Showbiz Sandbox 646: A Slimmed Down Sundance Still Shines
January 30, 2024
This year’s Sundance Film Festival reflected the current state of the contracting industry itself, offering fewer films at fewer venues for fewer in-person attendees. Yet, as festivals like Sundance work toward rekindling post-pandemic financial support, this year’s official selections were just as noteworthy as those that have appeared throughout its 40 year history. We’ll give you a rundown of the titles too look out for over the next year and fill you in on all the Sundance winners.
Speaking of winners, this year’s Oscar nominations were announced and they included a few titles from last year’s Sundance and Cannes film festivals. The only thing missing for most were nominations for “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig and its star Margot Robbie.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Jon Stewart’s return to “The Daily Show,” the influential music website Pitchfork suffers layoffs and Netflix continues dominate the streaming landscape with a stellar quarterly earnings report.
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India’s ‘Fighter’ Flies To $25M Global Bow; ’Aquaman 2’, ‘Migration’, ‘Beekeeper’ Hit New WW Milestones
https://deadline.com/2024/01/fighter-opening-weekend-deepika-padukone-aquaman-2-migration-beekeeper-milestones-global-international-box-office-1235807010/
‘Mean Girls’ Dances Past ‘The Beekeeper’ to Win Slow Weekend With $6.9M
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/beekeeper-box-office-victory-mean-girls-1235809035/
India Box Office Hits Record $1.47B In 2023 But Admissions Remain Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
https://deadline.com/2024/01/india-box-office-record-2023-jawan-animal-pathaan-1235801535/
Sundance 2024 Sales So Far
https://www.indiewire.com/news/festivals/sundance-2024-film-festival-acquistions-1234940243/
Oscar Nominations 2024: ‘Oppenheimer’ Dominates With 13 Nods, ‘Poor Things’ Follows With 11
https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/oscar-nominations-2024-list-1235877798/
Microsoft Lays Off 1,900 Employees After Acquiring Activision Blizzard
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/microsoft-lays-off-employees-activision-blizzard-1235806788
Condé Nast Is Folding Pitchfork Into GQ, With Layoffs
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/business/media/music-magazine-pitchfork-merger-gq.html
International Producers Organisations Call for Streamer Regulation
https://www.screendaily.com/news/international-producers-organisations-call-for-streamer-regulation/5189540.article
Layoffs Imperil Sports Illustrated as Owner, Publisher Battle Over Money
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/19/sports-illustrated-layoffs/
Amazon Freevee’s ‘Judy Justice’ Series to Be Syndicated This Fall Via Local TV Stations in Key U.S. Markets
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/amazon-freevee-judy-justice-repeats-local-tv-syndication-1235887055/
‘Suits’ Sets Another Streaming Record for 2023: Biggest Year Ever
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/suits-year-end-streaming-record-2023-1235808594/
How Hollywood Lost Its Nerve
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/18/opinion/tv-peak-industry-emmys.html
Vince McMahon Resigns From TKO Day After Ex-employee’s Lawsuit
https://www.espn.com/wwe/story/_/id/39396125/vince-mcmahon-resigns-following-allegations-sexual-misconduct
Netflix Shares Pop 10% as Streamer Adds 13.1 Million Subscribers, Tops Revenue Estimates
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/23/netflix-nflx-earnings-q4-2023.html
Director Norman Jewison of Moonstruck Dies at 97
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/norman-jewison-dead-moonstruck-1235803603/
Norman Jewison, 97, Dies; Directed ‘In the Heat of the Night’ and ‘Moonstruck’
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/22/movies/norman-jewison-dead.html
Rod Holcomb, Emmy-Winning TV Director and DGA Negotiating Committee Member, Dies at 80
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/rod-holcomb-dead-dies-tv-director-dga-er-lost-1235889350/
Mary Weiss, Lead Singer Of Shangri-Las – Dead at 75
https://variety.com/2024/music/obituaries-people-news/mary-weiss-shangri-las-dead-girl-groups-1235879771/
Mary Weiss, Lead Singer of Sixties Girl Group the Shangri-Las, Dead at 75
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mary-weiss-the-shangri-las-dead-obituary-1234950474/
Melanie, ‘Brand New Key’ Folk Singer Who Played Woodstock, Dead at 76
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/melanie-folk-singer-woodstock-dead-obituary-1234953843/
Marlena Shaw, Oft-Sampled ‘California Soul’ Singer, Dead at 81
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/marlena-shaw-california-soul-singer-dead-obituary-1234950657/
Peter Schickele, Composer and Gleeful Sire of P.D.Q. Bach, Dies at 88
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/arts/music/peter-schickele-dead.html
Mo Henry, Negative Cutter on ‘Jaws,’ ‘The Matrix’ and Hundreds of Other Films, Dies at 67
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mo-henry-dead-jaws-the-matrix-1235791148/
David J. Skal, Scholar Who Took Horror Seriously, Dies at 71
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/26/books/david-skal-scholar-dead.html
Charles Osgood, Veteran CBS Newsman and Longtime Host of “Sunday Morning,” Dies at 91
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-osgood-veteran-cbs-newsman-and-longtime-host-of-sunday-morning-dies-at-91/
MGMT’s “Mother Nature.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDzIO5ahGE8
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