General
Recording Academy announces new diversity initiatives in midst of Grammys scandal
Lisa Respers France, CNN
As the Grammys face accusations of lacking diversity and being a “boys club,” the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has announced new initiatives developed in partnership with its Diversity Task Force.
Judge Doubts WGA Claim That Packaging Fees Are Kickbacks
Gene Maddaus, Variety
A federal judge seemed skeptical on Friday of the Writers Guild of America’s claim that packaging fees amount to a criminal kickback to agents. Judge Andre Birotte heard more than two hours of arguments from attorneys for the guild and three agencies: WME, UTA and CAA.
Attorneys for Ousted Recording Academy Chief Deborah Dugan Call for Her Reinstatement
Melinda Newman, Billboard
Ousted Recording Academy CEO/president Deborah Dugan’s attorneys are calling for her to be reinstated and for board chair Harvey Mason to step down if the organization is serious about reform.
DGA Awards: Sam Mendes and ‘1917’ Win Best Feature Film
The Hollywood Reporter Staff, The Hollywood Reporter
The 72nd annual Directors Guild of America Awards were handed out Saturday night, and 1917’s Sam Mendes took home the top honor of best feature film.
Meet the Oscar Ceremony’s New Captains
Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair
The trick to producing the Oscars is knowing that you can’t really control anything. “We have to roll with whatever comes our way,” said Lynette Howell Taylor, who is coproducing this year’s ceremony alongside Stephanie Allain.
Film
‘Bad Boys for Life’ Tops Box Office (Again)
Gabe Cohn, The New York Times
With little competition for its two seasoned stars, Sony’s action-comedy sequel “Bad Boys for Life” easily led movie ticket sales this weekend, maintaining its top spot at the domestic box office for its second weekend in theaters.
Why Sundance Film Sales Are So, So Slow This Year (So Far)
Beatrice Verhoeven, The Wrap Pro
We’re four days into the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and only one of the buzzy titles is close to nearing a deal so far, with one having been sold. Insiders say the festival this year is moving at a much slower pace than previous years — for a wide number of reasons.
Disney Ponders Turning ‘Bambi’ Into Latest Live-Action Remake
Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg
Walt Disney Co. is developing a live-action remake of the company’s 1942 movie “Bambi” as part of its lucrative effort to reimagine classic films for new audiences.
Lionsgate sues insurer for losses after death of ‘Robin Hood’ cast member
Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times
Lionsgate is suing the Fireman’s Fund Insurance company for $1.62 million after the death of cast member and a fire that damaged a studio in Hungary during filming of its 2018 movie “Robin Hood.”
Television
Fox Adds Commercial Time To Super Bowl To Accommodate More Advertisers
Jeanine Poggi, AdAge
Fox is adding more commercial time to the sold-out Super Bowl LIV to make room for some last-minute advertisers.
‘The Late Late Show’ Repeats To Start Airing On Comedy Central, Paired With ‘The Daily Show’ Reruns
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline Hollywood
In one of the first major synergy moves to be implemented between the two sides of the newly re-merged ViacomCBS, Comedy Central is launching an early morning blended block of late-night encores.
Technology and New Media
Sundance Embraces Streaming, Even As It Weighs the Risks
Chris Lindahl, IndieWire
It’s always an honor to be one of the titles that premiere on opening night at the Sundance Film Festival, and this year there were eight. Three are available for acquisition: NEXT selection “Summertime,” Midnight’s “Bad Hair,” and World documentary “The Painter and the Thief.”
Netflix turns to first-time filmmakers for an edge in streaming wars
Jen Yamato and Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times
Stefon Bristol had a clear vision of his first feature project. As a graduate film student at NYU, he had already shot a short version of a movie called “See You Yesterday,” a story about a science-obsessed New York City teen who masters time travel to save her loved ones.
Streaming Residuals Could Set The Stage For A WGA Strike In 2020, But Would Packaging Play A Role?
David Robb, Deadline Hollywood
The WGA’s demand for more streaming residuals from the studios could set the stage for the first industrywide strike in more than a decade. And it’s not just that writers are in a fighting mood after feuding with the agencies for more than nine months: there’s big money at stake – and not just from the ever-growing streaming market, but also from what the guild says are “hundreds of millions of dollars” that will be going into the pockets of the studios if it prevails in its lawsuit and packaging fees are eliminated.
ESPN is rolling out 500 live shows across YouTube, Facebook and other platforms
Tim Peterson, Digiday
With a new social media star and a fresh studio dedicated to its digital programming, ESPN is upgrading online game viewing. The TV network opened 2020 by announcing that it had hired House of Highlights founder Omar Raja.
Apple TV Plus May Have More Than 33 Million Users But ‘Vast Majority’ Aren’t Paying for It, Researcher Says
Todd Spangler, Variety
Is Apple TV Plus — the tech giant’s foray into the streaming wars — a roaring success? That’s been the initial takeaway from estimates by research firm Ampere Analysis, which has pegged Apple TV Plus as having racked up 33.6 million customers in the U.S. alone as of the end of 2019.
How Big a Hit Is ‘The Witcher’? New Netflix Show Stirs Debate.
John Jurgensen, The Wall Street Journal
Is it the biggest new TV series, or a niche hit buoyed by questionable statistics? Is the show a confusing jumble that only a predisposed fan could love, or a bold new serving of fantasy that conjures a realm on par with Middle-earth or Westeros?
The new streaming wars: Tech giants are fighting for top gaming stars
Shannon Liao, CNN
When Jeremy Wang started streaming on Twitch in 2016, he was an unknown twenty-something with a few coding internships under his belt. Almost no one knew his name or what he looked like.
A majority of game developers want to unionize. Few are convinced it will happen.
Elise Favis and Gene Park, The Washington Post
Unionization has been a hot topic in the games industry, with issues such as burnout and layoffs generating impassioned discussion among developers. With studios like CD Projekt Red forecasting crunch through Cyberpunk 2077′s five-month delay, reports of 100-hour work weeks at Epic and Rockstar, as well as a walkout and lawsuit implicating Riot in gender discrimination, the prevalence of problems in the industry is becoming increasingly apparent.
P.S.: Fans Still Love ‘To All the Boys’
Nancy Coleman, The New York Times
Nothing truly bonds hundreds of young women like collectively watching Peter Kavinsky, the swoon-inducing love interest of Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” films, do something dashing onscreen — and releasing a wave of ear-shattering screams in unison.
Marvel’s ‘Howard the Duck,’ ‘Tigra & Dazzler’ Dead at Hulu
Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
Marvel is cleaning house. As the transition from the Jeph Loeb-led era of Marvel Television comes to its end and Kevin Feige begins to have greater creative control over film and television projects, the comic book company has opted to end development of two of its four animated Hulu comedies.
China’s theaters, studios protest against deal to stream movie online for free
Pei Li et al., Reuters
Chinese theaters and film studios are protesting a deal by Huanxi Media Group to premiere its new movie “Lost in Russia” on Bytedance’s online platforms, with some saying it was “trampling” and “destroying” China’s cinema industry.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
Does Hollywood Really Love Movies About Itself?
Ben Zauzmer, The New York Times
Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” is less a movie about the murderous Manson family than it is a homage to Tinseltown itself, every scene a love letter to the Los Angeles of a half century ago. With the film earning 10 nominations up and down the Oscar ballot, it is fair to ask: Does Hollywood love films about itself?
Netflix Changed the Way It’s Counting Viewers. Does the Math Add Up?
Josef Adalian, Vulture
Back when broadcasters dominated television, and ratings weren’t depressing, each of the big four networks would schedule conference calls to tout their performance during Nielsen’s November, February, and May sweeps measurement periods. They were big deals: Execs would tout their successes, cover up failures, and passive-aggressively take shots at each other.
Is Winning Oscar Worth All the Stress For Stars And Distributors?
Peter Bart, Deadline Hollywood
“I just won an Oscar, but will that help me earn a living?” So asked F. Murray Abraham in a note sent to me in 1984 – one that I have faithfully saved.
Parasite Power: Director Bong Joon Ho on His Edgy Oscar Contender
Sandi Tan, Vanity Fair
Fourteen years ago, a behemoth invaded Cannes. A Korean movie called The Host was premiering at the festival sidebar known as the Director’s Fortnight.
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