Showbiz Sandbox 404: Faith-Based Films Are Competing For the Choir’s Attention

March 19, 2018

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It used to be that to promote a faith-based film release, especially one geared toward Christian audiences, all a distributor had to do was screen the film for church groups or pastors, and maybe create some study material. But once studios saw there was money in faith-based movies, they began making more of them. As Ryan Faughnder, a film business reporter for the Los Angeles Times, explains, promoting such titles in a crowded market has become a lot more difficult.

In China, regulators are cracking down on marketing agencies that use hundreds or thousands of fake accounts to promote (or bash) products, movies, personalities… almost anything really. Known as the “internet water army” or “cyber navy,” they have made it hard to gauge the public’s true sentiment about a movie, actor, etc. via social media.

MoviePass meanwhile continues to make headlines, though this time it’s for something they’re not doing. Despite claiming two weeks ago that their mobile app tracks subscriber’s every move, it turns out MoviePass doesn’t really do that and the company had to apologize

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including why YouTube is teaming up with Wikipedia, IHeatMedia files for bankruptcy and Netflix looks to get into the news game.

No Longer a Novelty, the Faith-Based Film Business is Trying New Ways to Attract Audiences
http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-christian-films-i-can-only-imagine-20180314-story.html

Cynthia Nixon Enters Race for New York Governor
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/nyregion/cynthia-nixon-new-york-governor-cuomo.html

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of March 18, 2018
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-march-18-2018-300615676.html

Guns for Hire: China’s Social Media Militia Engage on Command
http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1001904/guns-for-hire-chinas-social-media-militia-engage-on-command

China to Put Media Under Cabinet-Level Control, Abolish SAPPRFT
http://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-media-under-cabinet-level-control-abolish-sapprft-1202725104/#article-comments

China Falls in Love With Bollywood All Over Again
https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-03-09/china-falls-in-love-with-bollywood-all-over-again-101219236.html

MoviePass Clarifies How It Does, and Does Not, Track User Location
https://celluloidjunkie.com/2018/03/12/moviepass-clarifies-how-it-does-and-does-not-track-user-location/

Tomorrow by Damian Dibben – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2017/10/10/tomorrow/

Patriot Number One by Lauren Hilgers – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2018/02/08/patriot-number-one/

January Bookstore Sales Fell 9.1%
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/76317-january-bookstore-sales-fell-9-1.html

James Levine’s Final Act at the Met Ends in Disgrace
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/arts/music/james-levine-metropolitan-opera.html

James Levine, Fired Over Abuse Allegations, Sues the Met Opera
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/15/arts/music/metropolitan-opera-james-levine.html

Academy President John Bailey Under Investigation for Sexual Harassment
http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/john-bailey-sexual-harassment-academy-president-1202728864/

Claire Foy, Queen on ‘The Crown,’ Was Paid Less Than Her Onscreen Husband
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/arts/television/netflix-the-crown.html

‘The Crown’: Petition Urges Star Matt Smith to Donate Pay Disparity to Time’s Up
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/crown-petition-urges-star-matt-smith-donate-pay-disparity-times-up-1095396

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck Production Company to Adopt Inclusion Rider
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/matt-damon-ben-affleck-production-company-adopt-inclusion-rider-1094105

SXSW: YouTube CEO Enlists Wikipedia to Curb Fake News Videos
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sxsw-youtube-ceo-enlists-wikipedia-curb-fake-news-videos-1094314

Actors’ Equity Speaks Out Against ‘Rocktopia’ Over Pay for Chorus Members
https://broadway.news/2018/03/06/actors-equity-speaks-rocktopia-pay-chorus-members/

iHeartMedia Files for Bankruptcy
http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/iheartmedia-chapter-11-bankruptcy-1202715566/

Harper Lee Estate Sues Over Broadway Version of To Kill a Mockingbird
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/15/harper-lee-estate-sues-over-broadway-version-of-to-kill-a-mockingbird

Netflix is Reportedly Working on a News Show to Rival ’60 Minutes’
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/netflix-is-reportedly-working-on-a-news-show-to-rival-60-minutes.html

Veteran Cirque Du Soleil Performer Dies After Fall During Tampa Show
http://deadline.com/2018/03/veteran-cirque-du-soleil-performer-dies-in-fall-during-tampa-show-1202342319/

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