Showbiz Sandbox 380: Hollywood Gets Pummeled by Rotten Tomatoes

With North American box office declining 15 percent over last year, Hollywood suffered its worst summer box office in 20 years. One main reason, studios believe, is the popularity of the movie review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, which brands titles as either “fresh” or “rotten”. The site has become so influential studios now try and game the system by handpicking critics for certain releases.

Disney, on the other hand, isn’t waiting for reviews to be in on its latest Star Wars movies before tweaking them. “Episode IX” is just the latest to lose its director over creative differences with Lucasfilm, which is quickly gaining the reputation as a tough place to be a filmmaker.

Meanwhile, one of North America’s largest brick-and-mortar book retailers reports that sales are off 6% in the latest quarter as consumers shift to buying online. Don’t worry however, the company has a great plan for fixing their sales problem; open more stores.

Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Amazon wants to produce a hit television show, the end of an era at Vanity Fair magazine and the mystery behind who will distribute the next James Bond movie.

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comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of September 10, 2017
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-september-10-2017-300516801.html

ABC’s Marvel Drama ‘Inhumans’ Underwhelms in Imax Bow
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-marvel-drama-inhumans-underwhelms-imax-bow-1034545

Disney CEO Bob Iger Says Marvel, ‘Star Wars’ Movies Will Be on Streaming Service
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-ceo-bob-iger-says-marvel-star-wars-movies-will-be-streaming-service-1034566

Wyck Godfrey Tapped for Top Executive Role at Paramount Pictures
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/wyck-godfrey-tapped-for-top-executive-role-at-paramount-pictures-exclusive-1202552855/

Attacked by Rotten Tomatoes
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/business/media/rotten-tomatoes-box-office.html

The Bloody Black Flag by Steve Goble – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/12/27/the-bloody-black-flag/

Ranger Games by Ben Blum – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/12/27/ranger-games/

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street by Christopher Christopher Kimball – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2017/04/19/christopher-kimballs-milk-street/

Sales at B&N Down More Than 6% in Q1 of 2018
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/74717-sales-at-b-n-down-over-6-in-q1-of-2018.html

B&N Has a Plan for the Future: More Stores
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/74731-b-n-sees-store-expansion-in-its-future.html

Apple, Amazon Join Race for James Bond Film Rights
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/apple-amazon-join-race-james-bond-film-rights-1035539

MGM Relaunching Orion Pictures as Distributor, Taps John Hegeman
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/mgm-re-launching-orion-pictures-distributor-1202548889/

NFL Kickoff Ticks Down for Second Year in a Row
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/2017-nfl-kickoff-ratings-1036729

Judge Rules “We Shall Overcome” Verse Not Under Valid Copyright
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-rules-we-overcome-verse-not-under-valid-copyright-1036983

Fox News Parts Ways With Eric Bolling After Suspension
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fox-news-parts-ways-eric-bolling-suspension-1036934

Fox News Moves Closer to Deal With Laura Ingraham
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/fox-news-channel-laura-ingraham-primetime-1202554907/

British Government Wants Full Investigation Into Fox-Sky Takeover Deal
http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/fox-hit-with-full-investigation-sky-takeover-deal-murdoch-1202555247/

Fox Stations Aim to Replace Late-Night Syndicated Comedy With Local News
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/fox-stations-late-night-news-syndicated-comedy-1202555298/

The Daily News, a Distinctive Voice in New York, Is Sold
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/business/new-york-daily-news-sale-tronc.html?smid=tw-nytmedia&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Graydon Carter to End 25-Year Run as Vanity Fair’s Editor
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/business/media/graydon-carter-vanity-fair.html

Graydon Carter Stepping Down as Vanity Fair Editor
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/graydon-carter-stepping-down-as-vanity-fair-editor-1202550066/

Jeff Bezos Mandates Programming Shift at Amazon Studios
http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/amazon-studios-jeff-bezos-roy-price-zelda-1202552532/

Lil Uzi Vert Debuts at No. 1, Leading a SoundCloud Wave
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/04/arts/music/lil-uzi-vert-xxxtentacion-billboard-chart.html

Viewers Stick Around for A+E’s Facebook Show
https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2017090948746/viewers-stick-around-for-a-e-s-facebook-show.html

‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ Prequel From Ryan Murphy Scores Two-Season Order at Netflix
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/one-flew-cuckoos-nest-prequel-ryan-murphy-scores-two-season-order-at-netflix-1036041

New ‘South Park’ Game Changes Difficulty Based on Skin Color of Character
http://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/skin-color-changes-with-difficulty-in-new-south-park-game-w501734

Game Writers to be Honored with Nebula Award
https://www.geekwire.com/2017/game-writers-honored-nebula-award-first-professional-science-fiction-fantasy-org/

Season Subscriptions Hit Record High for Broadway Across America
http://variety.com/2017/legit/news/broadway-across-america-season-subscriptions-high-1202541795/

Bernadette Peters to Replace Bette Midler in ‘Hello, Dolly!’
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/05/theater/bernadette-peters-hello-dolly.html?_r=0

The ‘Mean Girls’ Musical Is Coming to Broadway in March
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/theater/mean-girls-broadway-musical.html

‘Angels in America’ Is Returning to Broadway With Nathan Lane
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/theater/angels-in-america-is-returning-to-broadway-with-nathan-lane.html

‘Hamilton’ Delays London Opening and Ticket Buyers Aren’t Happy
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/theater/hamilton-london-delay-previews-tickets.html

Colin Trevorrow Out as ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Director
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/colin-trevorrow-exits-star-wars-episode-ix-1202548088/

Why Does Star Wars Keep Losing Its Directors?
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/11/star-wars-lose-directors-trevorrow-lucasfilm

J.J. Abrams to Replace Colin Trevorrow as ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ Writer and Director
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/jj-abrams-replace-colin-trevorrow-as-star-wars-episode-ix-writer-director-1037933

Patty Jenkins Closes Deal to Direct ‘Wonder Woman’ Sequel
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/patty-jenkins-wonder-woman-sequel-director-1202548413/

Michael Friedman, Co-Creator of ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,’ Dies at 41
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/theater/michael-friedman-co-creator-of-bloody-bloody-andrew-jackson-dies-at-41.html

Don Ohlmeyer, Former NBC West Coast President, Dies at 72
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/don-ohlmeyer-man-who-fired-norm-macdonald-snl-dies-at-72-1037491

Peter Hall, British Theater Director and Founder of Royal Shakespeare Company, Dies at 86
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/theater/uk-peter-hall-theater-dead.html