Showbiz Sandbox 535: Theatrical Release Windows Get A Little Clearer
March 30, 2021
With North American movie theaters starting to reopen with limited capacity and European cinemas set to follow in the months ahead what new theatrical releases will be available to them, and for how long, is becoming more apparent. Studios are not only deciding when they are going to release their blockbusters, but more importantly whether they will launch them simultaneously on streaming platforms. In the process they are reaching agreements with cinema operators over the future of theatrical release windows.
Meanwhile, what counts as this year’s awards season continues to chug along with the Producers Guild handing out their awards. Though many of the same movies keep taking home the big prizes with each new ceremony, it’s always important to remember that this doesn’t mean they are guaranteed Oscar trophies.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the list of this year’s new entries to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, Warner Bros. Music heads to China and who is guest hosting the television game show Jeopardy in the absence of the late Alex Trebek.
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Showbiz Sandbox 534: Do All The Streaming Numbers Add Up?
March 23, 2021
With world-wide subscriptions surpassing 1 billion last year, every movie studio and every television network is pouring money into streaming video services. They’re hoping to make more money with subscribers than the untold billions they’ve been raking in for decades at the box office, through advertising, in syndication or sales of Blu-Rays. And while these services are quick to tell us how many subscribers they have, it’s anyone’s guess as to how many people are actually tuning in to their programming.
Theatrical box office is another statistic that has gotten harder to track during the pandemic with many distributors delaying the reporting of grosses. Even so, the Motion Picture Association added up all the numbers for 2020 and reported that global box office was down over 70 percent to $12 billion.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the NFL’s new relationship with Amazon, Hollywood agencies are getting into celebrity estate management and a trip to this year’s SXSW Film Festival.
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Showbiz Sandbox 533: Behind The Scenes At The Most Challenging Grammys Ever
March 16, 2021
Working within strict health and safety guidelines the producers of the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards telecast were uncertain how the show would come together or even when it would take place. David Wild knows this first hand. He was the lead writer and one of the producers on this year’s show. Wild joins us to detail all the challenges of pulling off music’s biggest night amidst a global pandemic.
Meanwhile, nods for outstanding achievements in motion pictures were announced en masse over the past week with the BAFTAs, Cesars, Directors Guild, American Society of Cinematographers and many more leading up to, finally, this year’s Oscar nominations.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including a trip to this year’s Berlin Film Festival, how Drake is dominating the music charts and Disney+ continues its staggering growth.
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Showbiz Sandbox 532: Hollywood Jumps On The Email Newsletter Bandwagon
March 9, 2021
Email newsletters are the new black. Much like podcasts, every mainstream media outlet seems to be launching one. Ryan Faughnder, an entertainment business reporter with the Los Angeles Times, joins us to discuss the launch of The Wide Shot. Each week Faughnder takes an in-depth dive into a major Hollywood news story along with highlights of other key industry updates.
Meanwhile, there was more good news for “Nomadland” when the Critics Choice Awards were handed out, though the film hit a snag regarding its release in China. The Grammy Awards are next week and Michael Giltz tells us about his own favorite 2020 albums.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including this year’s Producers Guild Award nominees, why the Dr. Seuss estate is pulling some of the author’s early books and how SoundCloud plans to change payments going to artists.
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Showbiz Sandbox 531: Uncovering A Diverse Set of Problems at the Golden Globes
March 2, 2021
A week before the Golden Globes, Stacy Perman and Josh Rottenberg of the Los Angeles Times wrote investigative pieces detailing conflicts of interest and a lack of diversity within the Hollywood Foreign Press Association; the tight knit and tight-lipped group of 87 international journalists who nominate and choose the winners each year. Perman joins us to discuss her work on the story, which was picked up by every major media outlet, and the immediate impact it had on this year’s Globe’s ceremony. Whether it will be enough to change the behavior and makeup of the HFPA remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Viacom announced a slate of programming for their new streaming service, Paramount+. Along with 2,500 movies, 30,000 episodes of television and live sporting events, the company will be rebooting hit series such as “Fraiser” with their original cast. The company also revealed that blockbuster films such as “Mission:Impossible 7” and “A Quiet Place II” will debut on Paramount+ just 45 days after their theatrical release.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including this year’s Art Directors Guild Award nominees, why kill fees might be coming to international film sales and recorded music grosses passed $12 billion in North America during 2020.
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