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April 22, 2021
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Oscars So Political? A Look at Acceptance Speeches Through the Years
The Oscars are Sunday, and some Americans are likely readying their laments that Hollywood and its award shows are too political.

 

We were curious how much weight those claims held. New Morning Consult analysis of more than 1,500 acceptance speeches found that while historically the speeches made on the movie industry’s biggest night are largely apolitical, mentions of politics and representation have increased in recent years. Still, among the 22 percent of overall speeches that contained political rhetoric, 94 percent contained only three or fewer political words. 

 

Experts say that political and social movements such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo — along with a bigger spotlight on the ceremony — have contributed to more mentions of politics and representation in speeches, adding that a magnifying glass on a small number of major moments (such as speeches from Patricia Arquette and Joaquin Phoenix) contributes to why some see the Oscars as a political event. 

 

Top Stories

  • HBO Max added about 3 million subscribers in the first quarter of this year, with domestic HBO and HBO Max subscribers now totaling 44.2 million, an increase driven by the addition of blockbuster films such as “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.” WarnerMedia reported quarterly revenue of $8.5 billion, a 9.8 percent year-over-year increase. (Variety)
  • Sony Pictures inked a deal with Disney that will see films from Sony’s 2022-26 theatrical slate stream on Disney+ and Hulu, in addition to airing on Disney’s linear networks, after the titles stream on Netflix. Financial terms were not disclosed, but t additional Marvel titles, such as “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” will be in play for Disney+ due to the pact. (The Hollywood Reporter)
  • Quibi programming will be renamed as Roku Originals when more than 75 titles from the defunct, short-form streamer’s debut on the Roku Channel later this year. Roku plans to share more details, including premiere dates, in May. (Deadline Hollywood
 

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What Else You Need to Know

General
 

Is Hollywood’s Wall of Silence on Scott Rudin Beginning to Crack?

Tatiana Siegel, The Hollywood Reporter 

Call it soft distancing. In the wake of an April 7 Hollywood Reporter exposé on Scott Rudin’s abusive behavior, a number of industry organizations and Rudin himself have begun to address the matter, albeit in vague and toothless ways.

 

Upcoming ‘The Music Man’ Star Hugh Jackman Releases Statement on Abuse Allegations Against Producer Scott Rudin

Dan Meyer, Playbill

Tony winner and Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman has spoken out in regards to Scott Rudin’s decision to step away from projects on Broadway and in Hollywood. 

 

Jake Paul Promised Them Fame. Was It Worth the Price?

Taylor Lorenz, The New York Times

In the vast world of YouTube villains, there may be none as famous as Jake Paul.

 

Ex-Staff Decry “Heartbreaking” Treatment at Abigail Disney’s Level Forward

Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter

In early 2018, philanthropist and filmmaker Abigail Disney wanted to found a company to reclaim Hollywood from its most infamous tyrant, Harvey Weinstein. But as Disney’s aspirational company, Level Forward, got off the ground, some of its own staff and contractors, particularly women of color, felt disempowered by a top-down culture, according to sources.

 
Film
 

The Academy Behind the Academy Awards, by the Numbers

R.T. Watson, The Wall Street Journal 

The Oscars may suffer from declining viewership and a down year for movie releases limited by the pandemic. But the organization that runs Hollywood’s most prestigious awards ceremony is on solid financial ground, with a growing collection of assets approaching $1 billion, according to the academy and its affiliates’ consolidated financial statements.

 

From Punchline to Oscar Contenders: The Overdue Rise of Asians in Hollywood

Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter

With two straight years of all-white acting nominees hanging like an albatross around the 2016 Academy Awards, producers of the telecast that year went to lengths to show that the Academy could take the heat, inviting Chris Rock as host not just to address the controversy directly but also to skewer the industry’s long-standing failure to diversify.

 

China’s Oscars boycott mixes politics with push to curb Hollywood dominance

Lyric Li and Steven Zeitchik, The Washington Post 

Early this year, Chinese state media began effusing about the Oscar nominations of Beijing-born director Chloé Zhao — whose film “Nomadland” is in the running for six awards, including best picture. 

 

Snapchatters Gear Up for a Return to Movie Theaters

David Cohen, Adweek

As Covid-19 vaccines become more widely available and more businesses begin reopening their doors or increasing their capacities, the No. 1 post-pandemic activity that Snapchatters are looking forward to is going to the movies.

 

ArcLight Employees Mourn Theater Closure: “No One Was Expecting This”

Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter 

After finishing high school in Rhode Island in 2008, Joe Begos drove to Los Angeles, like so many before him, with the dream of making movies.

 

Studio Movie Grill Emerges From Bankruptcy, With 19 Theaters Reopened by Memorial Day

Jeremy Fuster, The Wrap 

Studio Movie Grill announced on Wednesday that it has officially emerged from bankruptcy and will have 19 dine-in theaters operating in seven states by Memorial Day weekend.

 
Television
 

Following a fan petition, LeVar Burton will be a guest host on ‘Jeopardy!’

Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times

LeVar Burton‘s fans are finally getting their wish as the actor has been tapped to guest host “Jeopardy!” before the game show ends its current season.

 

More than 18 million tuned in for the Chauvin verdict.

John Koblin, The New York Times

More than 18 million people tuned in to cable and broadcast networks for the reading of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial on Tuesday, a huge viewership total for a late afternoon, according to preliminary data from Nielsen.

 

As Hispanic TV Consolidates, Demand for Broader Depictions of Latino Life Grows

Tara Weiss, Adweek 

Hispanics make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population, yet as TV viewers and consumers, they’re still an underserved community.

 

How Shifting Senior Ranks are Ushering a Rise In Diversity at Major News Outlets

Claudia Eller, Variety 

Newsrooms have been dominating the news lately. Just last week alone, both ABC News and CBS News named new leaders and Reuters News Service tapped a new editor-in-chief.

 

How Freeform Solved the Marketing Riddle of Creating a Shared but Safe Experience

T.L. Stanley, Adweek 

Freeform, the Disney-owned cable channel that specializes in young adult programming, has come up with a clever answer to an experiential riddle marketers have faced for months: How do you throw a real-life event where people are safely alone, yet somehow together?

 
Technology and New Media
 

Netflix, Disney and Amazon’s Streaming Wars Heat Up Overseas

R.T. Watson, The Wall Street Journal 

Tech companies and Hollywood studios are increasingly looking to expand their streaming services abroad by spending more money on developing local content geared to the billions of potential overseas subscribers as the U.S. market becomes saturated.

 

Can social media creators make movies? This local startup is banking on it

Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times 

Popular social media creators are well-versed in popping a 15-second video on TikTok, but what if they were given the opportunity to make feature-length movies?

 

Hulu Orders a ‘How I Met Your Mother’ Spinoff Called ‘How I Met Your Father’

Jason Lynch, Adweek 

Seven years after CBS passed on a spinoff for “How I Met Your Mother” called “How I Met Your Dad,” the show has been resurrected at Hulu.

 

Researchers Uncover Advertising Scam Targeting Streaming-TV Apps

Patience Haggin and Jeff Horwitz, The Wall Street Journal
Fraudsters infected nearly one million mobile devices with software that mimicked streaming-TV apps and collected revenue from unsuspecting advertisers, according to cybersecurity company Human Security Inc., exposing vulnerabilities in a fast-growing corner of the digital ad market.

 

Apple Sets August Day-and-Date Release for Record-Breaking Sundance Winner ‘CODA’

Tyler Hersko, IndieWire 

“CODA” is coming to theaters and streaming this August, Apple announced today. The company picked up Siân Heder’s acclaimed family drama out of the Sundance Film Festival for a reported $25 million, the biggest purchase in the festival’s history.

 
Music
 

Music Festivals Are Back, But Their Covid Risks Are All on You

Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone 

In 2017, a stage diver landed on a man’s head at a punk music festival in New Jersey. That man, who experienced significant spinal damage, successfully sued the show’s organizer for $2 million.

 
Morning Consult