdom. ‘Frozen II’ Threepeats Atop Weekend Box Office While ‘Playmobil’ Bombs https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3245343748/ ‘Jumanji 2’ Kicks Off Overseas With $52 Million as ‘Frozen 2’ Powers Toward $1 Billion https://variety.com/2019/film/news/box-office-frozen-2-nears-1-billion-jumanji-sequel-debuts-overseas-1203428856/ Game Targeting Hong Kong ‘Traitors’ Popular on Mainland Social Media http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1172323.shtml Golden Globes 2020: Here Is the Full List of Nominations https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/movies/golden-globes-nominees-list.html ‘The Irishman’ Named Best Picture by New York Film Critics Circle https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2019-new-york-film-critics-circle-winners-updating-1259494 ‘The Irishman’ Named Best Film by National Board of Review https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/irishman-tops-national-board-review-2019-honorees-full-list-1259206 AFI Reveals 2019 Award Winners for Film and Television https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afi-2019-film-tv-award-winners-list-full-1259563 Comcast’s Sky Developing 14-Stage Studio Complex North of London https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/comcasts-sky-developing-14-stage-studio-complex-north-london-1259094 Netflix Wins Bidding War for Pair of Ali Wong Stand-Up Specials https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/netflix-wins-bidding-war-pair-ali-wong-stand-up-specials-1259033

The Department of Justice has announced their intention to jettison the Paramount Consent Decree, the agreement that ended the studio system and under which the film industry has operated for the past 70 years. What will this mean for movie theater operators moving forward? Now that studios have become big media conglomerates will they behave anti-competitively? Speaking of agreements, more mid-level talent agencies have signed the Writers Guild of America’s code of conduct. In the process, these agencies have gotten the WGA to agree not to enforce the ban on television packaging until one of four major firms signs on. Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving holiday weekend was once again a time for audiences to return to cinemas en masse. However this year instead of going to see the latest blockbuster sequel, moviegoers actually sought out original films. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Grammy nominations, why Netflix bought a movie theater in New York City and the controversy over the firing of Gabrielle Union from “America’s Got Talent.” Box Office: ‘Frozen 2’ Breaks More Box Records And Reaches $739 Million Worldwide https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2019/12/01/box-office-walt-disney-frozen-2-starring-idina-menzel-and-kristen-bell-breaks-thanksgiving-records-and-tops-738-million-worldwide/ ‘Frozen II’ Feasts on Thanksgiving Records While ‘Knives Out’ & ‘Queen & Slim’ Enjoy Strong Holiday Openings https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3278898180/ Rothman Brecher Agency Signs Writers Guild Code https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/rothman-brecher-agency-signs-writers-guild-code-1256062 WGA Allows Packaging For Smaller Agencies, Relaxes Affiliated Production Ban In Latest Franchise Agreement https://deadline.com/2019/11/wga-franchise-agreement-allow-smaller-agencies-continue-packaging-indefinitely-relaxed-agency-affiliated-production-ban-1202793561/ Grammy Awards Nominations: The Complete List https://variety.com/2019/music/news/2020-grammys-nominations-list-1203410085/ Justice Department Moves to End Paramount Antitrust Decrees https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/paramount-decrees-end-makan-delrahim-1203408484/ Record Number of TV Episodes Directed by Women or Directors of Color https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/tv-directors-diversity-record-1203408936/ Authorities to Arcades: No Kids Under 18 Except on Holidays https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1004865/authorities-to-arcades-no-kids-under-18-except-on-holidays Netflix Seals Long Term Deal To Keep Gotham’s Last Single-Screen Picture Palace Alive

As television networks turn from linear broadcast methods to consumer streaming platforms a brewing battle over residual payments has the potential to spark a dual union strike in the middle of next year. Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney and a contributing editor at The Hollywood Reporter, joins us to discuss how the lack of data coming from streaming giants could lead to a standoff between major guilds and producers. Indeed, in mid-2020 the master contacts between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Directors Guild of America, The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA are set to expire. By now negotiations on new contracts would be well underway. Instead talks have stalled as unions try to revise the formulas used by streamers to make residual payments to their members. Given the timing, it’s a perfect storm for a potential massive industry work-stoppage. Meanwhile, the Broadway musical “Tootsie” is closing long before it recoups its production costs. Michael Riedel of the New York Post has a host of reasons for why this critic’s darling didn’t click, however only one of them makes sense; the show’s music wasn’t all that great. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Amazon has followed Netflix in deciding not to publish box office figures for its films, George Lucas revises the original “Star Wars” once again and Taylor Swift gets into a public spat with her former record label. ‘Ford v Ferrari’ Races to #1 While ‘Joker’ Becomes First R-Rated Film to Ever Top $1 Billion Globally https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed4017095684/ ‘Ford V Ferrari’ Revs Up $52M+ Worldwide Bow; No China Halo For ‘Charlie’s Angels’ https://deadline.com/2019/11/ford-v-ferrari-charlies-angels-maleficent-joker-terminator-dark-fate-china-global-international-box-office-1202788204/ ‘Tootsie’ Was a Broadway Flop Because Theater Is Fickle https://nypost.com/2019/11/14/tootsie-was-a-broadway-flop-because-theater-is-fickle-insiders/ Tootsie Is A Drag http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2019/04/theater-tootsie-is-drag.html Amazon Studios Won’t Report Box Office Grosses for Some of Its Films https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/amazon-studios-wont-report-box-office-grosses-some-films-1254271 Sweden Rejects Chinese Criticism of Press Freedom Prize https://apnews.com/299a5fca538e4b88a1ce284eb1f36571 TV Ratings: Multiplatform Data Shows Big Shift in Viewing Habits https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/multi-platform-ratings-data-shows-big-shift-viewing-habits-1254608 A Load of ‘MacClunkey’: Will George Lucas’s Star Wars Tinkering Never End? https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/13/macclunkey-george-lucas-star-wars-disney-plus-greedo Taylor Swift Slams Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun...

Next year’s nominees for placement into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio include candidates considered in previous years, including Depeche Mode, Judas Priest and Todd Rundgren. They join new nominees such as Pat Benatar, Dave Matthews Band and Whitney Houston, among others. We speak with Sal Nunziato, a music blogger and drummer for the band The John Sally Ride, to get his encyclopedic thoughts on which of the nominees should actually get the nod. We also discuss the pros and cons of streaming music services. There is no dispute that it’s great to have an archive of music, not to mention new releases, all available for listening within a few seconds. On the other hand, it’s also nice to support the music we really like by actually buying physical copies. Meanwhile, the video game industry made some headlines this week after a Chinese team won the latest “League of Legends” world championship. At the same time the latest “Call of Duty” release has generated some controversy since it is set amidst the Syrian Civil War and depicts child soldiers, the killing of civilians, among many other issues. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Woody Allen dropped his lawsuit against Amazon Studios, HBO Max sets its subscription price and technology is allowing filmmakers to cast the late James Dean in an upcoming movie. Sal Nunziato’s Website – Burning Wood Tonight http://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com ‘Midway’ Scores Surprise #1 Finish as ‘Doctor Sleep’ Is Caught Napping https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3782214660/?ref_=bo_hm_hp Box Office: ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Stalls Overseas With $29 Million https://variety.com/2019/film/news/terminator-dark-fate-international-box-office-1203399884/ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Reveals 2020 Nominees: Soundgarden, Whitney Houston & More https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/awards/8533000/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-2020-nominations Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Nominees https://www.rockhall.com/2020-nominees HBO Max Sets Monthly Pricing, May 2020 Launch Date https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/hbo-max-price-launch-date-may-2020-1203387216/ Kanye West’s ‘Jesus Is King’ Arrives as His Record-Tying Ninth Consecutive No. 1 Debut on Billboard 200 Chart https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8542364/kanye-west-jesus-is-king-billboard-200-debut-no-1 Woody Allen & Amazon Reach Settlement In $68M Lawsuit From ‘Manhattan’ Director https://deadline.com/2019/11/woody-allen-amazon-reach-settlement-in-69m-lawsuit-from-manhattan-director-1202782115/ Why Microsoft and Warner Bros. Archived the Original ‘Superman’ Movie on a Futuristic Glass Disc https://variety.

When James Cameron made “The Terminator” in 1984 he probably didn’t think the movie would still be spinning off sequels 35 years later, no matter how big a hit it became. Given the disappointing box office brought in by the sixth and latest Terminator film during its opening weekend it’s not hard to wonder whether the franchise might have run its course or if it should have been a franchise at all. One film we know for sure isn’t a franchise is Martin Scorsese’s most recent film, “The Irishman.” Made for Netflix, the movie will only be in theatres for 26 days before appearing on the streaming platform. Big movie theater chains have expressed their frustration with Netflix for not adhering to a traditional theatrical release window of 90 days, though were rumored to have offered up a shortened 60-day term instead. If true, was Netflix foolish for not accepting it? ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Tops Weekend With Soft $29M Debut; ‘Harriet’ Strong wtih $11.6M Opening https://www.boxofficemojo.com/article/ed3815769092/ ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’: What makes a franchise live or die? https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2019-11-07/terminator-dark-fate-what-makes-a-franchise-live-or-die Inside the Debate Between Netflix and Big Theater Chains Over ‘The Irishman’ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/business/irishman-netflix-theaters.html

Entertainment companies are finding themselves in compromising positions when it comes to avoiding political pitfalls in China. Movie studios and media conglomerates don’t want to disrupt their bottom line by appeasing Chinese authorities while surrendering their creative freedom. The result is that companies distributing content in China find themselves censoring themselves. “South Park,” on the other hand, chose an alternative path; directly offending the Chinese government and immediately being banned throughout the country. Even when companies do kowtow to the Chinese government, they find themselves getting into trouble at home and abroad. Just ask the producers of the animated film “Abominable,” an animated film which was banned in the country for showing a map that favored China’s disputed territorial claims. Meanwhile, the new television season started. Not that you’d know it based on the ratings, which are down almost any way you slice them. And the clear message is this: people’s viewing habits have changed, probably forever, and it’s not going to help TV channels trying to sell eyeballs to advertisers. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a tie for this year’s Booker Prize, Netflix somehow adds even more subscribers and a big Hollywood talent agency scraps its long awaited IPO. ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’ Maintains Box Office Reign Over ‘Joker’ After All https://variety.com/2019/film/box-office/box-office-maleficent-mistress-of-evil-joker-1203386330/ International Box Office: ‘Maleficent’ Fends Off ‘Joker,’ ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Debuts https://variety.com/2019/film/box-office/international-box-office-maleficent-beats-joker-1203384814/ Ben Young Set To Write, Direct StudioCanal/Blumhouse Remake Of Curtis Hanson’s 1987 Thriller ‘The Bedroom Window’ https://deadline.com/2019/10/the-bedroom-window-remake-ben-young-write-direct-curtis-hanson-studiocanal-blumhouse-1202766403/ China Cancels Release of Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-cancels-release-tarantinos-once-a-time-hollywood-1248652 Vietnam Pulls DreamWorks’ ‘Abominable’ Film Over South China Sea Map https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-southchinasea-film/vietnam-pulls-dreamworks-abominable-film-over-south-china-sea-map-idUSKBN1WT0J2 In China’s Shifting Winds, Viacom Escapes Harm After ‘South Park’ Poke, But Others Are Not So Lucky https://deadline.com/2019/10/china-hollywood-backlash-south-park-quentin-tarantino-nba-viacom-1202762427/ NBA China Woes Refuse To Die, As Tibet Protesters Demonstrate At Brooklyn Nets Game https://deadline.com/2019/10/brooklyn-nets-tibet-proests-1202764269/ ‘South Park’ Streaming Rights May Fetch Up to $500M in Bidding War https://www.hollywoodreporter.

Filmmaker Ang Lee is arguably one of the best directors to ever step behind a camera. He’s made acclaimed films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi,” winning three Oscars along the way. However Lee’s latest efforts have been more concerned with filmmaking technology than their script. That was certainly the case with “Gemini Man,” an action film that stars Will Smith playing an assassin opposite a digitally de-aged version of himself. Geoff Boucher of Deadline spoke with Lee about the challenges of making the film, which was shot in high frame rate at 120 frames per second. Meanwhile, China deleted “South Park” from the airwaves (and the internet) after a new episode mocked the country’s human rights record. Then China canceled the broadcast of an NBA basketball game being played in Shanghai after a league executive showed support for anti-government protestors in Hong Kong. We discuss what this means for all the businesses that want a piece of the Chinese market but don’t want to damage their brand worldwide. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded to a controversial writer, a new K-Pop supergroup storms the music charts and Apple launches an in-house production studio with some big name talent. ‘Joker’ Dominates International Box Office With $124 Million https://variety.com/2019/film/box-office/joker-international-box-office-gemini-man-1203368936/ Ang Lee: A Visionary Director Comes Face-To-Face With 3D’s Dimming Prospects https://deadline.com/2019/10/gemini-man-ang-lee-comes-face-to-face-with-3ds-dimming-prospects-1202753900/ Olga Tokarczuk and Peter Handke win Nobel prizes in literature https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/10/nobel-prizes-in-literature-olga-tokarczuk-peter-handke-2019-2018 Project Blue Book Opens for Second Season Across the Globe https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2019101457521/project-blue-book-opens-for-second-season-across-the-globe.html SuperM Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With ‘The 1st Mini Album’ https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/8532879/superm-the-1st-mini-album-billboard-200-no-1 Shepard Smith’s Resignation Shocks, Saddens Fox News Insiders https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/shepard-smiths-resignation-shocks-saddens-fox-news-insiders-1247177 Musicians Fear for Livelihood Without Streaming Residuals https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/is-an-extinction-level-event-musicians-fear-livelihood-streaming-residuals-1246824 Apple Launches In-House Studio With ‘Band of Brothers’/’The Pacific’ Follow-Up https://www.

After winning the top prize at the Venice Film Festival last month, “Joker” shattered October box office records around the world. This was despite mixed critical reviews and concerns about violence that led to heightened security at movie theaters. The question remains whether the movie will be too dark for Oscar voters come awards season. The box office in China also made headlines over the past week as the country celebrated National Day by heading to the movies. China’s biggest release for the holiday week even made it onto the North American box office charts. Meanwhile, one of Hollywood’s biggest talent agencies was hoping to raise a lot of money by going public and ultimately change how agents do business. However, Endeavor wound up pulling its initial public offering at the last minute as market makers began raising doubts. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how who will be performing at next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, Spider-Man rejoins Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and Apple will release (some of) its movies in theatres with a 90-day theatrical window. Comscore Worldwide Box Office Chart https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office ‘Joker’ Box Office: All the Records Broken https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/joker-box-office-all-records-broken-1245732 China Box Office: ‘My People’ and ‘The Captain’ Both Enjoy $100 Million Weekend Scores https://variety.com/2019/film/asia/china-box-office-my-people-my-country-captain-1203360973/ ‘Joker’ Hits Movie Theaters with Controversy and Extra Security https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/04/entertainment/joker-movie-opening-night/index.html Academy Museum Hires New Director; Project Moving Forward Again https://deadline.com/2019/10/academy-museum-new-director-bill-kramer-los-angeles-1202751540/ Spider-Man Back In Action As Sony Agrees To Disney Co-Fi For New Movie https://deadline.com/2019/09/sony-walt-disneys-marvel-team-on-third-spider-man-homecoming-title-with-superhero-to-appear-in-future-marvel-pics-1202746497/ Nielsen’s Expanded Ratings Liftoff Stuck On The Launch Pad On Day 1 https://deadline.com/2019/10/nielsen-tv-ratings-new-data-launch-fail-1202752726/ China’s Tencent Is Setting a Trend That Spotify May Have to Follow https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/tencent-paywall-model-spotify-894193/ Spotify Pivots on Global Cultures Initiative, Alarming Music Industry https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/spotify-global-cultures-initiative-892762/ Jennifer Lopez, Shakira to Headline 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show

How is it that an awards show honoring the best and brightest talent and content on television always winds up being such a poor representation of the medium? We’re talking about the Emmy Awards, which were handed out this past weekend in a ceremony without a host. While it was nice to see a few new honorees take home trophies, the proceedings themselves were rather dull. We try and figure out why. Meanwhile, in the music business Live Nation and Ticketmaster are once again being scrutinized by the Department of Justice for antitrust. It doesn’t help that the company’s latest attempt to thwart scalpers left some fans of the Black Keys holding worthless canceled tickets. Speaking of music, Amazon is raising the bar for streaming services by offering a Hi-Def streaming tier with lossless audio. Even the notoriously fussy rocker Neil Young is hailing the move. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how “Downton Abbey” spurred adults into cinemas, French courts claim you have the right to resell your legally purchased digital content and screenwriters take a big stand in their dispute with talent agencies. Comscore Worldwide Box Office https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ Sequel Series In the Works From Al Ruddy, Village Roadshow & Rough House Pictures https://deadline.com/2019/09/hogans-heroes-series-sequel-reboot-village-roadshow-entertainment-group-al-ruddy-rough-house-pictures-danny-mcbride-david-gordon-green-and-jody-hil-1202736850/ Spoonbenders Headed To Showtime https://deadline.com/2019/09/spoonbenders-drama-stephen-falk-youre-the-worst-creator-greg-berlanti-pilot-production-commitment-showtime-1202738773/ Emmy Awards The List https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/2019-emmys-winners-list-1203341089/ Emmys 2019 Telecast Review: Yup, It’s Time to Bring Back the Host https://www.indiewire.com/2019/09/2019-emmy-awards-show-review-no-host-big-problem-1202175629/ Why the Black Keys Shut Out Hundreds of Fans, Causing Chaos at the Wiltern https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-20/black-keys-wiltern-tickets-ticketmaster Live Nation-Ticketmaster Chief Michael Rapino Talks Dept. of Justice Inquiries https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/live-nation-ticketmaster-michael-rapino-dept-of-justice-inquiries-1203341144/ Regal And Cinemark To Run Ads Closer To Feature Films Under National CineMedia Pact https://deadline.com/2019/09/regal-and-cinemark-to-run-ads-closer-to-feature-films-under-national-cinemedia-pact-1202736817/ David Goodman Wins Re-Election of WGA West

Though the Cannes Film Festival avoids programming movies from streamers like Netflix and Amazon, internationally renowned festivals in Venice, Telluride, Toronto and New York embrace them. And no wonder. As Anne Thompson of Indiewire tells us, the streamers used the fall film festival circuit to premiere some of the year’s most award-worthy movies. Just back from Toronto and Telluride (and on her way to the New York Film Festival), Thompson fills us in on what new releases movie lovers should look forward to as we kick off awards season. She explains how making a big splash at such festivals can turn a middling movie into a hit collecting both big box office and plenty of kudos. Yes, we’re looking at you, Hustlers. Meanwhile, with the imminent launch of their own streaming service, Disney wants to rewrite the rules — or at least the contracts — on how the profits from hit television shows gets shared, or as the company would prefer it, not shared. If successful, other networks and studios are sure to follow Disney’s lead. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why YouTube is revamping its music charts, Apple announcing the price for its streaming service and “Saturday Night Live” stumbling in a casting move. Comscore Worldwide Box Office https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office The Legend of Hei Opens Big In China https://www.cartoonbrew.com/box-office-report/the-legend-of-hei-tops-the-chinese-box-office-in-its-opening-weekend-179293.html Post-TIFF, the Best Actress Oscar Race Is Scarlett Johansson vs. Renée Zellweger https://www.indiewire.com/2019/09/tiff-2019-best-actress-scarlett-johansson-renee-zellweger-1202172638/ Don’t Believe the TIFF Hype: ‘Hustlers’ Is More Globes than Oscars, ‘A Hidden Life’ Is Fox Searchlight’s Gem https://www.indiewire.com/2019/09/toronto-2019-awards-oscars-joker-hustlers-marriage-story-1202173124/ Joker Could Go All The way https://www.indiewire.com/2019/09/joker-oscars-tiff-todd-phillips-joaquin-phoenix-1202173351/ TIFF: These Films Need US Distribution https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/memo-to-distributors-tiff-telluride-venice-2019/vigil/ Jojo Rabbit Wins Audience Award At Toronto https://deadline.com/2019/09/jojo-rabbit-wins-torontos-grolsch-peoples-choice-award-best-picture-oscar-predictor-1202735101/ Advantage, ‘Jojo Rabbit’: Here’s What Happens After the TIFF Audience Award https://www.indiewire.com/2019/09/advantage-jojo-rabbit-heres-what-happens-after-the-tiff-audience-award-1202173786/ Bob Iger Resigns From Board of Apple

Pay disparity based on gender is not a new thing in the entertainment industry, especially in the movie business. History is rife with examples where leading men got paid multiples more than their leading ladies. However, gender pay gaps behind the camera aren’t often publicized. That wasn’t the case when Adele Lim, the co-writer of “Crazy Rich Asians” found out how much more her male co-writer was being paid for the sequels, she went public. The good news according to a new study is that in front of the camera Hollywood is becoming more diverse. Women and people of color are being cast more than ever with 39 out of the top 100 films in 2018 featuring a female lead. Last year also marked a 12-year high for minorities being given speaking roles. Meanwhile, advertisers and television networks are concerning themselves with a different set of numbers; viewership ratings. For the first time ever, Nielsen is counting all the people who watch TV in bars, airports and hotel lounges. Ratings will surely go up for some big categories such as sports. But will ad rates go up too? Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why author Walter Mosley quit his “Star Trek: Discovery” writers gig, music sales are up for the year and, despite lots of new competition, Netflix looks poised to maintain its dominance of the streaming market. Comscore Worldwide Box Office https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings#tab_worldwide_box_office Placido Domingo 2020 Event Canceled Following Sexual Misconduct Allegations https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/placido-domingo-2020-event-canceled-sexual-misconduct-allegations-1237287 Box Office: Placido Domingo Pic Sings Off-Key With $80K Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-placido-domingo-pic-tanks-sexual-misconduct-allegations-1231413 Chinese Summer Box Office Hits Record Grosses https://www.scmp.com/business/money/wealth/article/3025561/spider-man-ne-zha-take-chinas-summer-box-office-new-record Hollywood Blockbusters Featured Record Number of Lead Roles for Women, People of Color in 2018 https://variety.com/2019/film/news/hollywood-inclusion-black-panther-crazy-rich-asians-1203322123/ Venice Film Festival Winners: ‘Joker’ Is Golden Lion https://deadline.com/2019/09/venice-film-festival-2019-awards-winners-folden-lion-full-list-1202728631/ ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Co-Writer Exits Sequel Amid Pay Disparity Dispute https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/crazy-rich-asians-screenwriter-adele-lim-exits-sequel-pay-disparity-dispute-1236431 SVOD Future Numbers — Netflix Dominance Continues https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2019090557203/global-svod-subs-set-to-double.

The big-time Hollywood divorce that has the entertainment industry buzzing this summer is the acrimonious split between Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios over custody of the most popular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; Spider-Man. The agreement that allowed Sony to loan out the character for Disney’s Avenger films was unprecedented. But after Disney asked to share in the financing and profit of future Spidey films, Sony opted out of the relationship. The latest Spider-Man movie was one of the biggest hits of the summer, though box office for the season was actually down. One might think that’s why AMC Cinemas is planning to experiment with dynamically pricing movie tickets, but actually it’s really because they just want to charge more for popular films. Meanwhile, streaming giants like Netflix are premiering some of their high profile movies at the biggest fall film festivals just in time to kick off awards season. They even plan to show them in cinemas before allowing them to be streamed on their platform. Now all Netflix has to do is convince cinema chains to book them. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Eminem is suing Spotify, the Writers Guild takes its case against talent agents to federal court and why Taylor Swift wants to record all her old albums over again. ‘Angel Has Fallen’ Tops Labor Day Weekend Box Office as Summer Season Comes to a Close https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4542&p=.htm ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Keeps Global Box Office Lead https://variety.com/2019/film/news/hobbs-shaw-global-box-office-lead-1203320564/ ‘Downton Abbey’ First Day Fandango Presales Bigger Than ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ https://deadline.com/2019/08/downton-abbey-fandango-box-office-first-day-sales-1202700908/ Why Dynamic Pricing for Movie Tickets Could Be a Tough Sell https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/dynamic-ticket-pricing-for-movie-tickets-1203308067/ Writers Guild Withdraws State Suit Against Agencies, Refiles in Federal Cour https://variety.com/2019/film/news/writers-guild-agency-lawsuit-withdrawn-refiles-federal-court-1203306835/ Disney-Sony Standoff Ends Marvel Studios & Kevin Feige’s Involvement In ‘Spider-Man’ https://deadline.com/2019/08/kevin-feige-spider-man-franchise-exit-disney-sony-dispute-avengers-endgame-captain-america-winter-soldier-tom-rothman-bob-iger-1202672545/ ‘Spider-Man’ Standoff: Why Sony Thinks It Doesn’t Need “Kevin’s Playbook” Anymore https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/spider-man-standoff-why-sony-thinks-it-doesnt-need-kevins-playbook-anymore-1233644 Why Child Social Media Stars Need a Coogan Law to Protect Them From Parents https://www.hollywoodreporter.

In a win-win for the American football and artist Jay-Z (or a lose-lose depending on your point of view), the National Football League is working with one of its biggest critics. Jay-Z has historically been very supportive of the NFL players who have used their visibility to bring attention to issues like police brutality. He also made clear that he wouldn’t perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Now he’s signed a deal with the NFL to consult on the Halftime Show, NFL music in general and assist with other efforts to make the NFL and its entertainment more inclusive. Many wondered why Jay-Z would enter into such an agreement when it seemed he had so much to lose and little to gain, especially when it appears as if the NFL is co-opting him. Perhaps the rumors that the rap and entertainment mogul wishes to to buy a significant stake in an NFL team are actually true. Meanwhile in China, streaming giants such as Netflix, YouTube and eventually Disney+ were granted permission to launch their platforms in the country. That is so long as these companies play by some strict government rules. But what exactly that means, both in regards to mandated propaganda content and censorship remains to be seen. Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including CBS and Viacom get remarried, why Hong Kong protesters want to boycott the live action adaptation of “Mulan” and sales at bookstores decline this year. ‘Good Boys’ Gives Universal Its Third Straight Weekend #1 https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4538&p=.htm ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Pulls Ahead of ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Overseas https://variety.com/2019/film/box-office/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-beats-hobbs-shaw-international-box-office-1203305555/ Annapurna Bailed Out By Megan Ellison’s Dad https://deadline.com/2019/08/annapurna-megan-ellison-larry-ellison-last-and-final-offer-bankers-1202668129/ Beijing to Open Streaming Market to Foreign Firms that Obey Content Rules http://chinafilminsider.com/beijing-to-open-streaming-market-to-foreign-firms-that-obey-content-rules/ Disney Unveils International Roll-Out Of Disney+ Streaming Service https://deadline.com/2019/08/disney-international-launches-1202671080/ CBS And Viacom Finally Re-Tie The Knot https://deadline.com/2019/08/cbs-and-viacom-finally-re-tie-the-knot-merging-after-13-years-as-separate-companies-1202665588/ IMDb Alters Policy on Publication of Birth Names https://variety.com/2019/film/actors/imdb-alters-policy-publication-birth-names-1203300451/ Bookstore Sales Dropped 5.1% in First Half of 2019 https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/80934-bookstore-sales-dropped-5-1-in-first-half-of-2019.