Showbiz Sandbox 505: The Marvel and Mao Effect: A Hollywood Exec Heads to China, Hijinks Ensue
August 11, 2020
In his 17 years as the President of DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group, Chris Fenton helped bring 20 Hollywood movies to China, facilitating co-productions, financing and distribution on blockbusters such as “Iron Man 3” and “Looper.” In his new book, “Feeding the Dragon,” the former William Morris agent details his time working in the entertainment industry and China. Fenton helps us read the tea leaves about the future for the relationship between the major studios and China.
Meanwhile, the entertainment industry is undergoing some seismic shifts. In a single week the Paramount Consent Decree was killed for good, television packaging is heading into the sunset and theatrical release windows for studio films just collapsed.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including an executive shakeup at NBC, Taylor Swift sets a new chart topping record with her new album and the Eurovision song contest is coming to the United States.
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Chris Fenton’s Website
https://feedingthedragonbook.com/
“Feeding the Dragon” by Chris Fenton
https://amzn.to/31CQh8I
Made In Hollywood Censored by Beijing
https://pen.org/report/made-in-hollywood-censored-by-beijing/
Hollywood ‘Kowtowing’ to China Takes Heat from Washington. But Why Now?
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-07-27/hollywoods-self-censorship-for-china-takes-the-spotlight-but-why-now
NBCUniversal Launches Probe Into “Schoolboy Bigotry” By NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy
https://deadline.com/2020/07/nbcuniversal-paul-telegdy-investigation-corporate-cuts-mark-lazarus-comcast-gabrielle-union-1202999588/
Tyler Perry Talks “Camp Quarantine” and Challenges of Filming Amid a Pandemic
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tyler-perry-talks-camp-quarantine-challenges-filming-a-pandemic-1304909
Judge Agrees to End Paramount Consent Decrees
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-agrees-end-paramount-consent-decrees-1306387
Facebook Sets Music Video Launch in U.S., Taking a Big Swing at YouTube
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/facebook-sets-music-video-launch-in-u-s-taking-on-youtube-1234721205/
Digital Revenue Exceeds Print for 1st Time for New York Times Company
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/business/media/nyt-earnings-q2.html
Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore‘ Sees the Biggest Debut of 2020, and It Isn’t Even Close
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-folklore-debut-charts-1037919/
Spotify Hits 299 Million Active Users in Q2, Says Listening Hours Bounced Back to ‘Pre-COVID Levels’
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/spotify-q2-users-299-million-coronavirus-1234719410/
Eurovision Sets Sail for U.S. Shores as ‘American Song Contest’
https://variety.com/2020/music/news/eurovision-song-contest-american-song-contest-1234726887/
Another Trump Legacy: Spreading Price Discrimination on the Internet
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/07/30/another-trump-legacy-spreading-price-discrimination-on-the-internet/
ICM Signs Deal With Writers Guild in Next Major Agency Breakthrough
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/icm-nears-deal-writers-guild-1303296
Universal, AMC Theatres Forge Historic Deal Allowing Theatrical Releases to Debut on Premium VOD Early
Universal, AMC Theatres Forge Historic Deal Allowing Theatrical Releases to Debut on Premium VOD Early
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell Says Studio’s Deal With AMC “Can Tap Into Very Large Audience” Who Doesn’t Frequent Movie Theaters
https://deadline.com/2020/07/universal-amc-theatrical-window-collapse-jeff-shell-comments-1202999394/
Wilford Brimley Dies: ‘Cocoon’, ‘The Natural’ Actor Was 85
https://deadline.com/2020/08/wilford-brimley-dead-cocoon-the-natural-actor-85-1203001716/
The Roots Rapper Malik B. Dead at 47
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-roots-rapper-malik-b-dead-obit-1035827/
Alan Parker Dies: Towering UK Director Of ‘Midnight Express’ ‘Mississippi Burning’ & ‘Fame’ Was 76
https://deadline.com/2020/07/alan-parker-dies-director-of-bugsy-malone-midnight-express-evita-was-76-1203000762/
Pete Hamill Dies: Acclaimed New York Tabloid Journalist Was 85
https://deadline.com/2020/08/pete-hamill-dead-new-york-journalist-tabloid-columnist-post-daily-news-obituary-1203004594/
Tom Pollock, Former Universal Motion Picture Group Chairman, Dies at 77
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-pollock-dead-universal-motion-picture-group-chairman-was-77-1305552
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