Showbiz Sandbox 654: CinemaCon Promotes A Bright Future for Movie Theatres
April 16, 2024 · Leave a Comment
CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema operators in Las Vegas, was filled with anxiety this year thanks to a lack of wide releases due to the recent labor strikes. However, most Hollywood studios showed up with a few movie stars to hawk an increasing number of big titles due later in the year and into 2025. As well, technology companies introduced some exciting new advances in projection and image quality. In all, the conference pointed toward better days ahead for movie theaters.
In even better news, it looks as if the many behind-the-scenes craft people who work on films and television shows may not go on strike like the writers and actors did last year. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) appears to be having very positive negotiations with Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers on a new contract.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Disney won its shareholder battle, the winners of this year’s Writers Guild Awards and CBS whips up a new streaming news service.
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Showbiz Sandbox 653: Godzilla and Kong, Once Again, Prove Movie Theaters Aren’t Dead
April 2, 2024 · Leave a Comment
The monstrous global box office opening of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” may have been a surprise to film critics or anyone paying attention to industry tracking in advance of its release, but it surely proves that if you put movies in movie theaters, audiences will show up. Especially if those theaters offer premium […]
Showbiz Sandbox 652: Comscore, Nielsen and the Battle Over TV Ratings
March 26, 2024 · Leave a Comment
The way audiences watch television has changed radically over the past ten years, bet it when, where or how. Nielsen, long the king of TV ratings, is facing competition from upstarts like Comscore. With viewership on mobile and over-the-top devices not always being measured, advertisers are beginning to include social media awareness into account when […]
Showbiz Sandbox 651: The Next Hit Song May Be Written and Performed by AI
March 18, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 651: The Next Hit Song May Be Written and Performed by AI
In what Rolling Stone magazine has dubbed ChatGPT for music, a new service called Suno is trying to democratic music by using artificial intelligence to allow anyone to create a hit song. With no need to learn how to play an instrument or sing, the latest advances in generative AI are creating tunes with a […]
Showbiz Sandbox 650: “Oppenheimer” Gives Christopher Nolan His Oscar Moment
March 12, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 650: “Oppenheimer” Gives Christopher Nolan His Oscar Moment
As expected, “Oppenheimer” dominated the 96th Academy Awards winning seven categories including Best Actor, Best Picture and, for Christopher Nolan, Best Director. “Barbie” only picked up a single trophy for Best Original Song. Anne Thompson, Indiewire’s Editor-at-Large attended this year’s Oscar ceremony and joins us to describe what it was like to be in the […]
Showbiz Sandbox 649: Hollywood’s Superhero Movie Problem
February 27, 2024 · Comments Off on Showbiz Sandbox 649: Hollywood’s Superhero Movie Problem
The superhero movie is facing its biggest enemy yet – audience indifference. “Madame Web” is just the latest superhero flick to open to poor reviews and/or bad box office. Entertainment journalist Geoff Boucher, who has covered the comic book world for over two decades and is a bigwig at ComicCon, discusses the declining popularity of […]
About Showbiz Sandbox
Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz's humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast includes commentary, renown industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business.
Send us news stories to cover at dirt@showbizsandbox.com or call us at 1-888-567-SAND (7263)
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Meet The Showbiz Sandbox Hosts
J. Sperling Reich has nearly 20 years of experience working in the entertainment industry. Besides covering show business as a journalist for numerous media outlets, Sperling is a highly regarded industry expert in cinema technology and new media. He works with some of the industry's leading motion picture exhibitors, studios and equipment manufacturers. [Read The Full Bio]
Karen Woodward is the ultimate Hollywood multi-hyphenate. After starting her career 15 years ago in the trenches of the William Morris Agency she has since worked in talent management, film-television production, promotions and advertising. Armed with a Master's Degree in Media Studies Karen presently helps dozens of today's top stars connect with their audience as one of the entertainment industry's leading social media consultants. [Read The Full Bio]
Michael Giltz is an award-winning freelance entertainment writer based in New York City. He covers all areas of the industry including movies, music, books, theater, TV and DVDs. Michael regularly contributes to the Huffington Post and the New York Daily News among many other international media outlets. [Read The Full Bio]