Showbiz Sandbox 498: Comic Book Industry Fights For Survival, Meanwhile China and US Simply Fight
June 16, 2020
While the coronavirus has shut down movies, concerts and live theater, it has absolutely decimated the comic book industry. Pop culture journalist Geoff Boucher joins us to look at the future for comic book stores and comic book movies. Spoiler alert – one of these is in dire straits.
Currently, Boucher is co-authoring a book on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios. And this week he’s launching another his own podcast hosted by the legendary comic book magazine Heavy Metal.
Meanwhile, Chris Fenton, a longtime exec in Asia and the author of “Feeding The Dragon,” wrote a piece for Real Clear Politics saying Hollywood and China are headed for a divorce…but he explains why they should make certain it a conscious uncoupling.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including how media companies are jumping on the Black Lives Matter bandwagon, SAG-AFTRA reaches a new deal with producers avoiding a strike and the Oscars update their rules for the Best Picture category.
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Showbiz Sandbox 496: Hollywood Jumps On the TikTok Bandwagon
June 3, 2020
Even after the platform helped Lil Nas X turn “Old Town Road” into one of the most successful popular songs of all time, there are some (mostly older) demographics that are unfamiliar with the explosive popularity of the social media platform. Natalie Jarvey, the Senior Digital Media Editor at the Hollywood Reporter, joins us to discuss how TikTok is doing YouTube one better as a launching pad for new talent.
In fact, TikTokers with tens of millions of followers, many of whom are still teenagers, have begun to attract Hollywood talent agencies, record labels and major brands, ultimately leading to big paydays. However, as fast as TikTok became the social media flavor of the moment, could its star fade just as fast.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including which major entertainment conglomerates are backing #BlackLivesMatters during recent civic protests, the Writers Guild of America takes aim at international residuals and “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” sets a new record for a sitcom.
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Showbiz Sandbox 488: The Hollywood Reporter Falls Into A Parent Trap
April 8, 2020
In a move that took the entertainment industry by surprise, Matthew Belloni, the Executive Editor of The Hollywood Reporter, announced he would be stepping down from the publication after 14 years. Within minutes competitors such as Variety and The Wrap revealed that Belloni’s departure was over editorial independence.
Valence Media’s leadership allegedly wanted to block unfavorable stories about their friends and affiliated companies. As well, the sought additional coverage of subsidiaries such as Dick Clark Productions. The situation has angered the editorial staff at the Reporter leaving many to wonder who might be next to depart the world’s most widely read entertainment news outlet.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why a partner at one leading talent agency is suing the firm for wrongful termination, Activision wins a lawsuit allowing it to use Humvees in “Call of Duty” and the latest on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the global entertainment business.
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Showbiz Sandbox 487: For Performing Arts, the Show Must Go On
April 2, 2020
Impresario Evans Haile has decades of experience as a producer, artistic director and performer of live theater and opera, yet nothing could have prepared him for how the coronavirus pandemic would disrupt the industry.
As the executive director of the York Theatre Company in New York, the executive director of Opera North in New Hampshire and the producing director of the Gainesville Symphony in Florida, Haile gives us his unique perspective on the impact COVID-19 is having on arts institutions from Broadway to Off Broadway and even regional theaters.
In China, the few cinemas that began to open back up are now re-shuttered for fear of another coronavirus outbreak. This means that 94% of commercial movie theaters around the world are now closed.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the historic audio recordings that the Library of Congress has entered into its registry this year.
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Showbiz Sandbox 486: Box Office In the Age of the Coronavirus
March 24, 2020
For the first time in history a majority of movie theaters around the world have been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. That means there is no theatrical box office to collect and analyze. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, is one of the most widely recognized box office pundits in the world. He joins us to explain not only how the industry is coping without grosses to measure their success and failure, but also what it’s like to sleep in on Sunday morning for the first time in 30 years.
In China, a few cinemas have begun opening back up, though very few people are going. Still this may provide a glimpse of where the rest of the world will be within six months after COVID-19 is under control.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how much the entertainment industry (sort of) earned last year and Woody Allen finds a publisher for his memoir.
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Showbiz Sandbox 484: How the Coronavirus Is Roiling the Entertainment Industry
March 9, 2020
Like everyone around the globe, the entertainment industry has been consumed by the coronavirus. The ongoing health issue has pushed back the release date of the latest James Bond film, canceled the SXSW conference and is postponing music festivals. We cover more of the ripple effects of the pandemic including its effect on the worldwide box office.
Not all business has been halted in Hollywood however. The Directors Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP which represents producers and studios. This paves the way for the Writers Guild of America to step in and negotiate their own deal, provided they can ever settle with talent agencies.
Meanwhile, the music industry is finally making serious money again thanks to streaming. In fact, there’s a brand new streaming service in India. Music lovers in Japan though still prefer their compact discs.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Woody Allen lost the publisher of his memoir, the PGA gets a new television deal for all its golf tournaments and Led Zeppelin wins another copyright court case.
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Showbiz Sandbox 483: China Presents Hollywood With A Trillion Dollar Dilemma
March 2, 2020
Between intellectual property theft, forced joint ventures and strict government regulation, the entertainment industry has come to learn that doing business in China is difficult at best, complicated at worst. Chris Fenton, the CEO of Media Capital Technologies, knows a thing or two about doing film industry business in China, having worked in the Middle Kingdom on various project for decades. He joins us to explain the dilemma facing Hollywood in China as well as his upcoming memoir “Feeding the Dragon.”
China is, in fact, where the coronavirus originated before it spread to other countries throughout the world. Now, movie theaters in Italy and South Korea are joining their Chinese counterparts in shutting down, hoping to prevent further spread of the virus, and leading to what could be billions in box office losses.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, decided to suddenly step down last week and instead take on the role of Chairman. Disney theme park head Bob Chapek will be the company’s new CEO. We cover all the reasons for the executive shuffle.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winners of this year’s Berlin Film Festival, Placido Domingo apologizes for past behavior (sort of) and why YouTube can’t censor content.
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Showbiz Sandbox 482: Entertainment Industry Facing Coronavirus Challenge
February 24, 2020
For the past four weeks the Chinese government has mandated that all of its cinemas remain closed in hopes of preventing further spread of the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Not that anyone would actually show up even if movie theaters were open since a majority of China’s population are avoiding public venues and gatherings. Having the second largest movie market in the world out of business for so long will surely affect the global box office, not to mention release dates.
As the Coronavirus reaches other countries and turns into a full-blown pandemic, cinemas in Northern Italy are shutting their doors in the wake of infestations and the popular Korean boy band BTS moved a press conference for its upcoming album to an online only event, rather than meet journalists in-person.
In the United States, the popular indie-cinema chain Alamo Drafthouse launched its own long-awaited subscription plan. We debate the merits of Alamo’s new program and what theater operators need to consider when adopting such a scheme.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including soaring occupancy rates for Broadway productions, the United Kingdom embraces streaming in earnest and HBO Max will launch with a reunion of “Friends.”
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Showbiz Sandbox 481: Catty Jokes At Oscars Spur Backlash
February 17, 2020
When James Corden and Rebel Wilson strutted onto the Oscar stage dressed as characters from the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Cats” it garnered sincere laughter from the audience. However, the duo went on to mock the visual effects of the film which they happened to star in, generating a bit of fallout. Turns out there’s a real life sad ending to the story.
Fresh off it’s Oscar win for Best Picture, “Parasite” soared at the box office. Does the film’s success, not to mention the explosive popularity of international TV shows on Netflix, mean audiences in the United States will finally catch up with the rest of the world and embrace subtitles?
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the controversy over this year’s Cesar Awards in France, the streaming company Roku continues to grow and satellite radio giant Sirius XM invests in SoundCloud.
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Showbiz Sandbox 479: Are Streamers Ruining Sundance?
February 2, 2020
About every five years a new group of deep-pocketed players shows up at the Sundance Film Festival and spends a small fortune acquiring a handful of films causing fear that the industry has been forever changed. This year, some of the world’s largest media and tech companies have invaded Park City, Utah and are picking up movies for amounts far in excess of what makes fiscal sense or what theatrical distributors are willing to pay.
Such companies don’t have to worry about box office results because they are more concerned with a different metric; the number of subscribers they can attract to their streaming service. Now some industry veterans are worried about whether indie distributors will be able to stay afloat with the leftover titles the streaming giants don’t gobble up.
Meanwhile, in China the film industry is down for the count with cinemas shuttered for the second week in a row due to the rapid spread of a coronavirus. Flights to and from the country have been suspended, as has all film and television production. When movie theaters finally do open for business the ripple effect on the Chinese release schedule will be felt around the world as films jockey for new playdates.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including this year’s BAFTA award winners, Apple and Netflix may be chasing MGM’s film library and MoviePass officially files for bankruptcy.
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