• “Emancipation,” an upcoming film starring Will Smith and directed by Antoine Fuqua, will no longer film in Georgia due to the state’s “regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access,” according to a joint statement from Smith and Fuqua’s companies. A new filming location has not been announced. (The Wall Street Journal) 
• Fifteen former Academy Award winners and nominees, including Halle Berry, Bryan Cranston, Bong Joon Ho and Joaquin Phoenix, are among the first round of presenters announced for this year’s Academy Awards. Additional presenters for the April 25 ceremony will be announced later. (Variety)
• Seventeen Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas locations will not reopen following the pandemic, according to a statement from Pacific Theatres, which said there was no “viable way forward” after exhausting “all potential options.” Landlords for some Pacific and ArcLight locations may be able to find new tenants, though it is uncertain if major chains such as AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., Cineworld Group PLC’s Regal Cinemas and Cinemark Holdings Inc. would be interested in leasing new space. (Los Angeles Times)

Podcasting Plots to Retain New Listeners Post-Pandemic by Embracing Niche Topics, New Promotional Strategies
Morning Consult

NYC Times Square Covid Vaccination Site Opens To Theater, Film & TV Workers

Greg Evans, Deadline Hollywood 

The Times Square coronavirus vaccination site serving the Broadway theater industry opened today with an open invitation to the city’s film and television workers as well.

Every Celebrity Has an Alcohol Brand—but What Spells Success?

Kathryn Lundstrom, Adweek 

George Clooney co-founded Casamigos tequila in 2013. Four years later, the trio of founders cashed in on its success in a big way by selling the company to alcohol conglomerate Diageo for $1 billion.

Weinstein Faces L.A. Sex Crimes Indictment, Asks Delay in Travel

Patricia Hurtado, Bloomberg 

A lawyer for Harvey Weinstein told a New York state judge that a newly filed sexual assault indictment in Los Angeles County includes the same charges brought in a criminal complaint there earlier and argued that his client needs medical attention before being extradited to L.A.

Theater Unions Condemn Workplace Harassment, Bullying And “Violent” Behavior In Wake Of Scott Rudin Allegations

Greg Evans, Deadline Hollywood

Leaders of SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity Association and American Federation of Musicians Local 802 are condemning harassment, bullying and toxic environments and pledging “to hold accountable those who violate human and legal norms of fair, respectful and dignified conduct in the workplace.”

JoJo Siwa became more famous after coming out, Insider data shows

Palmer Haasch, Insider 

JoJo Siwa, the 17-year old Nickelodeon-signed pop star and influencer, has been an icon both onstage and online for years. Now, Insider poll data shows she’s become even more of a household name after she came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in late January.

As Most Studios Sit Out the Pandemic, Some Indies Are Scoring Surprise Box Office Hits

Jeremy Fuster, The Wrap Pro 

There was a point when screenwriters Chris Charles and Danny Kravitz didn’t know if their film, the Liam Neeson thriller “The Marksman,” was even going to hit theaters after it wrapped production in the fall of 2019.

Movie Theater Analysts See Strong Box Office Rebound In 2022, Uptick In 2023 As Consumer Poll Shows Covid-19 Concerns Dissipating

Dade Hayes, Deadline Hollywood 

After another solid weekend at the box office, several Wall Street analysts have issued upbeat outlooks on the exhibition sector, calling for a robust moviegoing rebound from Covid-19 in 2022.

Smartmatic says disinformation on Fox News about the election was ‘no accident.’

Jonah E. Bromwich, The New York Times 

The election technology company Smartmatic pushed back on Monday against Fox News’s argument that it had covered the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election responsibly, stating that Fox anchors had played along as guests pushed election-related conspiracy theories.

ESPN Readies NBA Basketball ‘BetCast’ for Fans of Sports Wagering

Brian Steinberg, Variety 

As more states start to allow residents to take part in sports wagering, ESPN has come up with a game presentation just for them. Executives call it the “BetCast.”

‘The Talk’ returns with Sheryl Underwood remarks and an episode on race

Lisa Respers France, CNN

“The Talk” returned Monday by jumping right into a conversation about race.

‘Young Sheldon’ Set For Broadcast Off-Network Syndication This Fall, Clearing 90% of the Country

Michael Schneider, Variety 

“Young Sheldon” is set to launch in off-network broadcast syndication this fall, WarnerMedia confirmed on Monday. The comedy, which has already entered cable syndication, will be seen in major markets via the Nexstar station group and has been cleared in more than 90% of the country.

NBCUniversal and Capital One Partner for College Bowl Reboot

Kelsey Sutton, Adweek 

Thanks to a major partnership with Capital One, NBC’s revival of the College Bowl academic competition series is coming to the network this summer.

‘The Nevers’ Debuts to Best Ratings for Original Series on HBO Max With 1.4 Million Viewers

Tim Baysinger, The Wrap 

HBO’s newest series “The Nevers” drew 1.4 million viewers across all platforms, including HBO Max, on Sunday night. That matched the overall premiere viewership for last summer’s HBO series “Lovecraft Country.”

Google will shut down Play Movies & TV app on Roku and LG, Samsung, Vizio TVs in June

Ben Schoon, 9To5Google

After announcing Google TV last year, its predecessor had an unspoken expiration date. This week, Google has confirmed that it will kill off the Play Movies & TV app on several platforms in the near future.

Gaming Platforms Move Beyond Games Into Selling Virtual Goods in the Metaverse

Patrick Kulp, Adweek 

As the pandemic accelerates the decline of physical shopping malls across America, a new form of virtual space is emerging to provide a futuristic version of the commercial and social experience these institutions once offered young people.

Three reasons why Epic Games can give away $17.5 billion worth of games for free

Jay Peters and Sean Hollister, The Verge 

The Epic Games Store gives away free games every week — often good ones — and yet the company has never explained how it’s managed to dole out 749 million copies without going bankrupt. Until now.

Hip-Hop Loves Cash App, and That Might Be Why Jack Dorsey Bought Tidal

Grant Rindner, GQ

For the rapper Guapdad 4000, Cash App isn’t just a useful tool to share money or another passing fad in hip-hop. It’s a literal part of his creative process.

GameStop initiates search for new CEO

Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Reuters

GameStop Corp is looking for a new chief executive to replace George Sherman as it pivots from being a brick-and-mortar video game retailer to an e-commerce firm, three people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Justin Bieber Reclaims No. 1, With Demi Lovato Close Behind

Ben Sisario, The New York Times 

Justin Bieber’s new album, “Justice,” has returned to No. 1 for a second time, beating out Demi Lovato’s latest in a tight race for the top.

AEG Hosting Summer Concerts in Wyoming With Fewer Pandemic Restrictions

Dylan Owens, Billboard 

As live music looks to mount a post-pandemic comeback, AEG Presents has announced it will book a new outdoor music venue this spring.

BTS song ‘Dynamite’ achieves rare feat of surpassing 1 billion YouTube views

Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times 

BTS’ “Dynamite” is lighting up YouTube like, well, dynamite. On Monday morning, the music video for the South Korean supergroup’s hit single surpassed 1 billion views — a rare feat achieved by only a handful of musicians and content creators on the platform.