• A24’s multiverse sci-fi film “Everything Everywhere All At Once” earned the most nominations for the 38th Film Independent Spirit Awards with eight, including best feature, best director and best lead actor for Michelle Yeoh. Focus Features’ “Tár” followed with seven nominations, including a lead actor nod for Cate Blanchett, while “Aftersun,” “Women Talking” and “Bones and All” also scored several nominations for the ceremony, which is scheduled for March 4. (The Associated Press)
• AEG Presents, the tour promoter in charge of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour,” blamed Live Nation Entertainment Inc.’s Ticketmaster entirely for last week’s ticket sales disaster, saying in a statement that it “didn’t have a choice” due to Ticketmaster’s exclusive partnerships with several venues on the tour. The statement rejected previous claims made by Ticketmaster and Liberty Media, Live Nation’s largest shareholder, that AEG elected to work with Ticketmaster, which continues to face scrutiny for its 2010 merger with Live Nation. (CNBC)
  
• The California Film Commission shared in an annual report that production spending supported by the state’s film and TV credit program grew by $153 million last year, while in-state spending grew from $2.13 billion last year to $2.28 billion by the end of the fiscal year ending in 2022. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) raised the tax credit from $330 million to $420 million for the fiscal years in 2022 and 2023, while the commission predicted that spending will continue to see growth next year. (Variety)
• YouTube TV subscribers filed an antitrust class action lawsuit last week against the Walt Disney Co. in a California federal court, alleging that the company, which owns Hulu and ESPN, operates under a single entity that allows it to “set a floor price” and inflate the cost of live TV streaming costs on the internet due to negotiated anticompetitive agreements with competitors. The complaint aims to represent about 5 million YouTube TV subscribers. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Media Industry’s High Debt Levels Continue to Spark Investor Concern

Variety Intelligence

NBCUniversal layoffs are coming in January

Claire Atkinson, Insider Premium

NBCUniversal is the latest major media corporation to plan layoffs, according to two company insiders and a third person closely familiar with plans.

‘Narcos’ Revenue Split Battle Between Executive Producers Settles

Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter

Director and producer José Padilha accused series showrunner Eric Newman of shorting him out of his share of revenue with the help of Gaumont Television.

Kanye West Used Porn, Bullying, ‘Mind Games’ to Control Staff

Matt Sullivan and Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone

Former Yeezy team members claim West showed them explicit images of Kim Kardashian and used fear and manipulation to assert dominance. A scathing open letter to Adidas claims execs “turned their moral compass off.”

Letitia Wright Blasts The Hollywood Reporter For Story About Actors With ‘Personal Baggage’

Ron Dicker, HuffPost 

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star Letitia Wright on Monday accused The Hollywood Reporter of waging a “personal vendetta” against her after an article grouped her with Oscar contenders who carry “personal baggage.”

Armie Hammer’s Father, Businessman Michael Armand Hammer, Dead at 67 from Cancer

Benjamin VanHoose, People

Michael Armand Hammer, the businessman father of actor Armie Hammer, has died. He was 67.

Disney to Dominate Thanksgiving Box Office With ‘Strange World’ and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

Rebecca Rubin, Variety

Hollywood has come to expect a few things around Thanksgiving: a hearty turkey dinner, plenty of family time… and a Disney movie to rule the box office.

Disney’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ Cleared for December Release in China

Robbie Whelan, The Wall Street Journal

Chinese authorities have notified Walt Disney Co. DIS -1.40%decrease; red down pointing triangle that “Avatar: The Way Of Water” will be released in China on Dec. 16, the same day it is slated to be released globally, according to people familiar with the matter.

Quentin Tarantino Gets Blowback for Saying Marvel Actors “Not Movie Stars”

James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter

The “Kill Bill” director drew heat from “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu after giving his take on Marvel movies.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Sets Streaming Date On Paramount+

Greg Evans, Deadline

Paramount+ announced that “Top Gun: Maverick,” the top grossing film of 2022, will be available to stream globally on the service beginning Thursday, Dec. 22 in the U.S. as well as in Canada, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and previously announced markets – the UK and Latin America.

Magnolia Says Hello ‘Dalíland’: Buys North American For Ben Kingsley, Barbara Sukowa & Ezra Miller Pic

Anthony D’Alessandro, Deadline

Magnolia Pictures has snapped up North American rights to the Toronto International Film Festival Closing Night film Dalíland from filmmaker Mary Harron, Deadline has learned.

The Horrors of Rich-People Food, Fleshed Out on Film

Tejal Rao, The New York Times

With a pinch of dark humor, “The Menu” and “Fresh” explore the potential terrors of feeding the 1 percent.

Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Empire Is Huge. It’s About to Get Way Bigger

Jennifer Maas, Variety

In the 10 years since the Gaineses became household names as stars of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” the two have expanded their brand into a multifacted operation with unrivaled reach and influence in the lucrative lifestyle sectors of home, hearth, food and family.

Food Network’s First-Ever Kwanzaa Series Set for December

Katcy Stephan, Variety

Food Network is getting into the holiday spirit with its first Kwanzaa series, set to highlight the food and history of the annual seven-day celebration. 

‘Pitch Perfect’ Launched a Movement That’s Somehow Still Singing

Jake Kring-Schreifels, The Ringer

After tripling its budget at the box office, the little comedy became a franchise that has now even spawned its own streaming series: an Adam Devine–starring spinoff that’s a testament to the popularity of a cappella.

Tumblr to add support for ActivityPub, the social protocol powering Mastodon and other apps

Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Tumblr will add support for ActivityPub, the open, decentralized social networking protocol that today is powering social networking software like Twitter alternative Mastodon, the Instagram-like Pixelfed, video streaming service PeerTube, and others.

Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Music Publishing Drive Warner Music Revenue Growth

Georg Szalai and Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter

Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 8.8 percent, or 16 percent in constant currency terms, to $1.50 billion, driven by the music publishing gain and digital revenue growth.

Taylor Swift ticket trouble could drive political engagement

Brooke Schultz, The Associated Press

Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They’re not still 16, they have careers and resources and, right now, they’re angry. That’s a powerful political motivator, researchers say.

AOC on Ticketmaster: ‘Fans Are Being Absolutely Fleeced’

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rolling Stone

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Ocasio-Cortez, a member of Congress’s Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, expands on her call to break up the companies and touching on the problems of the wider ticketing marketplace, citing many of the complaints fans and other industry insiders have leveled for years such as hikes in fees and an out-of-control resale market.

Eurovision Song Contest voting to be opened up to non-participating countries

Reuters

Viewers from countries not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest will be able to cast a vote for their favourite act next year for the first time in the competition’s history, the organiser said on Tuesday.