Showbiz Sandbox 438: The Oscars Play It By The Book

In a year when diversity took center stage at the Oscars, with people of color and women taking home some of the major prizes, the Academy awarded Best Picture to “Green Book,” a film partially about race relations that has been faulted by some as being whitewashed. Anne Thompson, Indiewire’s Editor-at-Large, attended the Oscar ceremony and joins us to discuss all the winners, including how “Green Book” managed to overcome a number of obstacles to walk off with the top award.

Though “Roma” was a frontrunner throughout the Oscar race, and wound up winning three awards including Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron, it didn’t win Best Picture to the relief of some in the industry who did not want to reward a film which shunned a traditional theatrical release. The film caused quite a stir when it took home the top BAFTA award earlier in the month.

Meanwhile, in China, the Lunar New Year box office was extraordinary but it came at a price: record grosses and record ticket prices were matched with record piracy.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the layoffs at Activision Blizzard, why Celine Dion parted ways with her long-time agent and millions attend a virtual concert on the video game Fortnite.

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Hollywood Studios Won the Oscar Battle Against Netflix, but Will They Lose the War?
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/02/the-hollywood-studios-oscar-netflix-green-book-roma-spike-lee-1202047272/

Comscore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of February 24, 2019
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-february-24-2019-300800910.html

Superhero Blogger Geoff Boucher Launches Hero Nation
https://deadline.com/2019/02/geoff-boucher-hero-nation-launch-superhero-genre-blog-deadline-hollywood-1202557754/

21 Savage Released From ICE Detention on Bond
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/21-savage-released-on-bond-793921/

How the Private Sector is Helping China to Modernise Propaganda
https://www.economist.com/china/2017/11/30/how-the-private-sector-is-helping-china-to-modernise-propaganda

Major Int’l Cinema Chain Vue Threatens To End BAFTA Support Following Awards For Netflix’s “Made For TV Film” ‘Roma’
https://deadline.com/2019/02/vue-bafta-roma-awards-criticize-alfonso-cuaron-1202560172/

Academy Confirms Four Oscar Presentations Set for Commercial Breaks
https://variety.com/2019/film/awards/academy-confirms-four-oscar-presentations-set-for-commercial-breaks-1203136380/

All Oscar Categories to Air Live After Hollywood Protest
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/all-oscar-categories-to-air-live-after-hollywood-protest-1203141496/

Film Academy Clarifies Controversial Oscars Plans
https://variety.com/2019/film/awards/film-academy-reacts-to-category-presentations-controversy-there-has-been-a-chain-of-misinformation-1203139500/

Oscars 2019: Complete Winners List
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscar-winners-2019-updating-live-1178560

China’s Lunar New Year Box Office Sets Record, Despite Rampant Piracy
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/piracy-wandering-earth-chinese-new-year-1203138142/

Paid Video Subscriptions to Top 300 Million in China
https://variety.com/2019/digital/asia/video-subscriptions-china-story-of-yanxi-palace-1203137034/

The Border by Don Winslow – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2018/05/28/unti-cartel-3-2/

Nicki Minaj Joins Ariana Grande in Calling Out Grammys Producer: ‘I Was Bullied’
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/nicki-minaj-grammy-producer-ken-ehrlich-bet-cancellation-1203136325/

Ariana Grande Claims Nos. 1, 2 & 3 on Billboard Hot 100, Is First Act to Achieve the Feat Since The Beatles in 1964
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8498841/ariana-grande-top-3-spots-hot-100

OSHA Fines ‘MacGyver’ Producers For Accident That Left Stuntman Seriously Injured
https://deadline.com/2019/02/macgyver-stuntman-accident-osha-fines-producers-1202560583/

Why Marshmello’s Fortnite Show Will Prove ‘Revolutionary’ for the Music Industry
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/marshmello-fortnite-show-will-prove-revolutionary-for-the-music-industry-797399/

Amazon Pulls Out of Planned New York City Headquarters
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/nyregion/amazon-hq2-queens.html

Activision Blizzard Lays Off Nearly 800 Amid Major Restructuring
https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/activision-blizzard-layoffs-1203136982/

Broadway Becomes More Chill In Approach to Licensing
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2019/02/12/broadway-becomes-more-chill-in-approach-to-licensing/

ICM Partners Sues Celine Dion For Unpaid Commission On $500 Million Deal
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8498309/icm-partners-drops-celine-dion-client-not-paying-commission

2019 Grammy Performances Yield 480% Sales Gain for Lady Gaga, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, H.E.R. & More
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8497867/2019-grammy-awards-performances-sales-gains-lady-gaga-kacey-musgraves-her

Cosmos Bumped As Neil DeGrasse Tyson Investigation Continues
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cosmos-bumped-fox-as-neil-degrasse-tyson-investgation-continues-1187193

CBS Shareholders Point to $200M in “Suspicious” Insider Stock Sales Prior to Les Moonves Exposé
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/cbs-shareholders-point-200m-suspicious-insider-stock-sales-prior-les-moonves-expose-1185712

Heather Parry Fired From Live Nation Productions
https://variety.com/2019/film/news/heather-parry-fired-live-nation-productions-1203112172/

Michael Jackson musical cancels Chicago engagement
https://broadway.news/2019/02/14/michael-jackson-musical-cancels-chicago-engagement-due-to-equity-strike/

2018 Films Featured More Diverse Leads Than Ever, Study Finds
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/2018-films-featured-more-diverse-leads-ever-annenberg-study-1185704

Ryan Adams Dangled Success. Women Say They Paid a Price.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/arts/music/ryan-adams-women-sex.html

Ryan Adams’ ‘Big Colors’ Album Pulled Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ryan-adams-big-colors-album-pulled-sexual-misconduct-allegations-795211/

Emma Thompson Exits Skydance’s ‘Luck’ After John Lasseter Hire (Exclusive)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/emma-thompson-exits-skydances-luck-john-lasseter-hire-1187303

Emma Thompson Letter About Not Working With John Lasseter
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-emma-thompson-john-lasseter-skydance-20190226-story.html

“Downfall” Actor Bruno Gans dies at 77
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/downfall-actor-bruno-ganz-dies-at-77-1187453

Peter Tork of Monkees dies at 77
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/peter-tork-the-monkees-dies-dead-1203144914/

Jeraldine Saunders Dies: Author & Creator Of ‘The Love Boat’ Was 96
https://deadline.com/2019/02/jeraldine-saunders-dies-love-boat-1202565334/

Betty Ballantine, proponent of the modern paperback, dead at 99
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2019/02/14/betty-ballantine-pioneer-modern-paperback-dead-99/2863596002/

Mark Bramble Dies: Tony-Nominated Broadway Writer, Director Was 68
https://deadline.com/2019/02/mark-bramble-dead-tony-award-broadway-producer-writer-42nd-street-1202561955/

Mark Hollis, lead singer of Talk Talk, dies aged 64
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/talk-talk-mark-hollis-dies-dead-at-64-1203148838/

Stanley Donen, ‘Master of the Musical’ Who Directed ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ Dies at 94
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/obituaries/stanley-donen-dead.html