General
CAA to Undergo Significant Layoffs Amid Pandemic
Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter
Since Hollywood’s film and TV shutdown in mid-March, the industry’s representation business has taken a financial hit. On Tuesday, CAA became the latest major agency to disclose plans for layoffs and furloughs amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Weinstein Co. Estate Scrambles to Salvage Global Settlement
Gene Maddaus, Variety
The Weinstein Co. bankruptcy estate is scrambling to salvage a $46.8 million global settlement that was rejected by a federal judge two weeks ago. The estate informed a Delaware bankruptcy judge on Tuesday that the estate is working “feverishly” to arrange a deal with dozens of women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Lorde, Mick Jagger and More Sign Open Letter Demanding Clearance for Campaign Songs
Claire Shaffer, Rolling Stone
Dozens of high-profile musicians in pop, rock and hip-hop have partnered with the Artist Rights Alliance in an open letter demanding that politicians get clearance on the music they play at campaign rallies and other public events.
The Challenges of Being Disabled in Hollywood
Ari Saperstein, The Wall Street Journal
Kurt Yaeger is one of the busiest working actors who is also an amputee. Known for his role in the popular series Sons of Anarchy, last year, he appeared in four TV shows, including NCIS: New Orleans.
Taylor Swift Changes Her Merchandise’s Label to ‘Folklore’ Album From ‘The Folklore’
Lisa Lockwood, WWD
Amira Rasool, owner of The Folklore, an online platform for African apparel and accessories, got some swift response to her complaint that Taylor Swift was offering merchandise bearing “The Folklore” label accompanying her new album, “Folklore,” which Rasool claimed was causing confusion in the marketplace.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer Earned $11 Million In Fiscal 2020, Up 67% From Year Earlier
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline Hollywood
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer’s total compensation for fiscal 2020 came in at $11.074 million, up sharply from $6.6 million the year before as his bonus nearly doubled and he received $1.5 million in stock awards, versus none the previous year.
Film
Six Movie Business Questions After Universal and AMC’s Historic Deal
Brent Lang et al., Variety
The theatrical window has been shattered, and it’s a pretty good bet that it will never be patched back together. That means that the movie business will never look the same.
‘Tenet’ Could Lose Money But Still Be Vital for Hollywood
Jeremy Fuster, The Wrap Pro
After multiple setbacks, Warner Bros. is trying an unprecedented overseas-first strategy to release Christopher Nolan’s $200 million thriller Tenet” during a global pandemic that could be valuable to the film industry even if the box office returns are lackluster. But first, it has to actually get to theaters…and that’s no guarantee.
Lionsgate And BuzzFeed Launch Motion Picture Partnership
Justin Kroll, Deadline Hollywood
Lionsgate and BuzzFeed are partnering on a new venture to develop, produce and distribute a multi-picture slate of socially relevant and high-concept feature films for global millennial and Gen Z audiences. As part of the partnership, Lionsgate will greenlight full-length feature films to be produced with BuzzFeed, each with unique, primarily digital, distribution strategies.
After Movie Theaters’ Summer Revival Plans Fizzle, Hollywood Asks, What Now?
Brent Lang at al., Variety
Showplace Cinemas in Evansville, Ind., opened its doors for the first time in two months on June 14. But just two weeks later, the movie theater was forced to turn off its marquee again.
Horror, disaster, and sports: Exclusive data reveals what movies audiences have watched during the pandemic
Travis Clark, Business Insider
With movie theaters closed since March and major movie releases delayed, audiences have had to rely more on streaming and video-on-demand platforms. The digital movie app Movies Anywhere noticed a shift in user behavior that is evident in data it tracked from March to May this year, after coronavirus-related safety guidelines were introduced.
Imax Beats Wall Street Q2 Profit Forecast, But Revenue Slips Below $9M; Comeback Is Under Way, Company Insists
Dade Hayes, Deadline Hollywood
Imax Corp. beat Wall Street analysts’ consensus forecast for a loss of 52 cents a share, but fell short of revenue expectations in a second quarter dominated by COVID-19. The company reported an adjusted net loss of 44 cents a share in the period ending June 30, compared with earnings of 32 cents in the prior-year quarter.
Television
Emmy Diversity: Nonwhite Performers Score a Record 41% of Acting Nominations This Year
Reid Nakamura, The Wrap Pro
The Television Academy set new records on Tuesday by recognizing nonwhite performers in greater numbers than it has in the past. Among all acting categories, including voice-over and short form series, the 2020 tally stands at 49 nominations for nonwhite performers out of 118 in total, or 41.5%.
‘Wheel Of Fortune’ & ‘Jeopardy!’ Head Back To The Studio With Redesigned Wheel & Podium
Peter White, Deadline Hollywood
Two of America’s longest-running game shows, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are heading back to the studio. Both shows were hit by the COVID-19 production shutdown, but Deadline understands that both syndicated shows, which come from Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Distribution, are set to start filming this week and next.
NBC Doesn’t Want Sports To Be Overshadowed By Streaming Services
Jeanine Poggi, Ad Age
It would seem, given the pent-up demand for live sports amid pandemic lockdowns, NBCUniversal wouldn’t need to convince advertisers just how desperate viewers are for the return of their favorite leagues. But the peacock is going out to the marketplace with new data from a deprivation study it conducted during COVID-19 to show just how irreplaceable live sports are, in case some brands were looking to try to find viewers elsewhere.
Technology and New Media
NBCUniversal Built Peacock With a Viewer-First Mentality
Kathryn Lundstrom, Adweek
With the launch of Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming platform, the network set out to completely rethink how and when ads are shown to viewers. That—in addition to competitive content and a free, ad-supported option—is how the brand is looking to differentiate itself from an increasingly crowded streaming field.
Quibi’s recipe for winning an Emmy without really trying
Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge
Television’s most important award might be going to its least important streaming service: Quibi. The service was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards, of which it’s almost certain to win at least one.
Quibi Patent Suit Moves Forward, as Judge Drops Three Claims
Gene Maddaus, Variety
A judge on Tuesday allowed Eko to proceed with its patent infringement lawsuit against Quibi, though she dismissed three of Eko’s nine claims against the streaming startup.
TV networks begin to signal willingness to prioritize streaming over linear
Tim Peterson, Digiday
A former TV industry executive described TV networks’ transition to streaming as “a move between mountains.” The legacy TV business has been in a downhill slide, while the streaming business is ascendant.
Here Are the Ad Formats Brands Are Getting from Peacock
Kathryn Lundstrom, Adweek
With the launch of Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming platform, the network set out to completely rethink how and when ads are shown to viewers. That—in addition to competitive content and a free, ad-supported option—is how the brand is looking to differentiate itself from an increasingly crowded streaming field.
There’s So Much Music on Spotify, Artists Are Paying for You to (Hopefully) Find Them
Elias Leight, Rolling Stone
Jvanz is a 20 year-old aspiring artist from St. Catherines, Ontario with a flexible voice and a lancing falsetto. He released his first EP in 2019, but like thousands of artists who upload their music to Spotify daily, no one cared.
Snap, NRG Study: Gen Z, Millennials Gravitate Toward Short-Form Premium Video Content
David Cohen, Adweek
Noting that the number of global video viewers is projected to reach 2.72 billion in 2023, Snap Inc. commissioned a study from National Research Group to learn how Generation Z and millennials engage with video content and what to expect from the next era of mobile-first experiences.
ByteDance investors value TikTok at $50 billion in takeover bid
Echo Wang et al., Reuters
Some investors of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance seeking to take over the popular social media app are valuing it at about $50 billion, significantly more than peers such as Snap Inc., according to people familiar with the matter.
Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
The Emmys Had a Chance to Do Something Interesting. Instead, They Played It Safe.
Alison Herman, The Ringer
The nominations for this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards cover a narrow, specific stretch in American television’s 70-plus-year history. On one side lies the inescapable dominance of Game of Thrones, the second-most-decorated program in Emmys history after Saturday Night Live; even its much-maligned final season earned the fantasy epic a dozen awards, including Outstanding Drama Series.
Hollywood Is Finally Admitting That the U.S. Is a Lost Cause
David Sims, The Atlantic
Finally, there’s some good news for Hollywood: Yesterday, Warner Bros. announced that Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated action thriller, Tenet, will debut next month following multiple delays. As the pandemic has shut down cinemas across the globe, Tenet has been widely regarded as the film that could revive a depressed theater industry, and now it has its chance.
Why the Emmy nominations surprise ‘The Mandalorian’ is a win for Baby Yoda (and Disney+)
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times
Just because Baby Yoda can’t qualify for an acting award doesn’t mean his excellence wasn’t recognized by the Television Academy. “The Mandalorian” is among the shows nominated for the drama series Emmy.
What Black Voice Actors Want Hollywood to Do Next
Nadja Sayej, Vulture
“Hello, gentlemen! Would you like to be in my club that relives the American 20th century?”
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