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Monday, September 25, 2023
Comics Review: "BIG GAME #3" is Out Here Just Killin' Millarworld Stars
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Comics Review: "BIG GAME #2" - Nemesis Drops a Double-Nickel Game
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 13th to 19th, 2023 - Update #14
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
MOVIES - From Variety: Michael Cera talks about how he was cast in director Greta Gerwig's "Barbie."
STREAMING - From Deadline: For the fourth week in a row, the former USA Network legal drama, "Suits" (2011-19), leads the streaming charts, according to tracking service, Nielsen. The series, which also featured Meghan Markle a.k.a. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on its first seven seasons, also continues to set Nielsen records and currently streams on both Netflix and Peacock.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: "American Horror Story: Delicate" will launch Wednesday, Sept. 30th on FX. It's spinoff, "American Horror Stories," will launch a four-episode event on Hulu, starting Oct. 26th.
MOVIES - From Variety: Director Greta Gerwig's comedy, "Barbie," starring Margot Robbie, has now grossed 537.5 million dollars at the domestic box office. That makes it the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros.'s history, surpassing the 536 million dollars "The Dark Knight" grossed in 2008.
From Variety: Some people wonder why its so hard to hear some dialogue in "Oppenheimer." Well, director Christopher Nolan refuses to "record ADR."
SCANDAL - From Variety: Actor-producer Alec Baldwin may once again face manslaughter charges related to the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."
DISNEY - From Deadline: Film financier, TSG, is suing Disney for what it claims are unpaid profits from films in which it co-financed with Disney.
MOVIES - From Variety: Tom Hanks was so concerned for Austin Butler’s mental health after his starring role in "Elvis" that he offered Butler a next role (starring in Apple TV+'s "Masters of the Air") immediately to prevent "emotional whiplash." Hanks co-starred in the 2022 Elvis Presley biopic with Butler as Elvis' manager, Col. Tom Parker.
NETFLIX - From Variety: Netflix has released the first official trailer for "Maestro." Bradley Cooper directs and stars in the film about late conductor Leonard Bernstein's 25-year marriage to Felicia Montealegre.
MOVIES - From Variety: Margot Robbie is the star and producer of Summer 2023's biggest hit, "Barbie." Now, Robbie could make as much as 50 million dollars in salary and bonuses.
CELEBRITY/ECO - From THR: A new species of snake discovered in Peru, South America has been named in honor of Hollywood icon, Harrison Ford. The snake is called "Tachymenoides harrisonfordi."
SPORTS/MOVIES - From ESPN: Former NFL player, Michael Oher, was the subject of the 2009 Oscar-winning film, "The Blind Side." Now, he's suing the real-life couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, because they lied to him and stole from him.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 8/11 to 8/13/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 33.7 million dollars.
NETFLIX - From Variety: Adam Sandler's daughters, Sunny and Sadie, have joined their father in the Netflix film, "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah." Netflix has released a trailer for the film, which is due August 25th.
OBITS:
From THR: American music executive, business, and film producer, Clarence Avant, has died at the age of 92, Sunday, August 13, 2023. Nicknamed "the Godfather of Black Music," he was a manager, advisor, mentor, and behind-the-scenes force in so many music deals. He was the manager of jazz legend, Sarah Vaugh. Avant brokered the sale of Stax Records and co-promoted the late Michael Jackson's first solo world tour, "Bad." Avant advised countless music producers, executives, and recording artists, including Quincy Jones, David Geffen, Irving Azoff, Jay Z, Pharrell Williams, and Queen Latifah, to name a few.
From Deadline: The American rapper and recording artist, Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff, has died at the age of 50, Sunday, August 13, 2023. He was best known for his collaboration with rapper/producer, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley. The two formed the rap duo, "Timbaland & Magoo," which released three albums, including the platinum certified, "Welcome to Our World" (1997). Magoo also made guest appearances and collaborated with several other recording artists, including Bubba Sparxxx, Ginuwine, and Missy Elliot. He also recorded on Timbaland's solo projects.
WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:
From Deadline: Writers Guild (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume strike talks today, Fri., Aug. 11th.
From Deadline: Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.
From Deadline: Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes. Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
From Deadline: If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.
From Variety: International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.
From Variety: Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."
From Deadline: Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.
From THR: Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.
From Variety: Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.
From Variety: Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”
From Deadline: If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.
From Variety: The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles. Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.
From Deadline: The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."
From Deadline: Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.
From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.
From Deadline: WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.
From THR: TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.
From Deadline: The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.
From Deadline: Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.
From THR: Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.
From Deadline: The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.
From Deadline: Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday. The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.
From Deadline: Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.
From Deadline: President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.
From Deadline: Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.
From Deadline: Retaliation! Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike. Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.
From Deadline: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.
From Deadline: Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.
From Deadline: The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.
From Deadline: What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?
From Deadline: The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.
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Thursday, August 17, 2023
Comics Review: "THE MAGIC ORDER 4 #6" Flows Like a Harpoon
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Comics Review: "NIGHT CLUB #6" Doesn't Wait Until Dark
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Comics Review: "BIG GAME #1" Got Game
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 8th, 2023 - Update #18
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
CELEBRITY - From Deadline: "GQ Magazine" has removed its recent article about Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav from its website after Warner objected to the article, which referred to Zaslav as "the most hated man in Hollywood."
From Variety: Oops. The editor who was involved in pulling the article that was critical of Warner CEO David Zaslav is also producing a movie at Warner Bros. Discovery...
MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Variety: Paramount and Apple have released the second trailer for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone. The Apple Original film has set its wide theatrical release for October 20th, and will subsequently stream on Apple TV+.
MOVIES - ScreenRant: "Ghostbusters" star Ernie Hudson has confirmed that the "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" sequel has completed filming. If all goes well in post-production, the film could see a release at the end of this year or sometime in the spring, says Hudson.
From Deadline: Quentin Tarantino has shot down hopes for a third entry in his "Kill Bill" series.
STREAMING - From THR: Daniel Radcliffe, who came to fame for portraying "Harry Potter" in seven films, is not looking for a return in Max's in-development streaming series adaptation of the Potter novels.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Victor Ginzburg’s timely sci-fi horror "Empire V," which is described as a social parody of Russia being controlled by vampires, will make its world premiere at Montreal’s Fantasia Fest this July. Sony Pictures planned to release the film in Russia, but the film was banned.
NETFLIX - From THR: Netflix acquired the film and TV rights to the late author, C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" books series. Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Greta Gerwig, is attached to direct two "Narnia" films.
SCANDAL - From Variety: Kevin Spacey's trial for sexual assault in the United Kingdom at Southwark Crown Court in London. One of Spacey's alleged victims compared him to "John Doe," the serial killer that Spacey played in the 1995 Morgan Freeman-Brad Pitt thriller, "Seven."
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 6/30 to 7/2/2023 weekend box office is Disney/Lucasfilm's "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" with an estimated take of 60 million dollars.
From Here: A review of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" by Leroy Douresseaux.
From Variety: "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" has a 70-million dollar debut at the international box office.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Here is a list of the on-air talent who have been laid off/fired at ESPN.
From Deadline: ESPN on-air talent react to being laid off/fired.
ANIMATION - From THR: The latest revival of the former Fox animated series (1999-2003) and Comedy Central animated series (2008-13), "Futurama," will begin July 24th on Hulu.
WRITERS STRIKE:
From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.
From Deadline: WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.
From THR: TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.
From Deadline: The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.
From Deadline: Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.
From THR: Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.
From Deadline: The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.
From Deadline: Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday. The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.
From Deadline: Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.
From Deadline: President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.
From Deadline: Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.
From Deadline: Retaliation! Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike. Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.
From Deadline: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.
From Deadline: Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.
From Deadline: The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.
From Deadline: What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?
From Deadline: The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.
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Saturday, June 24, 2023
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 18th to 24th, 2023 - Update #16
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
STRIKE - From Deadline: Members of the Directors Guild of America have overwhelmingly ratified a new film and television contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the film and TV studios.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: The "Magnum P.I." reboot starring Jay Hernandez was broadcast for four seasons on CBS. NBC picked it up for a fifth season when CBS cancelled it. Now, NBC has opted not to order additional episodes beyond this current fifth season.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Director Spike Lee is attending the Cannes Lions Festival where he will receive the "Creative Maker of the Year" awards. In an interview, the Oscar-winner mentioned a piece of advice given to him by the late recording artist and icon, Michael Jackson. The King of Pop told Spike, "Don't ever use the term, 'music video'." Spike calls his music videos "short films."
NETFLIX - From Variety: Netflix has revealed the cast for its live-action series version of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and it has released the first teaser trailer. The series is due in 2024,
MOVIES - From IndieWire: Oscar-winners, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, and should-be-an-Oscar-winner, Paul Thomas Anderson, have teamed up for an emergency call with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the layoffs of Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) top brass.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Warner Bros. Discovery is shopping some of its HBO library titles to its rival, Netflix. The first title may be the Issa Rae comedy, "Insecure," which recently finished its five-season run.
SCANDAL - From Deadline: France’s highest appeals court dismissed accusations of rape by Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy against French director and producer Luc Besson on Wednesday. Van Roy accused Besson of raping her in 2016 and 2018 encounters.
ANIMATION - From Deadline: Actor Dan Stevens will now provide the voice of the lead character, "Korvo," in Hulu's animated series, "Solar Opposites." He replaces Justin Roiland, who is also the co-creator (with Mike McMahan) of the series. Roiland was ousted from Solar Opposites in January because he was facing domestic abuse charges.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Television super-producer and creator, Ryan Murphy ("American Horror Story," "Nip/Tuck," "Pose") is set to leave Netflix after his five-year Netflix deal expires. He is in talks to return to Disney which owns FX, the home of his biggest hits.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 6/16 to 6/18/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.' "The Flash" with an estimated total of 55.1 million dollars.
From Deadline: Wes Anderson's latest film, "Asteroid City," has the strongest opening weekend ($790,000) for a limited release/specialty box office film in many years.
From BloodyDisgusting: John Squires of "Bloody Disgusting" says that The seven million-dollar debut of Tim Story's "The Blackening" is a win for Lionsgate.
DISNEY - From Variety: In an interview with "Variety," Pixar CCO (Chief Creative Officer) Pete Docter says that Disney has trained families to wait for films to appear on Disney+. He reveals that Pixar is working on "Toy Story 5."
MOVIES - From Deadline: Two plagiarism claimants were trying to delay the recent release of director Tim Story's black-centric horror comedy, "The Blackening." A California district court judge didn't buy the claim.
OBITS:
From Deadline: Stage and screen actor, Frederic Forrest, has died at the age of 86, Friday, June 23, 2023. His breakthrough film was 1972's "When Legends Die," which earned his a Golden Globe Award. He appeared in four films in which Francis Ford Coppola was involved, including "The Conversation" (1974) and "Apocalypse Now" (1979). He earned an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role as "Huston Dyer" in "The Rose" (1979), alongside Bette Midler.
From Deadline: American mystery author and actress, Carol Higgins Clark, has died at the age of 66, Monday, June 12, 2023. She was best known for her "Regan Reilly" mystery series, and Clark was also the daughter of the late suspense novelist, Mary Higgins Clark. She also appeared in several television movies, including "A Cry in the Night" (1992), which was based on her mother's 1982 novel of the same title.
WRITERS STRIKE:
From THR: Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.
From Deadline: The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.
From Deadline: Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday. The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.
From Deadline: Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.
From Deadline: President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.
From Deadline: Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.
From Deadline: Retaliation! Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike. Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.
From Deadline: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.
From Deadline: Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.
From Deadline: The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.
From Deadline: What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?
From Deadline: The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.
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Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Comics Review: "THE MAGIC ORDER 4 #5" - The Bitch is Back and Another One is Coming
Sunday, June 11, 2023
Comics Review: "THE AMBASSADORS #6" is a Battle Royale
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 10th, 2023 - Update #27
by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:
ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
ANIMATION - From Deadline: Warner Animation Group is now Warner Bros Pictures Animation, and that is just part of the rebranding from new President of Feature Animation, Bill Damaschke.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: NBC has cancelled the sitcom, "Young Rock," after three seasons on the network. The series focuses on different chapters in the life of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
MUSIC - From Variety: Grammy-winning legend, Madonna, and Grammy and Oscar-winner, Sam Smith, drop their new collabo, the single, "Vulgar."
SCANDAL - From THR: Actor and voice performer, Jay Johnston, has been arrested by the FBI for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Charged by the Department of Justice in connection to his presence at the Capitol, Johnston was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles. Johnson is best known for his voice role as "Jimmy Pesto Sr.," a pizzeria owner on Fox's long-running animated series, "Bob's Burgers," and for appearing on such series as "Mr. Show with Bob and Dave" (HBO) and "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central).
ANIMATION - From Deadline: Due to its recent rise in ratings, Cartoon Network is giving its "Adult Swim" banner an extra hour of programming each evening, starting in late August.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: For the first time, the NFL highlights and analysis TV series, "Inside the NFL, moves to The CW, beginning Sept. 5th. The series began in 1977 on HBO (1977-2008). It moved to Showtime (2008-21), and then most recently was on Paramount+ (2021-23).
NETFLIX - From Variety: Zack Snyder days that his epic sci-fi film, "Rebel Moon," will be two films, and each will have two versions. There will be a version that "anyone can enjoy," and there will be a version that is explicit and for "adults only."
DISNEY - From THR: ABC has defeated a lawsuit from Ingo Rademacher over his dismissal from the daytime soap opera, "General Hospital," for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Rademacher left or was fired from the series around November 2021.
SCANDAL - From THR: Disgraced director, Bryan Singer (Fox's "X-Men" franchise), is planning a documentary film that would address the sexual misconduct accusations against him. A 2019 expose in "The Atlantic" magazine detailed accusations against Singer by four accusers.
BREAKING - From THR: 98 percent of the members of Hollywood’s largest union, SAG-AFTRA, have given the green light to their negotiators to call a strike if deemed necessary in upcoming labor negotiations with the Hollywood studios.
APPLE - From Deadline: Apple has announced its first major device launch in nearly a decade its VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) headset and platform, "Vision Pro." Apparently, the starting price will be $3499.00
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 6/2 to 6/4/2023 weekend box office is Sony Pictures Animations' "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" with an estimated take of 120.5 million dollars.
From Deadline: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" grosses 88.1 million dollars at the international box office. Combined with its 120.5 million at the domestic box office, that is a global total of 208.6 million dollars.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Oscar-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola and Kevin Costner talk about risking their fortunes bankrolling passion projects. For Coppola, it is "Megalopolis," his epic, troubled sci-fi film. For Costner, it is "Horizon," the first of four films set in the pre- and post-Civil War expansion of the American West.
DISNEY - From Deadline: The Disney layoffs have hit Pixar with 75 jobs being made redundant at the legendary animation studio. Among those let go are Angus McLane, the director of Pixar's "Lightyear" and Galyn Susman, the film's producer. Susman had been with Pixar since 1995 and is apparently the person who saved "Toy Story 2."
DISNEY - From Deadline: British actor Hugo Speer, one of the original actors from the 1997 film, "The Full Monty," was dropped from the forthcoming Disney spinoff series because (according to him) a few people saw him... naked.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: The CW's "The Winchesters" is officially dead, as Warner Bros. has not been able to find another home for the series, which The CW cancelled after one season. It is a spinoff and prequel to The CW's long-running "Supernatural."
MOVIES - From Variety: Harrison Ford says he takes some of the blame for his clash with Brad Pitt over the script for the 1997 film thriller, "The Devil's Own."
LGBTQ+ - From Variety: Elliot Page reveals in his upcoming book, "Pageboy," that a famous actor threatened to force sex on when he came out as gay over decade ago when he was "Ellen Page." The forced sex would prove that he wasn't gay - just afraid of men...
CELEBRITY - From PerezHilton: Reality television star family, the Duggars, will always be with us. Hilton details how family patriarch, Jim Bob Duggar, stole his children's reality TV money. The post starts off funny and then, starts to read like an expose on a cult leader.
MOVIES - From TheWrap: Universal Pictures is in active development on an untitled new “Fast & Furious” film starring Dwayne Johnson as "Luke Hobbs." The film won’t be a sequel to 2019's “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” or a spinoff. Instead, it will be a direct continuation of the main “Fast Saga” story, serving as a bridge between the recently released “Fast X” and and its follow-up, “Fast X: Part II.”
From CBR: Star Vin Diesel is reportedly upset with another "Fast & Furious" co-star over stealing attention from him.
DISNEY - From CBR: Disney and Lucasfilm have revealed seven new "character posters" from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
HARRISON FORD - From Variety: Harrison Ford told a trio of stunt workers on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" the following: "Leave me the f**k alone." Why? Read and find out.
From CBR: Harrison Ford has now changed his stance and agrees with "Blade Runner" director, Ridley Scott. Ford believes that the film's lead character, "Rick Deckard," is a replicant.
AWARDS - From Deadline: Here is your 2023-24 award season calendar, beginning on May 31, 2023 with the "Television Academy Honors" ceremony and ends on ends on March 10th, 2024 with the 96th Academy Awards.
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WRITERS STRIKE:
From Deadline: The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.
From Deadline: Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday. The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.
From Deadline: Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.
From Deadline: President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.
From Deadline: Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.
From Deadline: Retaliation! Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike. Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.
From Deadline: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.
From Deadline: Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.
From Deadline: The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.
From Deadline: What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?
From Deadline: The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.