Showbiz Sandbox 618: The 2023 Cannes Film Festival Lives Up to the Hype

May 30, 2023

The 76th annual Cannes Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend handing out prizes to some of the 21 official selections appearing in competition this year. Justine Triet’s film “Anatomy of a Fall” took home the Palme d’Or though that was one of many deserving titles programmed at what many festival goers felt was one of the stronger lineups in recent memory. We were in attendance and will take you with us to the south of France to fill you in on all the important news coming out of the festival.

Meanwhile, in a legal case that could have a major impact on Fair Use in the arts, the Supreme Court ruled that the late Andy Warhol was a copycat. Ok, they used some fancy legal terms, but that’s the gist of the decision over a work the artist created for Vanity Fair that used a photograph of the musician Prince.

​​Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why actors in the United Kingdom want some rules to limit taped auditions, Broadway’s post-pandemic box office rebound and broadcaster plan to stream the 2024 summer Olympics live.

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Showbiz Sandbox 585: Entertainment Industry Stumble Into Sociopolitical Pitfalls

June 7, 2022

Social justice and political issues have been making life complicated for movie studios, record labels and concert promoters. Whether you’re casting a movie, choosing a director, booking a live performance or releasing a new album, you’ll also be having to deal with their past, present and sometimes even future behavior. Just ask Johnny Depp, filmmaker Cary Fukunaga and comedian Louis C.K.

Rolling Stone knows a thing or two about digging into the past of the musicians it covers. As the war in Ukraine marches on the magazine published a piece on all the big name pop stars who’ve been paid millions over the years to perform at private parties and events for Russian oligarchs.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Mariah Carey is being sued for plagiarism, the most watched television shows from the past year and musician Kate Bush has a new old hit thanks to “Stranger Things.”

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Showbiz Sandbox: Movies Were the Stars at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival

June 5, 2022

After the COVID pandemic hampered the Cannes Film Festival over the last two years, the 2022 edition moved back to its usual May time frame with all the glamor and artistry that has made it one of the most important annual cinematic events in the world. Despite critics’ complaints about what was deemed a weak official selection, the festival featured its fair share of impressive films from noteworthy auteurs.

What’s more, many of these movies will find audiences as distributors were rather active in acquiring titles to release theatrically over the next 12 months.

On this special episode of Showbiz Sandbox we are joined by Karen Krizanovich, an independent journalist and broadcaster, not to mention a member of the London Film Critics Circle, as well as Stephen Garrett, the founder of the movie marketing firm Jump Cut who covered the festival for the New York Observer. Both attended this year’s Cannes Film Festival and we’ll discuss the highs and lows of the latest edition, which concluded last weekend.

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Showbiz Sandbox 584: Cannes Film Festival Showcases Industry Revival

May 31, 2022

Unlike some years, there was no frontrunner or obvious favorite to win the Palme d’Or at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival which concluded over the weekend. Instead, the social satire “Triangle of Sadness” from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund took the festival’s top prize, the second time he has won the award. We discuss the highlights and big winners from this year’s Cannes.

Meanwhile “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was shown at Cannes, finally premiered in movie theaters setting all kinds of box office records. It is far and away the biggest opening weekend its star Tom Cruise has ever had as it looks to go on and become his biggest hit.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winner of this year’s Eurovision song contest, Justin Timberlake sells his recording catalog and politicians hope to strip Disney of its Mickey Mouse copyright.

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Showbiz Sandbox 575: Should Movie Theaters Charge More For Blockbusters?

March 8, 2022

The opening weekend of “The Batman” was the anticipated blockbuster everyone was expecting, though an ongoing pandemic and a political crisis in Europe softened its global take. AMC Theatres on the other hand saw an opportunity to raise ticket prices, but only for the latest entrant to the Batman franchise. Is this a strategy that was a long time coming or one that will keep casual moviegoers at home.

Meanwhile, the cultural boycott of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine has escalated over the past week with film festivals banning Russian delegations, movie studios pausing new releases and Netflix halting its streaming service in the country.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including video game publisher Epic gets into the music business, Amazon closes its physical bookstores and the big winners at this year’s Spirit Awards.

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Showbiz Sandbox 549: Second Guessing Disney’s “Black Widow” Distribution Strategy

July 20, 2021

In its second weekend the latest Marvel movie “Black Widow” dropped over 67% at the box office; the largest decline for any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Could it be that the movie’s availability via premium video on demand cannibalized its theatrical returns? The ongoing pandemic makes it difficult to draw any conclusions, though one thing is clear; “Black Widow” is one of the most pirated movies of the year.

Meanwhile, the Cannes Film Festival wrapped up over the weekend with Spike Lee and his jury awarding Julia Ducournau’s “Titane” with the Palme d’Or. It is only the second time in the festival’s history that a woman has taken home the prize. Whether it will go on to Oscar glory like “Parasite” did two years ago remains to be seen, but the feeling was this year’s festival may not generate a lot of awards-worthy movies.

Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including how artificial intelligence helped bring Anthony Bourdain back to life, the United Kingdom wants to revise music copyright and filmmaker Frank Darabont settles his lawsuit over “The Walking Dead.”

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Showbiz Sandbox 548: The Cannes Film Festival in the Age of COVID

July 13, 2021

After COVID canceled the festival in 2020, the Cannes Film Festival is going ahead this year, albeit two months later than usual. Still, it’s remarkable that organizers were able to pull off the world’s largest film festival amid these uncertain times. We’ll tell you about all the COVID protocols at this year’s festival, not to mention all the movies, filmmakers and celebrities that made their way to the French Riviera.

Meanwhile, Disney announced that its new film Black Widow made $60 million in its opening weekend… not at the box office, but rather in homes. Subscribers of Disney+ could pay $30 to watch Scarlett Johannson save the day, rather than head to the movie theater. Is this a win for Disney? A loss for cinema? Or is it too soon to draw any conclusions from these COVID crazy times?

Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including an increase in comic book sales, David Geffen helps the Yale drama school goes tuition free and Universal Pictures gives Peacock a boost.

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Showbiz Sandbox 543: Amazon Grabs a Lion’s Share of MGM

June 1, 2021

In a move that had been rumored for weeks, Amazon became the first tech company to purchase a Hollywood movie studio in an $8.45 million deal. The acquisition will arm Amazon with over 4,000 movies like the Bond Franchise, “The Pink Panther” and “Robocop,” not to mention upwards of 17,000 television episodes. The real question is why did it take so long for a tech giant to buy a movie studio?

Meanwhile, a holiday weekend helped spark the post-pandemic North American box office as movies that were originally scheduled for release last year opened in theaters. Some new titles like “Cruella are also available on VOD at the same time. Is day-and-date releases hurting the box office prospects of such films?

Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including the Academy Awards returns to its normal schedule, HBO Max is moving into Latin America and why “Friends” was censored in China.

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Showbiz Sandbox 499: The Problems Facing Movie Theaters After They Reopen

June 23, 2020

Though the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, cinemas around the world are making plans to reopen having to take health and hygiene into consideration. In laying out their new safety protocols some theater chains are stumbling in how they make moviegoers feel comfortable with the idea of returning to the cinema. Yet, the real challenges facing exhibitors will come after they reopen.

Then there is the uncertainty of what new movie releases will be available once theaters do turn on their lights, Titles such as Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” keep getting delayed as large markets such as China are showing no signs of reopening cinemas.

Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including how BTS made millions performing a concert despite nobody showing up in person, DC Comics gets into podcasting and a popular video game sets a new standard for making the medium accessible to disabled people.

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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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