Showbiz Sandbox 364: Hollywood Averts Another Writer’s Strike With Last Minute Deal

Though it came down to the wire and took an all-night negotiating session, Hollywood avoided another costly writer’s strike earlier this week. The Writers Guild of America, which represents upwards of 12,000 movie and television writers, came to a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of Hollywood studios and networks. The three year contract reportedly resolves several issues including the WGA health plan, how long a writer can be held by a television series as well as parity for online and cable residuals.

In other breaking news, the nominations for this year’s Tony Awards were announced, but it is anyone’s guess which of the four productions up for Best Musical will come out on top. The same is true of the four plays, each of which is by an American playwright making their Broadway debut. The only sure thing is that Bette Midler will win the Best Leading Actress in a Musical Award for “Hello Dolly!”

Meanwhile, after a 15 year decline in which global recorded music lost 40% of its value, the music industry is showing signs of life. You can thank streaming. For the second year in a row, music sales worldwide have increased – that includes physical product, digital and income from streaming.

Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including more layoffs at ESPN, “Saturday Night Live” heads to China (sort of) and Ryan Seacrest gets a new television gig.

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Fyre Festival Head Billy McFarland: ‘We Were a Little Naive’
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/fyre-fest-head-billy-mcfarland-we-were-a-little-naive-w479502

Shake-up at the MPAA. Hollywood’s Chief Lobbyist, Chris Dodd, To Be Replaced by Charles Rivkin
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-dodd-mpaa-exit-20170428-story.html

Why Chris Dodd Stepping Down From MPAA Should Not Have Come as a Surprise
https://celluloidjunkie.com/2017/05/04/as-head-of-mpaa-chris-dodd-stumbled-upon-another-job-filled-with-difficult-politics/

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of April 30, 2017
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-april-30-2017-300448493.html

India’s ‘Baahubali 2’ Takes Third Place at Global Box Office With $81 Million Debut
https://variety.com/2017/film/asia/india-baahubali-2-third-place-at-global-box-office-81-million-debut-1202404515/

‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Gets Release Date
https://variety.com/2017/film/news/star-wars-episode-ix-release-date-may-2019-1202395171/

Hollywood Lifts China 2017 Box Office Back to Growth
https://variety.com/2017/film/asia/hollywood-lifts-china-four-month-box-office-1202404454/

Global Music Report Shows Biggest Annual Growth in 20 Years — But YouTube Remains a Huge Threat
https://variety.com/2017/music/news/music-business-biggest-growth-20-years-youtube-1202394657/

Tony Awards 2017: The Full List of Nominations
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/02/theater/tony-awards-nominations-list.html?_r=0

Thirteen Musicals Duke It Out for Tony Nominations in Historically Competitive Year
http://www.broadway.com/buzz/188396/showtune-showdown-thirteen-musicals-duke-it-out-for-tony-nominations-in-historically-competitive-year/

Netflix Hackers Could Have Three Dozen Additional TV Shows, Films From Other Networks and Studios
https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-hackers-additional-shows-movies-1202404171/

Netflix Stock Up Despite ‘Orange Is the New Black’ Leak; Hackers Threaten Further Action
https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/oitnb-hack-netflix-stock-new-threats-1202404654/

Hacker Leaks Episodes From Netflix Show and Threatens Other Networks
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/29/business/media/netflix-hack-orange-is-the-new-black.html

Fox News Anchor Kelly Wright: ‘Indefensible and Inexcusable’ Institutional Racism at Network
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/fox-news-anchor-kelly-wright-institutional-racism-1202399145/

New Fox News Lawsuit Claims Host Was Taken Off Air Over Endometriosis Story
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/new-fox-news-lawsuit-claims-host-was-taken-air-endometriosis-story-998911

Fox News Co-President Bill Shine Out, Suzanne Scott to Head Programming
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/fox-news-bill-shine-out-co-president-1202404927/

Tucker Carlson Is Shopping Around A Book
https://www.buzzfeed.com/stevenperlberg/tucker-carlson-is-shopping-around-a-book

Cate Blanchett to Star in Ivo van Hove-Helmed All About Eve on the West End
http://www.playbill.com/article/cate-blanchett-to-star-in-ivo-van-hove-helmed-all-about-eve-on-the-west-end

Layoffs Hit ESPN On-Air Talent as 100 Staffers Lose Jobs
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/layoffs-hit-espn-as-network-sheds-air-talent-997616

ESPN Layoffs: The Struggling Industry Giant Sheds On-Air Talent
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/sports/espn-layoffs.html

The Daytime Emmy Awards: And the Winners Were…
http://programminginsider.com/network/daytime-emmy-awards-winners/

ABC’s ‘Gong Show’ Reboot Taps One Very Interesting Host
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-gong-show-reboot-taps-one-very-interesting-host-998339

Dr. Luke Split From Sony? Not So Fast: Production Deals Still in Effect
https://variety.com/2017/music/news/sony-music-producer-dr-luke-1202395411/

Dr. Luke Is No Longer the CEO of Sony’s Kemosabe Records Amid Kesha War
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/sony-cuts-ties-controversial-pop-music-producer-dr-luke-997270

Alibaba’s Youku to Produce Chinese Version of ‘Saturday Night Live’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/alibabas-youku-produce-chinese-version-saturday-night-live-997607

Netflix Cracks China Market With iQiyi Deal
https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2017042647004/netflix-cracks-china-market-with-iqiyi-deal.html

‘Roseanne’ Revival in the Works
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/roseanne-revival-works-998493

‘The Last Ship’ on Production Hiatus as Eric Dane Battles Depression
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/eric-dane-depression-the-last-ship-tnt-production-shut-down-1202404201/

Ryan Seacrest Tapped as Kelly Ripa’s Permanent Co-Host on ‘Live’
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/ryan-seacrest-kelly-ripa-co-host-live-with-kelly-and-ryan-1202404490/

Megyn Kelly to Square Off Against Kelly Ripa in the Fall
https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/megyn-kelly-morning-news-kelly-ripa-ryan-seacrest-1202404971/

Studios, Writers Guild Avert Strike With Last-Minute Deal
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/studios-writers-guild-avert-strike-last-minute-deal-999492

Hollywood Writers and Studios, Scrambling to Avert Strike, Reach Last-Minute Deal
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/01/business/media/writers-strike.html

Jonathan Demme, ‘Silence of the Lambs’ Director, Dies at 73
https://variety.com/2017/film/news/jonathan-demme-dead-silence-of-the-lambs-1202399122/

20 Most Essential Jonathan Demme Movies
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/20-essential-jonathan-demme-movies-w478956

This Lawsuit Goes to 11
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-20/this-is-spinal-tap-s-400-million-lawsuit