Showbiz Sandbox 452: The Tony Awards Go To Hell
June 10, 2019
The 2018-19 Broadway season was a banner year as the Great White Way broke box office and attendance records, earning $1.89 billion from an attendance of 14.8 million patrons. The Tony Awards were handed out to the season’s best productions and performances as “Hadestown,” a musical about Hell, took home eight prizes including Best Musical and “The Ferryman” won four trophies including Best Play.
During this episode we take a different approach to reporting box office; rather than report which movie topped the worldwide charts, we look which title earned the most money over the past week. Why only count Friday through Sunday, when there are four may days to every week in which people are seeing movies.
We are also joined by Patrick von Sychowski, the editor of Celluloid Junkie, who tells us how he put together an exclusive story of how Chinese authorities spent three years tracking and shutting down one of the largest movie piracy rings of all time. After uncovering piracy being done on an industrial scale, the question remains, could it happen again.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Netflix was told to stop poaching employees from its competitors, YouTube starts pulling hateful content off its platform and Entertainment Weekly magazine goes monthly.
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Showbiz Sandbox 451: With Streaming On the Rise, Apple Kills iTunes
June 3, 2019
Before the iPod, when Napster was turning casual music fans into criminals, Apple saved the music industry by launching iTunes. What the music industry feared would enable people to organize the music they’d already stolen, actually allowed people to start buying digital music legally. Within a few years Apple became one of the largest music retailers in the world.
Now that the software seems to have outlived its purpose Apple will launch new apps to handle music, video, books and podcasts and the once iconic all-purpose library known as iTunes will disappear. It turns out this may also be a way to force consumers into signing up for Apple Music, the company’s music streaming service.
Meanwhile, the state of film and television production has been turned upside down in Georgia thanks to the passage of a new law restricting abortion. Studios, networks, producers, directors and actors must decide whether to continue shooting in Georgia and accept its tax subsidies, or boycott the state entirely.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a record setting season on Broadway, the “Game of Thrones” creators dump their manager and the Oscars announced this year’s Governors Awards.
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Showbiz Sandbox 450: Once Upon A Time… in Cannes
May 28, 2019
This year’s Cannes Film Festival will be remembered for presenting a selection of titles from around the world that were, for the most part, really good movies. The premiere of Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film, “Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood,” was one of the highlights, but it was “Parasite” from Korean director Bong Joon-ho that stole the show, as well as the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or. We take you to the Croisette in the French Riviera to cover the entire festival and all the films to look out for over the coming months.
Harvey Weinstein used to be one of the movie moguls that showed up in Cannes each May, but these days he’s busy negotiating a reported $44 million settlement with those accusing him of sexual harassment and assault.
Meanwhile, when some of those films from Cannes make it to cinemas, audiences will likely check Rotten Tomatoes to see what critics and moviegoers have to say about them. We give a 95% Fresh Rating to how Rotten Tomatoes plans on protecting their website from being manipulated in the future.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a new name for Warner Bros. Records, why film and television productions are boycotting the state of Georgia and Lil Nas X cuts a deal for a new pair of Wranglers.
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Showbiz Sandbox 449: Staying Up Late In Cannes
May 20, 2019
Stories about women empowerment and a growing discontent among the middle or working class have taken center stage at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A spotlight has also been given to diversity with the 2019 program filled with titles by filmmakers from all over the world, as well as a number of women, including the first female African director. Some selections from legendary filmmakers such as Pedro Almodovar and Terrence Malick are being hailed as masterpieces, despite any dissenting minority.
Keep in mind we are only half-way through the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which is always a marathon, more than a sprint. Attendees watch hundreds of movies across more than four different categories and, as of this year, the press no longer gets to see the films ahead of their premiere. We discuss what that means for the filmmakers and why journalists may be losing sleep over the new protocol.
Meanwhile, it seems that some talent agencies have begun to sign the Writers Guild of America’s new code of conduct contract, albeit none of them are firms that package television shows or are even in the Association of Talent Agents. Are the agencies going to crack or are writers beginning to realize that maybe agents aren’t as important as they once were.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Disney takes full control of Hulu, the entertainment industry continues to work out how or whether to shoot their productions in Georgia and ITV cancels the Jeremy Kyle Show after one of its guests commits suicide.
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Showbiz Sandbox 448: Georgia Is On Hollywood’s Mind
May 13, 2019
After the governor of Georgia signed a controversial and restrictive anti-abortion bill, many Hollywood productions are grappling over whether to boycott filming in the state. Heavyweights such as J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele whose HBO drama series begins production in Georgia next week say they are donating their proceeds to organizations fighting the new law. It has gotten to a point where actress Alyssa Milano is calling for women to hold a “sex strike.”
Meanwhile, for three weeks now “Avengers: Endgame” has dominated the worldwide box office in every country around the world. Well, every country except Japan where a new ‘Detective Conan’ movie has beat it out.
It’s also the time of year when television networks reveal which series are being canceled, renewed or picked up for next season. In an unusual move, NBC announced it would renew the hit show “This Is Us” for three more seasons, before the series comes to an end.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Rolling Stone magazine launches its own music charts to take on Billboard, Steve Harvey’s loses his talk show and even though it may not be up for Best Play at the Tony Awards, “To Kill A Mockingbird” has become the highest grossing American play in history.
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Showbiz Sandbox 446: How the B-Team Grew Into the Marvel Cinematic Universe
April 29, 2019
When Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel Studios, set out to launch a movie franchise based on the company’s comic books he hired an erratic actor with a history of drug addiction to play a superhero hardly anybody knew and a director whose last film bombed. At the time, Geoff Boucher, now the genre editor of Deadline, wrote an article headlined “Here Comes The B-Team”.
Well, 12 years and over 22 films later the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a $20 billion franchise whose latest entrant, “Avengers: Endgame,” made $1.2 billion in its open week. Boucher joins us to discuss how Feige managed to oversee one of the most profitable movie properties of all time.
Meanwhile, the Writers Guild is nowhere near reaching an accord with the Association of Talent Agents over packaging fees. Even some of the smaller agencies, who don’t package television series and don’t have affiliated production companies, are unwilling to sign the proposed code of conduct.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the moviegoing subscription service Sinemia shuts down, the Chinese government grows a little wary of the TV smash hit “The Story Of Yanxi Palace” and Steven Spielberg doesn’t actually hate Netflix.
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Showbiz Sandbox 445: Is Netflix Leaving Money On The Table?
April 22, 2019
There is no arguing that Netflix is doing quite well these days. Even the announcement of heavyweight competition from the likes of Disney and Apple hasn’t affected its stock price nor, more importantly, hampered its subscriber growth. The company added 10 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2019 alone.
Even so, Netflix may want to rethink their approach to how they monetize their television shows. While their big hits such as “House of Cards” may not be appropriate or too exclusive to syndicate on traditional linear networks, others such as “One Day At A Time” may be a missed opportunity for the streamer to do what it’s never done before: seek more outside revenue.
Meanwhile, this year’s Cannes Film Festival lineup features longtime favorites like Ken Loach and Pedro Almodovar, new favorites like Xavier Dolan and more female filmmakers than in the past. Just don’t look for any movies from Netflix.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the continuing dispute between the WGA and talent agents, MoviePass loses 90% of its 3 million subscribers and director Roman Polanski wants back into the Academy.
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Showbiz Sandbox 444: Disney Gets Serious About Streaming
April 15, 2019
From the moment the Walt Disney Company announced they would eventually launch their own video streaming service everyone wanted more detailed information. When would the service launch? How much would it cost? What content would be offered? Last week Disney answered all of those questions during an investor media event.
Disney+, as the service has been named, will launch this November in and will offer hundreds of hours of television and movies, both old and new, for the attractive price of $6.99 per month or $70 per year. Unlike Apple, who announced their own streaming service just a few weeks ago, Disney proved they know how to launch an attractive content platform. Not surprising since they have content from their animation, Marvel and Lucasfilm labels to offer up.
Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America and the talent agents which represent their membership, are still arguing over the adoption of a new code of conduct which would prevent agencies from collecting packaging fees on new television series. Late last week the WGA asked its members to fire their agents, which many did rather publicly via social media.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including how Apple Music has topped Spotify (in the United States), the Emmys revise how certain TV shows are classified and Netflix buys a movie theater.
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Showbiz Sandbox 443: Netflix Dominates CinemaCon Conversation
April 8, 2019
Movie theater owners from around the world gathered in Las Vegas last week to see what upcoming releases studios have in store for them. Sony skipped this year’s CinemaCon leaving many puzzled as to why and Fox showed up with their new owner, Disney. Yet it was a company that doesn’t willingly release films in cinemas that generated some of the biggest buzz; Netflix.
What we learned from attending this year’s CinemaCon is that theatrical windows aren’t disappearing anytime soon, neither are moviegoing subscription services, but 3D grosses have collapsed everywhere but in Asia. Saudi Arabia, the hot topic of last year’s show, was barely mentioned.
You’d think during a year in which worldwide box office set a new record, cinema operators would be rejoicing, however exhibitor and studio consolidation has everyone on edge, as they wait and see how Disney handles its acquisition of Fox.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a big ratings decline for “The Walking Dead,” the WGA and talent agencies continue their contentious discussions and the Justice Department goes after the Academy.
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Showbiz Sandbox 442: Apple Finally Unveils Their Content Plans
March 26, 2019
After years of anticipation and endless speculation, the technology giant Apple finally announced its plans for its video streaming service. Not only will Apple TV now be available on all smart televisions and integrate with existing cable providers, it will offer a la carte over the top services. What’s more, Apple revealed a slate of six homegrown series marking its first foray into original content.
Apple is not starting small either, launching their service with shows from some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, to name just a few. The only thing they didn’t make public about Apple TV+ is its subscription price.
And while new digital streaming platforms are all the rage, there is still plenty of money to be earned at the theatrical box office. Official numbers for 2018 have now been finalized, with North American box office rising 7%, helping boost worldwide receipts 2% to over $41 billion.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the contentious talks between the WGA and talent agencies over packaging fees, Disney officially acquires Fox and the Library of Congress adds 25 new sound recordings to the National Recording Registry.
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