Showbiz Sandbox 205: Awards Season Commences With Stellar Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals
September 16, 2013
Four of the last five films to win Best Picture Oscars first appeared at the Telluride Film Festival before officially premiering the following week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Anne Thompson from Indiewire attended both festivals this year and fills us in on the big movies everyone will be talking about during the upcoming awards season.
This past week also saw the death of Ray Dolby, the audio pioneer who founded Dolby Laboratories to advance the art of motion picture sound. We debate whether the film industry is now discouraging future inventors from working in the space.
Meanwhile, revenue from digital movies and television shows continues to climb, up 24% this year alone. Unlike theatrical box office though, studios have remained tight lipped when it comes to providing actual sales figures, fearing actors and filmmakers will want a bigger cut.
Of course, we cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including the big winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, a racy Miley Cyrus video that racked up YouTube records and J.K. Rowling spins-off Harry Potter.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Telluride and Toronto Winners and Losers: Who Came Out Ahead?
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/telluride-and-toronto-wrap-who-came-out-ahead
Jeff Shell Moving to Universal Studios Job; Adam Fogelson Out
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jeff-shell-moving-universal-studios-624678
Disney Invites Kids to Bring iPads to Theaters for ‘The Little Mermaid’ Re-Release
http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/disney-invites-kids-to-bring-ipads-to-theaters-for-the-little-mermaid-re-release-1200608309/
Is The Motion Picture Industry Discouraging The Next Ray Dolby?
http://celluloidjunkie.com/2013/09/15/is-the-motion-picture-industry-discouraging-the-next-ray-dolby/
‘X Factor’ Premiere Shrinks, Loses Time Slot to ‘Big Brother’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-ratings-x-factor-premiere-628256
Warner Bros. Partners With J.K. Rowling on ‘Harry Potter’-Inspired Film Series
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-partners-jk-rowling-628244
Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’ Video: 19 Million Views In 1 Day
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-miley-cyrus-nude-wrecking-ball-video-views-vevo-20130910,0,1932459.story
‘Walking Dead’ Companion Series in the Works at AMC
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-companion-series-works-629848
American Novels Will Be Eligible for Britain’s Man Booker Prize Next Year
http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/american-novels-will-be-eligible-for-man-booker.html
Creative Arts Emmys: HBO’s ‘Behind the Candelabra’ Wins The Night
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/tv/la-et-st-creative-arts-emmys-hbos-behind-the-candelabra-wins-the-night-20130915,0,7488026.story
AMC Teases Out Mad Men Finale Over Two Years
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/amc-splits-mad-mens-final-630520
Netflix Stock Hits All-Time High
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/netflixs-stock-hits-all-time-625374
‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Delayed Beyond Summer 2015
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pirates-caribbean-5-delayed-beyond-625570
Morrow to Pub New, Authorized Agatha Christie Novel
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/58977-morrow-to-pub-new-authorized-agatha-christie-novel.html
Courtney Love Hit With Yet Another Defamation Lawsuit
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/courtney-love-hit-defamation-lawsuit-630423
China’s Dalian Wanda Group Gives $20 Million to Academy Museum
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinas-dalian-wanda-group-gives-630465
Hollywood Wants Numbers on the Digital Box Office
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/16/business/media/movie-industry-wants-to-get-a-handle-on-the-digital-box-office.html
Actors and writers and directors and other guilds allowed Hollywood to keep secret how much money they raked in on DVD sales and rentals. They’d be crazy to allow that again with digital downloads of movies and TV shows, which is already a $6 BILLION business this year! If they’re going to ever strike, I think clear accounting on $6 billion is a darn good reason to do it.