Showbiz Sandbox 623: Actors Join Writers In Historic Dual-Strike
July 18, 2023
Film and television production ground to a halt last week in Hollywood (and elsewhere) when actors joined the already striking writers on the picket line. This marks the first time in 63 years that the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild has been on strike at the same time and it is an existential moment for the entertainment business which could set the tone for labor relations for decades to come. Entertainment attorney and journalist Jonathan Handel drops by to give us all the details.
Meanwhile, the Emmy Award nominations were announced last week, though thanks to the ongoing strike(s) who knows when the ceremony will be held. What we do know based on the nominations is that in a world of peak TV, Emmy voters watched about…four shows last year!
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney is looking to sell off certain television assets, the BBC finds itself embroiled in another scandal and Taylor Swift becomes only the third artist to ever have four albums in Billboard’s top ten in a single week.
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Jonathan Handel’s Website
https://jhandel.com/
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ Lights Fuse With $235M Global Bow
https://deadline.com/2023/07/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-opening-china-global-international-box-office-1235438237/
Box Office: ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Falls Short of Expectations With $56 Million Debut, Collects $80 Million Over Five Days
https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/mission-impossible-7-box-office-opening-weekend-falls-short-1235671300/
China Box Office: ‘Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning’ Opens in Third Place Behind Local Duo
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/china-box-office-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-opens-third-1235671685/
Box Office: Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ Opens Strong in Japan (Despite No Marketing)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hayao-miyazakis-the-boy-and-the-heron-opens-strong-in-japan-1235538620/
Burning Questions on Hollywood’s Summer From Hell
https://puck.news/burning-questions-on-hollywoods-summer-from-hell/
Without ‘RRR’, ‘K.G.F.’ Impact, India’s Box Office Down 15% In 2023 1st
https://deadline.com/2023/07/india-box-office-south-indian-hindi-films-pathaan-jawan-salaar-1235439429/
Berlin Film Festival Cuts Close To A Third Of Its Lineup, Including Berlinale Series Amid Budget Struggles
https://deadline.com/2023/07/berlin-film-festival-cuts-lineup-berlinale-series-budget-cuts-1235435057/
100 Million AI-Generated Tracks Have Been Created by Music Platform Mubert
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/100-million-tracks-have-been-generated-by-ai-on-music-creation-platform-mubert1/
AI Resurrection of Brazilian Singer for Car Ad Sparks Joy and Ethical Worries
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/14/brazil-singer-elis-regina-artificial-intelligence-volkswagen
The 1 Cent Paycheque: Here’s the Awful Truth About Being an Actor in the ‘Golden’ Age of Streaming
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jul/17/actors-strike-streaming-1-cent-paycheque
CNBC’s Full Interview With Disney CEO Bob Iger
https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/07/13/watch-cnbcs-full-interview-with-disney-ceo-bob-iger-on-streaming-wars-and-future-of-media-business.html
Charter Shake-Up: TV Services Split in Regional Sports Network-Related Pivot
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/charter-spectrum-tv-offering-rsn-changes-1235532044/
Vinyl Sales Up 22% in U.S. in First Half of 2023, Per Luminate’s Midyear Music Report
https://variety.com/2023/music/news/luminate-music-midyear-report-vinyl-sales-1235667540/
Luminate Releases 2023 Midyear Report
https://luminatedata.com/reports/midyear-music-industry-report/
BBC Presenter Huw Edwards at the Center of Tabloid Storm, Confirms Wife
https://deadline.com/2023/07/huw-edwards-bbc-presenter-scandal-named-1235432455/
Taylor Swift’s Re-Recorded ‘Speak Now’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 2023’s Biggest Week
https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-speak-now-taylors-version-number-one-debut-billboard-200-chart-1235372565/
Disney Explores Strategic Options for India Business
https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-explores-strategic-options-for-india-business-72b3d2b7
French Billionaire Pinault Is in Talks to Buy CAA Talent Agency in $7 Billion Deal
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-14/french-billionaire-pinault-is-in-talks-to-buy-caa-talent-agency
After Months of Competition Complaints, Sony Agrees to 10-year Call of Duty Deal
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/07/after-months-of-competition-complaints-sony-agrees-to-10-year-call-of-duty-deal/
Emmy Nominations 2023: The Complete List
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/07/emmy-nominations-2023-list
Emmy Winning Producer Manny Coto Dies at 64
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/manny-coto-24-american-horror-story-dead-1235666016/
Milan Kundera, Literary Star Who Skewered Communist Rule, Dies at 94
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/world/europe/milan-kundera-dead.html
Jane Birkin, Singer, Actress and Fashion Inspiration, Dies at 76
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/16/arts/music/jane-birkin-dead.html
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