Showbiz Sandbox 422: Hollywood Ponders Second Chances In #MeToo Era
September 4, 2018
Nearly a year after Hollywood was rocked by a wave of sexual misconduct allegations some of those who have been accused of, and in some cases admitted to, transgressions are looking to make a comeback. This is forcing the industry to figure out if and when certain entertainers and executives deserve a second chance. There are no rules about how to handle #MeToo redemption.
Take the case of comedian Louis C.K. whose career imploded after admitting to years of sexual misconduct last November. When he turned up for an unannounced 15-minute set at the Comedy Cellar in New York last week, the response to his first public appearance was a standing ovation from those in attendance, but protest from others who think it’s too soon for C.K. to be making a return.
Meanwhile, after one of the worst summer box office seasons in over a decade in 2017, this summer’s receipts saw an uptick in North America of 14%. China too has seen its box office increase 16% since the beginning of the year. Unfortunately for Hollywood imports actually dropped by 18%.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Johnny Depp’s lawsuit against his former lawyer could end the practice of oral contracts throughout the industry, Lana Del Rey pulls out of a concert in Israel and the emergence of 8K televisions.
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Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers Were Stolen 13 Years Ago. Now They’ve Been Found.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/04/us/dorothys-ruby-slippers-stolen.html
comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of September 2, 2018
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-september-2-2018-300705786.html
Box Office: Summer Revenue Booms While Attendance Still Lags
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-summer-revenue-booms-attendance-still-lags-1137904
Streaming Never Squashed Moviegoing As Summer 2018 Box Office Sets Near Domestic Record Of $4.8 Billion
https://deadline.com/2018/09/avengers-infinity-war-star-wars-marvel-summer-box-office-2018-lessons-learned-1202454990/
China Box Office Leaps by $1 Billion Despite Mixed Summer
https://variety.com/2018/film/asia/china-box-office-leaps-1-billion-despite-mixed-summer-1202925585/
Blockbuster Drama About Scheming Concubines Heralds Growth of Chinese Cultural Influence Abroad
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/25/blockbuster-drama-scheming-concubines-heralds-growth-chinese/
MoviePass Board Member Resigns, Claiming Financial Information Was Withheld
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/moviepass-resigns-1202921674/
The Fearless Benjamin Lay by Marcus Rediker
http://bookfilter.com/2018/08/30/the-fearless-benjamin-lay-2/
Parneros Sues B&N for Defamation of Character
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/77866-parneros-sues-b-n-for-defamation-of-character.html
Venice Fest Signs Historic Charter for Gender Parity and Inclusion
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-film-festival-signs-historic-charter-gender-parity-inclusion-1138890
Gerard Depardieu Accused of Sexual Assault (Report)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gerard-depardieu-accused-sexual-assault-1138559
YouTube Download Sites Are Biggest Piracy Threat to Music Industry
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/youtube-mp3-converter-download-piracy-a8505131.html
Hello, 8K Displays: TV’s Next Must-Have feature Isn’t Really a Must-Have
https://www.cnet.com/news/hello-8k-displays-tvs-next-must-have-feature-isnt-really-a-must-have-samsung-lg-ifa/
Johnny Depp Scores Big Win in Lawsuit Against Ex-Lawyer Jake Bloom
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/johnny-depp-scores-big-win-lawsuit-lawyer-jake-bloom-1137977
Global Road on Verge of Bankruptcy Filing
https://variety.com/2018/film/news/global-road-bankruptcy-soon-1202923956/
Lana Del Rey Pulls Out of Israeli Festival After Backlash
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/31/lana-del-rey-pulls-out-of-israeli-festival-after-backlash
The Village Voice, a New York Icon, Closes
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/business/media/the-village-voice-closes.html
Spotify Is Done Fighting Apple Music — and Ready to Take on Apple
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/spotify-is-done-fighting-apple-music-and-ready-to-take-on-apple-709484/
Chanel Shoes, But No Salary: How One woman Exposed the Scandal of the French Fashion Industry
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/sep/02/academic-exposing-ugly-reality-high-fashion-giulia-mensitieri
Coming Back From #MeToo Exile: A Guide
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/hollywood-sexual-misconduct-metoo-exile-guide-weinstein-kevin-spacey-louis-ck-718651/
New Yorker Festival Drops Steve Bannon From Speaker Lineup Amid Backlash
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-yorker-festival-draws-ire-including-steve-bannon-speaker-lineup-1139355
Louis C.K. Returns to Stand-Up with Surprise New York Performance
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/louis-ck-returns-stand-up-surprise-new-york-performance-1137917
Comedy Cellar Owner on Louis C.K.’s Surprise Performance: “I Don’t Know What the Standard Is”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/comedy-cellar-owner-discusses-surprise-louis-ck-performance-1138109
Louis C.K. Has Clearly Learned Nothing — and I’m Done (Guest Column)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/louis-ck-has-clearly-learned-nothing-im-done-guest-column-1138704
R.I.P. Marie Severin, Frequently Unsung Marvel Comics Legend
https://news.avclub.com/r-i-p-marie-severin-frequently-unsung-marvel-comics-l-1828729298
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