Showbiz Sandbox 327: The Academy’s Class of 2016 Gets A Lot More Diverse

July 5, 2016

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The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences invited a record number of filmmakers, craftsman and executives to join its ranks in 2016, including a record number of women, people of color and international artists. While this helps make its membership more diverse, the Academy itself points out, this amounts to a drop in the bucket.

Meanwhile, the Jay-Z digital music service is generating some of its own headlines, literally. Word leaked out, probably from within the company itself, that the streaming music service was in talks to be acquired by Apple. Even though people are consuming more media than ever, the streaming music business may not be a quick route to profitability.

The Chinese box office, on the other hand, has been growing at an astronomical pace over the past few years; 50% last in 2015 alone. However, those gains might be slowing down, as the growth rate has dropped to 20% so far. Maybe the prediction that China would become the biggest movie market in the world by 2017 were premature.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including a lawsuit over special effects technology which is causing problems for ongoing productions, a host of “Top Gear” crashes and burns, though not literally, and longtime newscaster Nancy Grace will depart CNN.

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of July 3, 2016
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-july-3-2016-300293580.html

China Box Office Growth Poised for First Half Slowdown
https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/china-box-office-slowdown-1201808305/

CJ Analysis: AMC Acquisition of Carmike In Jeopardy
https://celluloidjunkie.com/2016/06/30/cj-analysis-amc-acquisition-carmike-jeopardy/

How Much Do We Love TV? Let Us Count the Ways
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/01/business/media/nielsen-survey-media-viewing.html

Nielsen Unveils Streaming Ratings for ‘Orange is the New Black,’ ‘Seinfeld’
http://www.wsj.com/articles/nielsen-unveils-streaming-ratings-for-orange-is-the-new-black-seinfeld-1467217573

Apple in Talks to Acquire Jay Z’s Tidal Music Service
http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-in-talks-to-acquire-jay-zs-tidal-music-service-1467325314

Spotify Says Apple Won’t Approve a New Version of its App
http://www.recode.net/2016/6/30/12067578/spotify-apple-app-store-rejection

Apple Fires Back At Spotify In App Approval Spat
http://fortune.com/2016/07/01/apple-spotify-app-approval-spat/

That Digital Music Service You Love Is a Terrible Business
http://fortune.com/2016/07/01/digital-music-business/

Nancy Grace to Depart HLN After 12 Years (Exclusive)
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nancy-grace-leaving-hln-907480

UN Council: Seriously, Nations, Stop Switching Off the Damn Internet
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/01/un_officially_condemns…

Chris Evans to Step Down as ‘Top Gear’ Presenter
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/arts/television/chris-evans-to-step-down-as-top-gear-presenter.html?_r=0

Digital Domain’s New Legal Setback Freezes VFX Tech Used by Major Studios
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/digital-domain-mova-tech-banned-906902

Despite Talese’s ‘Disavowal,’ Grove Moving Ahead with ‘The Voyeur’s Motel’
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/70801-despite-turmoil-grove-moving-ahead-with-talese-s-the-voyeur-s-motel.html

Introducing the Academy Class of 2016
http://www.app.oscars.org/class2016/

Film Academy Invites a Record 683 New Members: 46 Percent Female and 41 Percent People of Color
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-academy-unveils-new-members-907361

Oscars: Academy Issues Rule Changes for Awards and Campaigns
https://variety.com/2016/film/awards/oscars-academy-issues-rule-changes-89th-oscar-awards-1201807143/

Michael Cimino, Director of ‘The Deer Hunter’ and ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ Dies at 77
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/movies/michael-cimino-director-of-the-deer-hunter-and-heavens-gate-dies-at-77.html

Iranian Filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami Dies at 76
https://variety.com/2016/film/global/abbas-kiarostami-dead-dies-iranian-filmmaker-1201808374/

The Origin of the Word Soccer
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/06/the-origin-of-the-word-soccer/

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