Editor’s note: Underplayed in the media intrigue over the prospect of Warner Bros swallowing Shari Redstone’s empire that includes Paramount and CBS is the gloomy reality that another storied Hollywood studio could go the way of Fox. That went from a vibrant, multi-faceted creative content-generating enterprise to a headstone when Rupert Murdoch decided to cash out for Disney stock. David Zaslav spent 2023 kicking employees and finished films to the curb to pay down debt just to get this far; chances are more blood will spill down Melrose if Redstone sells some or all the pieces of Paramount to be mashed into an existing studio. When Bill Mechanic was perched atop Paramount, Disney and Fox, he built Disney’s home video from a $30 million to $3 billion business and found ways to take risks and squeeze max returns from blockbusters from Braveheart to Titanic, Independence Day and many others. Who...
- 1/4/2024
- by Bill Mechanic
- Deadline Film + TV
Editors Note: Bill Mechanic is chairman and CEO of Pandemonium Films and a former top executive at Paramount, Disney and chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment. He is also a former producer of the Oscars and Oscar-nominated films like Hacksaw Ridge and Coraline. He previously advocated for interim agreements as a guest on Deadline’s Strike Talk podcast and his company has applied for them since.
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A strike is about emotions just as much as it is about financials. Owners/employers feel the need to protect their businesses, their profitability, even though neither is generally at risk. Strikers often feel they are treated with disrespect which makes the fight more than simply about fair wages. In the current dispute, it sure seems like this year’s guild actions against the AMPTP tilts more in favor of those on strike. Every action that brought us to this impasse was at...
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A strike is about emotions just as much as it is about financials. Owners/employers feel the need to protect their businesses, their profitability, even though neither is generally at risk. Strikers often feel they are treated with disrespect which makes the fight more than simply about fair wages. In the current dispute, it sure seems like this year’s guild actions against the AMPTP tilts more in favor of those on strike. Every action that brought us to this impasse was at...
- 8/16/2023
- by Bill Mechanic
- Deadline Film + TV
Billy Ray and Todd Garner are back for Week 4 of the WGA standoff on Deadline’s Strike Talk podcast. Click to listen below.
Bill Mechanic
In this installment, our hosts discuss strike strategy with Bill Mechanic, the Oscar-nominated producer and chairman/CEO of Pandemonium who was on the studio side of the table in past labor negotiations as a top exec at Disney and then at Fox, which he ran from 1993-2000 during a time of prosperity for that studio.
Related: Deadline’s Full Strike Coverage
Among the topics Mechanic discusses is the question of whether the current crop of streaming and legacy studio bosses have a moral responsibility to make a labor deal that will continue to nurture the ecosystem of content generation or whether their job is simply to make as much money as possible and look for the shareholders. They also discuss whether the WGA should consider...
Bill Mechanic
In this installment, our hosts discuss strike strategy with Bill Mechanic, the Oscar-nominated producer and chairman/CEO of Pandemonium who was on the studio side of the table in past labor negotiations as a top exec at Disney and then at Fox, which he ran from 1993-2000 during a time of prosperity for that studio.
Related: Deadline’s Full Strike Coverage
Among the topics Mechanic discusses is the question of whether the current crop of streaming and legacy studio bosses have a moral responsibility to make a labor deal that will continue to nurture the ecosystem of content generation or whether their job is simply to make as much money as possible and look for the shareholders. They also discuss whether the WGA should consider...
- 5/26/2023
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Danette Herman was one of the key staff members of the Academy Awards ceremonies from the 1970s into the 2010s, beginning as a production assistant and rising through the ranks to become the show’s executive in charge of talent and coordinating producer. One of the few women to serve in key positions at the Oscars, she was with the show during the years of its highest ratings and largest cultural impact.
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Danette Herman
- The Wrap
James Cameron didn’t feel like the king of the world after the poor reaction to his 1998 Oscars acceptance speech.
The “Titanic” director, who won three Academy Awards for the epic period piece including Best Picture and Best Director, quoted the film by saying he felt like the “king of the world” as a winner onstage. Yet the quote was met with immediate backlash, as proven just by looking at presenter Warren Beatty’s face backstage, according to Cameron.
“I’ll tell you exactly when I first realized it [was going to be a problem]: when I walked backstage and Warren Beatty had this look on his face like, ‘What the fuck did you just do?’ He was just looking at me like, ‘You poor boob, what the fuck did you just do?'” the “Avatar: The Way of Water” director told The Hollywood Reporter. “And I went, ‘Oh, was that not cool? Ok.’ I mean,...
The “Titanic” director, who won three Academy Awards for the epic period piece including Best Picture and Best Director, quoted the film by saying he felt like the “king of the world” as a winner onstage. Yet the quote was met with immediate backlash, as proven just by looking at presenter Warren Beatty’s face backstage, according to Cameron.
“I’ll tell you exactly when I first realized it [was going to be a problem]: when I walked backstage and Warren Beatty had this look on his face like, ‘What the fuck did you just do?’ He was just looking at me like, ‘You poor boob, what the fuck did you just do?'” the “Avatar: The Way of Water” director told The Hollywood Reporter. “And I went, ‘Oh, was that not cool? Ok.’ I mean,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Twenty-five years ago, both Titanic and the 70th annual Academy Awards at which it was crowned best picture made history. The film’s victory, however, was not preordained. Its Oscar campaign had to overcome naysayers who first doubted the film would be a success and then held its success against it. As for the ceremony itself, to borrow the title of an earlier British film about the ship that couldn’t sink, and then did, it was a night to remember.
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James Cameron (Titanic Writer/Director/Producer/Editor) There are parts of it that are very murky and there are parts of it that are quite vivid. The parts I remember the most are the setups themselves, the camera placement and how it was all accomplished. I remember all that quite vividly. The Academy Awards are a bit of a blur. But I’ll do my best.
Titanic Sets Sail...
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James Cameron (Titanic Writer/Director/Producer/Editor) There are parts of it that are very murky and there are parts of it that are quite vivid. The parts I remember the most are the setups themselves, the camera placement and how it was all accomplished. I remember all that quite vividly. The Academy Awards are a bit of a blur. But I’ll do my best.
Titanic Sets Sail...
- 3/9/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The majority of producers might be forgiven for agonizing about their choice of career as they enter the 73rd Berlinale. Yet amid the industry’s gloom and doom around the shaky state of the independent film market and uncertain future of cinema shines a beacon of light. Habitually independent by both name and natural instincts, producer collaboration between themselves – across borders and continents —are playing an enhanced and vital role as the industry pivots once again in the face of ongoing disruption.
Definitions of so-called ‘independence’ in sync with the ‘producer’ moniker vary so widely that the very term has been questioned. “There is no such thing as an independent producer,” Bill Mechanic, CEO of Pandemonium and former Fox Filmed Entertainment boss memorably opined to IFTA members pre-pandemic. “There are dependent producers: dependent on distributors, financiers and bankers and distribution channels that understand the market even less that the corporations that own the studios.
Definitions of so-called ‘independence’ in sync with the ‘producer’ moniker vary so widely that the very term has been questioned. “There is no such thing as an independent producer,” Bill Mechanic, CEO of Pandemonium and former Fox Filmed Entertainment boss memorably opined to IFTA members pre-pandemic. “There are dependent producers: dependent on distributors, financiers and bankers and distribution channels that understand the market even less that the corporations that own the studios.
- 2/16/2023
- by Angus Finney
- Variety Film + TV
The production of "Titanic" has gotten plenty of attention for its record-setting 200 million budget, but as the film's scheduled July 1997 release date approached, the public's attention was equally as locked onto the schedule delays as much as the ballooning costs. After principal photography expanded to an unprecedented 160 days, representing over a month of additional shooting, filming finally wrapped on March 23, 1997 and post-production could enter full swing.
By April, The New York Times was reporting a strong likelihood of postponement based on Cameron's comments that even August 1 would be "grueling but do-able." In May, it became official. The release date moved from July 2 to December 19, bringing an end to his streak of summer box office dominance, with "Terminator 2" and "True Lies," and converting Cameron to prefer December releases, as adopted on the "Avatar" franchise.
Among the causes of delays was a contagious flu that spread throughout the cast and crew,...
By April, The New York Times was reporting a strong likelihood of postponement based on Cameron's comments that even August 1 would be "grueling but do-able." In May, it became official. The release date moved from July 2 to December 19, bringing an end to his streak of summer box office dominance, with "Terminator 2" and "True Lies," and converting Cameron to prefer December releases, as adopted on the "Avatar" franchise.
Among the causes of delays was a contagious flu that spread throughout the cast and crew,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Walter Roberts
- Slash Film
(To celebrate "Titanic" and its impending 25th-anniversary re-release, we've put together a week of explorations, inquires, and deep dives into James Cameron's box office-smashing disaster epic.)
Those who were around for the 1997 release of James Cameron's film "Titanic" will likely recall that the knives were out. Stories of the film's production troubles were widely reported, the budget ballooned to unimaginable proportions (the final price tag was in the 200 million range), and many were skeptical about the film's ability to make money. "Titanic" was initially meant to be a summer release, but its opening was pushed back to December 19, 1997, right in the middle of awards season. Perhaps to Cameron's relief, the film opened at #1 at the box office.
It stayed at #1 at the box office until the release of "Lost in Space" ... the following April. "Titanic" was watched multiple times by a great many people, and became a legitimate phenomenon,...
Those who were around for the 1997 release of James Cameron's film "Titanic" will likely recall that the knives were out. Stories of the film's production troubles were widely reported, the budget ballooned to unimaginable proportions (the final price tag was in the 200 million range), and many were skeptical about the film's ability to make money. "Titanic" was initially meant to be a summer release, but its opening was pushed back to December 19, 1997, right in the middle of awards season. Perhaps to Cameron's relief, the film opened at #1 at the box office.
It stayed at #1 at the box office until the release of "Lost in Space" ... the following April. "Titanic" was watched multiple times by a great many people, and became a legitimate phenomenon,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Fox Hoped Promising Refunds Would Help Get People Into Theaters To See 1994's Miracle On 34th Street
These days, remakes are an all-too-prevalent part of the Hollywood machine. Not to get all old-man-yells-at-cloud on you, but it's gotten a bit silly of late. Even the likes of "Easy Rider" are being rebooted now. But long before, say, Disney began turning its beloved animated musicals into disorienting, desaturated live-action fare, movie studios always had a penchant for retreading successful material.
So it was back in 1994 when 20th Century Fox Studios decided it was high-time they remade the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street." The original captured the hearts of America, with Edmund Gwenn's Kris Kringle defending his claim of being the real Santa Claus in court, thereby restoring everyone's faith in the magic of existence. Valentine Davies' story, directed by George Seaton, simultaneously promoted corporate interests by heavily featuring department store giant Macy's, and critiqued big business encroachment on the festive season by depicting some good old...
So it was back in 1994 when 20th Century Fox Studios decided it was high-time they remade the 1947 holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street." The original captured the hearts of America, with Edmund Gwenn's Kris Kringle defending his claim of being the real Santa Claus in court, thereby restoring everyone's faith in the magic of existence. Valentine Davies' story, directed by George Seaton, simultaneously promoted corporate interests by heavily featuring department store giant Macy's, and critiqued big business encroachment on the festive season by depicting some good old...
- 12/30/2022
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Disney soon will find out the wisdom of its massive acquisition of Fox and ownership of the billion-dollar investment in Avatar tentpoles that should give the studio a fresh supply of blockbusters over the next decade. Avatar: The Way of Water opens Friday, with only a modicum of budget drama, considering every movie he made since his 1984 breakthrough The Terminator has been preceded by media pearl-clutching that Cameron’s penchant for big budgets finally would ruin a studio.
It never happened, not on Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Abyss, Aliens, True Lies, Titanic — for which a chastened Cameron surrendered his backend after doubling the budget of a film that won Best Picture and became Hollywood’s highest grosser — and again on Avatar, whose gross surpassed Titanic and is the largest-grossing film ever worldwide.
Not that it hasn’t been stressful; former Fox chief Bill Mechanic once told me he wouldn...
It never happened, not on Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Abyss, Aliens, True Lies, Titanic — for which a chastened Cameron surrendered his backend after doubling the budget of a film that won Best Picture and became Hollywood’s highest grosser — and again on Avatar, whose gross surpassed Titanic and is the largest-grossing film ever worldwide.
Not that it hasn’t been stressful; former Fox chief Bill Mechanic once told me he wouldn...
- 12/13/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Since 1993, Poland’s Camerimage film festival has followed a circular path, launching in the medieval city of Toruń, then moving the festivities first to Łódź and then to Bydgoszcz, before completing a full revolution with a return to its original, historic site.
Per the festival brass, the cinematography showcase’s peripatetic nature for the past three decades has above all stemmed from a simple desire to set down where roots could grow. “From the very beginning, our dream was to hold this festival in its own, proper location,” says Camerimage founder Marek Zydowicz. “To have a dedicated space that runs all year long, offering education, and showing films that represent our values. Because thus far, we’ve always been moving, looking for that best place.”
Now aiming for a late 2025 opening, the festival’s flagship European Film Center project will keep its doors open all-year long to the industry professionals...
Per the festival brass, the cinematography showcase’s peripatetic nature for the past three decades has above all stemmed from a simple desire to set down where roots could grow. “From the very beginning, our dream was to hold this festival in its own, proper location,” says Camerimage founder Marek Zydowicz. “To have a dedicated space that runs all year long, offering education, and showing films that represent our values. Because thus far, we’ve always been moving, looking for that best place.”
Now aiming for a late 2025 opening, the festival’s flagship European Film Center project will keep its doors open all-year long to the industry professionals...
- 10/28/2022
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Editors Note: Bill Mechanic is chairman and CEO of Pandemonium Films and a former top executive at Paramount, Disney and chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment when that studio generated Titanic, X-Men, Independence Day and Braveheart. He is also a former producer of the Oscars and Oscar-nominated films like Hacksaw Ridge and Coraline, and was a member of the Academy’s Board of Governors before resigning in 2018. He weighs in on that body’s upcoming elections.
A few years ago now (amazing how time flies during a pandemic), I resigned as a governor from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for two reasons: 1) there were factions on the Board of Governors who wanted everything to be status quo in spite of evidence of mismanagement as well as some foreboding changes coming to the industry; and 2) I thought a loud and clear resignation might get the silenced majority...
A few years ago now (amazing how time flies during a pandemic), I resigned as a governor from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for two reasons: 1) there were factions on the Board of Governors who wanted everything to be status quo in spite of evidence of mismanagement as well as some foreboding changes coming to the industry; and 2) I thought a loud and clear resignation might get the silenced majority...
- 5/17/2022
- by Bill Mechanic
- Deadline Film + TV
In case you hadn’t noticed, last weekend marked a rigorous box office rivalry between Old and Snake Eyes. Old won.
Ok, Hollywood’s summer ain’t what it used to be. Hopefully, there are still filmgoers out there yearning for popcorn rather than pushbacks, but they’ll have to wait until autumn for Dune and a new Bond movie (No Time to Die).
Meanwhile, Black Widow’s flaccid third week had box office nerds dialing back to Thor and Doctor Strange to find precedent in the fall-off derby. Sure, Disney was also playing Widow on its Disney+ service, but as one film veteran, Bill Mechanic, recently pointed out: “Dumping films into streaming is pure arrogance. Theaters should be nurtured, not destroyed.”
Mechanic’s outburst carries a certain irony because, some 20 years ago, he led the way to the ultimate Hollywood summer – a slugfest of blockbusters with giant budgets and overzealous plot lines.
Ok, Hollywood’s summer ain’t what it used to be. Hopefully, there are still filmgoers out there yearning for popcorn rather than pushbacks, but they’ll have to wait until autumn for Dune and a new Bond movie (No Time to Die).
Meanwhile, Black Widow’s flaccid third week had box office nerds dialing back to Thor and Doctor Strange to find precedent in the fall-off derby. Sure, Disney was also playing Widow on its Disney+ service, but as one film veteran, Bill Mechanic, recently pointed out: “Dumping films into streaming is pure arrogance. Theaters should be nurtured, not destroyed.”
Mechanic’s outburst carries a certain irony because, some 20 years ago, he led the way to the ultimate Hollywood summer – a slugfest of blockbusters with giant budgets and overzealous plot lines.
- 7/29/2021
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Director Sophia Banks has lined up her second feature off the back of action-thriller Black Site, with the announcement today she will helm Cosmos Pictures’ Street Rat Allie.
The first in what is expected to be a trilogy of films, the story follows Allie, who is presented with a ticket to escape a post-apocalyptic city sealed off by a dome. She and her ‘Street Rats’, a pack of Dickensian girls who depend on each other for survival, become the targets of every criminal – human or otherwise. Armed with only her wits and a skateboard, Allie faces incredible dangers and perhaps the biggest battle of all, fighting her own conscience in leaving the Street Rats behind.
Production will commence in Australia next year, with Hacksaw Ridge trio Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie, and Rick Nicita to produce for Cosmos Pictures.
Street Rat Allie is the debut film project for writer Walker McKnight,...
The first in what is expected to be a trilogy of films, the story follows Allie, who is presented with a ticket to escape a post-apocalyptic city sealed off by a dome. She and her ‘Street Rats’, a pack of Dickensian girls who depend on each other for survival, become the targets of every criminal – human or otherwise. Armed with only her wits and a skateboard, Allie faces incredible dangers and perhaps the biggest battle of all, fighting her own conscience in leaving the Street Rats behind.
Production will commence in Australia next year, with Hacksaw Ridge trio Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie, and Rick Nicita to produce for Cosmos Pictures.
Street Rat Allie is the debut film project for writer Walker McKnight,...
- 6/1/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Director Sophia Banks, currently in post-production on her debut feature Black Site with Michelle Monaghan, Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney, is next teaming up with Hacksaw Ridge producers Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie and Rick Nicita on female survival movie Street Rat Allie.
The film will follow Allie, who is presented with a ticket to escape her post-apocalyptic city, which is sealed off by a dome. She and her ‘Street Rats,’ a pack of Dickensian girls who depend on each other for survival, become the targets of every criminal — human or otherwise. Armed with only her wits and a skateboard, she must overcome outsiders and her own conscience in leaving her fellow Street Rats behind.
Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie and Rick Nicita will produce for Cosmos Pictures. The firm is aiming to make a trilogy of films around the IP. Production is slated to start in Australia in 2022.
Script comes...
The film will follow Allie, who is presented with a ticket to escape her post-apocalyptic city, which is sealed off by a dome. She and her ‘Street Rats,’ a pack of Dickensian girls who depend on each other for survival, become the targets of every criminal — human or otherwise. Armed with only her wits and a skateboard, she must overcome outsiders and her own conscience in leaving her fellow Street Rats behind.
Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie and Rick Nicita will produce for Cosmos Pictures. The firm is aiming to make a trilogy of films around the IP. Production is slated to start in Australia in 2022.
Script comes...
- 6/1/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Editor’s note: Before he founded and became CEO of the Universal-based animation factory Illumination, Chris Meledandri was tasked with building an animation division at Fox. Early on, the president of Twentieth Century Fox Animation in 1998 acquired Blue Sky Studios for the studio. The Westchester, NY-based animation company might have started as an adjunct to Fox’s Hollywood animation operation, but that changed when Meledandri gave Blue Sky the room to grow, and the result was the multibillion-dollar Ice Age franchise. Meledandri, who would start Illumination and hatch another multibillion-dollar franchise in Despicable Me. Here, he laments the decision by Disney to shutter Blue Sky and celebrates its origins.
Hearing the sad news of the closing of Blue Sky Studios brings back the memories of our journey together. It was 1996 and I was running the animation division at Fox.
Hearing the sad news of the closing of Blue Sky Studios brings back the memories of our journey together. It was 1996 and I was running the animation division at Fox.
- 2/16/2021
- by Chris Meledandri
- Deadline Film + TV
Editors Note: As chairman/CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment in the era of Titanic, X-Men, Independence Day and Braveheart, and producer of the Oscars and Oscar-nominated films like Hacksaw Ridge and Coraline, Bill Mechanic has been part of the fabric of the film industry his whole career. He thought he had seen every iteration and change in a business striving to stay relevant in the digital age. The surprise move by WarnerMedia to drop its entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max was a new one on him, and one he thinks can do lasting damage to the traditions of a billion-dollar industry. Here, he explains why.
We are living in an upside-down world. For decades, WB has been the most talent-friendly studio, catering to the needs of stars, directors, and even producers. But in one fell swoop, after being swallowed by AT&T and inserting a management team of outsiders, WB became the antithesis.
We are living in an upside-down world. For decades, WB has been the most talent-friendly studio, catering to the needs of stars, directors, and even producers. But in one fell swoop, after being swallowed by AT&T and inserting a management team of outsiders, WB became the antithesis.
- 12/16/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
David Permut, the Oscar-nominated producer of “Hacksaw Ridge,” has acquired the life rights to the story of John Franzese Jr., the son of the Colombo crime family’s second-in-command, Sonny Franzese.
The elder Franzese passed away on Sunday at the age of 103.
Franzese Jr. became active in the family business during the 1980s, leading to a life of overindulgence. After falling victim to drug addiction, he was excommunicated from the family and hit rock bottom, living directionless on the streets. Franzese Jr. sought help through a 12-step program, which ultimately led him to the witness protection program as well. He found that the only way to achieve peace with himself was to come clean of the crimes he had committed and work with the FBI to bring his former consiglieres to justice, including his father. In 2010, he became the first son of a New York mobster to testify in court against his father.
The elder Franzese passed away on Sunday at the age of 103.
Franzese Jr. became active in the family business during the 1980s, leading to a life of overindulgence. After falling victim to drug addiction, he was excommunicated from the family and hit rock bottom, living directionless on the streets. Franzese Jr. sought help through a 12-step program, which ultimately led him to the witness protection program as well. He found that the only way to achieve peace with himself was to come clean of the crimes he had committed and work with the FBI to bring his former consiglieres to justice, including his father. In 2010, he became the first son of a New York mobster to testify in court against his father.
- 2/24/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Bong Joon-ho at the awards.
If the consensus views of the 200 members of Aacta’s International chapter are a bellwether of the Academy Awards, it could be a memorable night for Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s black comedy/thriller Parasite, Quentin Tarantino, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
Parasite beat Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Todd Phillips’ The Joker, David Michôd’s The King and Taraninto’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood to win best film at the Aacta International Awards presented in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Tarantino was named best director while Taiki Waititi’s Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit took the screenplay prize.
The best lead actor and actress gongs went to Marriage Story’s Adam Driver and Little Women’s Saoirse Ronan.
Brad Pitt was judged best supporting actor for Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Margot Robbie best supporting actress for her performance as Kayla Pospisil,...
If the consensus views of the 200 members of Aacta’s International chapter are a bellwether of the Academy Awards, it could be a memorable night for Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s black comedy/thriller Parasite, Quentin Tarantino, Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie.
Parasite beat Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Todd Phillips’ The Joker, David Michôd’s The King and Taraninto’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood to win best film at the Aacta International Awards presented in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Tarantino was named best director while Taiki Waititi’s Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit took the screenplay prize.
The best lead actor and actress gongs went to Marriage Story’s Adam Driver and Little Women’s Saoirse Ronan.
Brad Pitt was judged best supporting actor for Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Margot Robbie best supporting actress for her performance as Kayla Pospisil,...
- 1/5/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
What a difference a decade makes.
At the beginning of the 2010s, the Oscars were already showing signs of change: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had expanded the Best Picture category from five to 10 nominees and given the Best Director award to a woman for the first time ever, while also looking for new income sources as Oscar show ratings fell and the economic downturn hit AMPAS investments.
Even so, nobody could have foreseen just how dramatically the awards, and the Academy that hands them out, would be transformed over the next 10 years. While the 1930s saw the Oscars grow from seven categories decided by committee to 20 categories and thousands of voters, and the 1950s put the Oscars on television, it’s hard to find a more transformational decade than the 2010s.
Here’s a look at the changes, which have included the profound impact of #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo,...
At the beginning of the 2010s, the Oscars were already showing signs of change: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had expanded the Best Picture category from five to 10 nominees and given the Best Director award to a woman for the first time ever, while also looking for new income sources as Oscar show ratings fell and the economic downturn hit AMPAS investments.
Even so, nobody could have foreseen just how dramatically the awards, and the Academy that hands them out, would be transformed over the next 10 years. While the 1930s saw the Oscars grow from seven categories decided by committee to 20 categories and thousands of voters, and the 1950s put the Oscars on television, it’s hard to find a more transformational decade than the 2010s.
Here’s a look at the changes, which have included the profound impact of #OscarsSoWhite and #MeToo,...
- 12/29/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Disney empire has soared in value thanks to its inspired acquisitions, but some Disney veterans still cringe in recalling their company’s most troubling takeover: Miramax.
In empowering Harvey Weinstein with Disney money and muscle, the rulers of the Magic Kingdom in 1993 transformed a struggling indie distributor into an all-consuming producer-predator whose ultimate self-destruction is about to play out in the courtroom.
At a time when mega mergers involving Viacom and AT&T are taking center stage, the Miramax deal seems at once paltry, yet historically noteworthy. The acquisition involved $60 million, plus assumption of more than $40 million in debt.
The Harvey Weinstein of 1993 was broke and also desperate to find distribution for two obscure pickups — a sexually ambiguous film set in Northern Ireland, and a comedy made on a dime by a young, first-time filmmaker. While ill-kempt and fiercely aggressive, Weinstein was also shrewdly deferential. He always said “thank you” and opened doors for women.
In empowering Harvey Weinstein with Disney money and muscle, the rulers of the Magic Kingdom in 1993 transformed a struggling indie distributor into an all-consuming producer-predator whose ultimate self-destruction is about to play out in the courtroom.
At a time when mega mergers involving Viacom and AT&T are taking center stage, the Miramax deal seems at once paltry, yet historically noteworthy. The acquisition involved $60 million, plus assumption of more than $40 million in debt.
The Harvey Weinstein of 1993 was broke and also desperate to find distribution for two obscure pickups — a sexually ambiguous film set in Northern Ireland, and a comedy made on a dime by a young, first-time filmmaker. While ill-kempt and fiercely aggressive, Weinstein was also shrewdly deferential. He always said “thank you” and opened doors for women.
- 9/19/2019
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
David Fincher’s 1999 film Fight Club may be a cult classic beloved film now, but 20 years ago audiences didn’t really care for it. In fact, the movie bombed at the box office and it was booed by audiences at early screenings! The world obviously just wasn’t ready for a movie like Fight Club at the time!
Fight Club first premiered in September of 1999 at the Venice Film Festival and Brad Pitt and Edward Norton look back on the experience and talk about it with The Ringer, Brad Pitt recalls the reaction to that screening, saying:
“It gets to one of Helena’s scandalous lines—‘I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school!’—and literally the guy running the festival got up and left. Edward and I were still the only ones laughing. You could hear two idiots up in the balcony cackling through the whole thing.
Fight Club first premiered in September of 1999 at the Venice Film Festival and Brad Pitt and Edward Norton look back on the experience and talk about it with The Ringer, Brad Pitt recalls the reaction to that screening, saying:
“It gets to one of Helena’s scandalous lines—‘I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school!’—and literally the guy running the festival got up and left. Edward and I were still the only ones laughing. You could hear two idiots up in the balcony cackling through the whole thing.
- 3/27/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
There wasn’t a whole lot to be shocked about as the 91st Oscars zipped along during a (comparatively) brisk 195-minute ceremony Sunday night. Nothing much slipped up on the pundits, beyond “The Favourite” star Olivia Colman taking the steam out of Glenn Close’s march through the season, and while most (though not all) expected a best picture victory for Netflix’s “Roma,” it was clearly in a race with “Green Book” for the final prize.
In the end, Universal claimed victory for “Green Book,” and not just for itself but in part for major film studios, which roared back into the race this year with nominated blockbusters and populist entertainment. The last time Universal claimed victory was for 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind,” and since then, only Warner Bros. of the Hollywood majors has walked away with top honors. It’s been a circuit dominated, as departing Academy governor Bill Mechanic bemoaned last April,...
In the end, Universal claimed victory for “Green Book,” and not just for itself but in part for major film studios, which roared back into the race this year with nominated blockbusters and populist entertainment. The last time Universal claimed victory was for 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind,” and since then, only Warner Bros. of the Hollywood majors has walked away with top honors. It’s been a circuit dominated, as departing Academy governor Bill Mechanic bemoaned last April,...
- 2/25/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
Five of the last eight best feature winners at the annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have gone on to win best picture at the Oscars, including a four-year streak from 2013-2016. It was a steadily evolving status quo that led former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences governor Bill Mechanic to question his organization’s selections in a scathing resignation letter last April.
“[O]ver the past decade we have nominated so many smaller independent films that the Oscars feel like they should be handed out in a tent,” the former Fox honcho wrote to AMPAS president John Bailey, referencing the Spirit Awards, which are held in a large tent on the beach in Santa Monica. “Big is not inherently bad and small is not inherently good.”
This year’s Oscar nominations must have been music to Mechanic’s ears. Chart-busting studio hits like “Black Panther,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “A Star Is Born...
“[O]ver the past decade we have nominated so many smaller independent films that the Oscars feel like they should be handed out in a tent,” the former Fox honcho wrote to AMPAS president John Bailey, referencing the Spirit Awards, which are held in a large tent on the beach in Santa Monica. “Big is not inherently bad and small is not inherently good.”
This year’s Oscar nominations must have been music to Mechanic’s ears. Chart-busting studio hits like “Black Panther,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “A Star Is Born...
- 2/24/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
When 76-year-old cinematographer John Bailey was elected to the presidency of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, he did so by promising to serve his supporters — the crafts. This week, they turned on him, which was the last thing he ever expected.
The AMPAS Board of Governors is a collection of three high-profile leaders from each of 17 branches, plus three more minority reps, Bailey, and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. Put 54 voices in a room, and you’re herding cats. Many board members complain it’s impossible to make decisions with so many dissenting opinions. Some have suggested a smaller board might help to solve the problem, reducing the reps to two for each branch.
In any case, Bailey didn’t know what he was stepping into when he took the job. An alpha male accustomed to walking onto a set with authority, he has tried to lead the Academy.
The AMPAS Board of Governors is a collection of three high-profile leaders from each of 17 branches, plus three more minority reps, Bailey, and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. Put 54 voices in a room, and you’re herding cats. Many board members complain it’s impossible to make decisions with so many dissenting opinions. Some have suggested a smaller board might help to solve the problem, reducing the reps to two for each branch.
In any case, Bailey didn’t know what he was stepping into when he took the job. An alpha male accustomed to walking onto a set with authority, he has tried to lead the Academy.
- 2/16/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
In today’s film news roundup, Ansel Elgort is going to high school, “Rockaway” gets a release, and “Suspiria” producer Bradley Fischer is honored.
Casting
Ansel Elgort has come aboard to star in the drama “The Great High School Imposter” for Participant Media and Condé Nast Entertainment.
The project is based on a Daniel Riley GQ Magazine article published this year about Artur Samarin, a young Ukranian man who posed as a teenager so he could be adopted by a childless couple in a small Pennsylvania town and became the top student in his high school. Saramin was five years older than he claimed. His adopted parents turned him into the authorities.
Mike Makowsky is adapting the script. Jeremy Steckler of Condé Nast Entertainment is producing. Makowsky, Elgort, and Emily Gerson Saines will be executive producers. Robert Kessel and Jonathan King are overseeing for Participant.
Elgort starred in “The Fault in Our Stars...
Casting
Ansel Elgort has come aboard to star in the drama “The Great High School Imposter” for Participant Media and Condé Nast Entertainment.
The project is based on a Daniel Riley GQ Magazine article published this year about Artur Samarin, a young Ukranian man who posed as a teenager so he could be adopted by a childless couple in a small Pennsylvania town and became the top student in his high school. Saramin was five years older than he claimed. His adopted parents turned him into the authorities.
Mike Makowsky is adapting the script. Jeremy Steckler of Condé Nast Entertainment is producing. Makowsky, Elgort, and Emily Gerson Saines will be executive producers. Robert Kessel and Jonathan King are overseeing for Participant.
Elgort starred in “The Fault in Our Stars...
- 12/18/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Since 2009, the Academy has been handing out its Honorary Oscars at the Governors Awards, an annual event designed both to give the honorees a fuller, more lavish presentation and to shorten the Oscar show by moving the honorary awards a night of their own.
Sunday night marked the 10th Governors Awards, with Honorary Oscars handed out to publicist Marvin Levy, film composer Lalo Schifrin and actress Cicely Tyson, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award going to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.
As usual, the event in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland was partly an emotional evening devoted to honor deserving artists, and partly one of the most lavish campaign stops of awards season.
Here’s what we learned:
1. Publicity rules.
At the beginning of the night, Academy President John Bailey mentioned the five honorees, one by one. All received enthusiastic applause – but the biggest hand clearly went to Levy,...
Sunday night marked the 10th Governors Awards, with Honorary Oscars handed out to publicist Marvin Levy, film composer Lalo Schifrin and actress Cicely Tyson, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award going to producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.
As usual, the event in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland was partly an emotional evening devoted to honor deserving artists, and partly one of the most lavish campaign stops of awards season.
Here’s what we learned:
1. Publicity rules.
At the beginning of the night, Academy President John Bailey mentioned the five honorees, one by one. All received enthusiastic applause – but the biggest hand clearly went to Levy,...
- 11/19/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Cinedigm CEO Chris McGurk offered fresh details today about a planned Chinese streaming service aimed at younger Western audience, and poised to launch early next year.
The new Ott service, to be called Bambu, will feature contemporary Chinese films, television shows and music curated for American millennial viewers. Cinedigm already has reached deals with state-run broadcaster Central China Television and with Shanghai Media Group to bring hundreds of hours of first-run shows to the service.
“We’re going to approach the channel … as a huge beta test; to try out different kinds of content and see how the audience responds.” McGurk said at a meeting of the Digital Entertainment Group. “We’ll constantly go through, refreshing the channel, based on the data about what works and what doesn’t work.”
McGurk discussed creative collaborations in China with former Fox Studios Chairman Bill Mechanic.
The Cinedigm executive said he opportunity in...
The new Ott service, to be called Bambu, will feature contemporary Chinese films, television shows and music curated for American millennial viewers. Cinedigm already has reached deals with state-run broadcaster Central China Television and with Shanghai Media Group to bring hundreds of hours of first-run shows to the service.
“We’re going to approach the channel … as a huge beta test; to try out different kinds of content and see how the audience responds.” McGurk said at a meeting of the Digital Entertainment Group. “We’ll constantly go through, refreshing the channel, based on the data about what works and what doesn’t work.”
McGurk discussed creative collaborations in China with former Fox Studios Chairman Bill Mechanic.
The Cinedigm executive said he opportunity in...
- 9/26/2018
- by Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Bart and Mike Fleming Jr. worked together for two decades at Daily Variety. In this weekly column, two old friends get together and grind their axes, mostly on the movie business.
Fleming: The Academy went crazy with an Oscar overhaul yesterday. I feared they might go the other way, making it harder for streamers like Netflix. Instead, they made sweeping changes to be more inclusive, trying to halt a continual ratings side with the most dramatic moves since they broadened the Best Picture category from five to a possible 10 in hopes of including more mainstream movies and giving the audience something to root for. Now, they’ll relegate most of the creative arts categories to commercial breaks to cut a four-hour broadcast to three; they’ll move the Oscarcast up two weeks to compress the endless awards season; and they’ve added a Most Popular category Oscar. The latter...
Fleming: The Academy went crazy with an Oscar overhaul yesterday. I feared they might go the other way, making it harder for streamers like Netflix. Instead, they made sweeping changes to be more inclusive, trying to halt a continual ratings side with the most dramatic moves since they broadened the Best Picture category from five to a possible 10 in hopes of including more mainstream movies and giving the audience something to root for. Now, they’ll relegate most of the creative arts categories to commercial breaks to cut a four-hour broadcast to three; they’ll move the Oscarcast up two weeks to compress the endless awards season; and they’ve added a Most Popular category Oscar. The latter...
- 8/9/2018
- by Peter Bart and Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
John Bailey has been re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for a second term, the Academy announced on Tuesday evening.
Bailey, a cinematographer, was first elected president last year. Although Academy presidents are permitted to serve four consecutive one-year terms, the upcoming term will be Bailey’s last. Because of term limits, he will have to leave the board next summer, which will make him ineligible for another term as president.
Bailey’s films include “Ordinary People,” “The Big Chill” and “Groundhog Day.” He is the first member of the Cinematographers Branch to serve as Academy president.
Also Read: Oscars: What Does It Take to Become a Member of the Motion Picture Academy Anyway?
Four additional Academy officers were re-elected to their positions on the board: Lois Burwell as first vice president, Jim Gianopulos as treasurer, David Rubin as secretary and Nancy Utley as vice president.
Bailey, a cinematographer, was first elected president last year. Although Academy presidents are permitted to serve four consecutive one-year terms, the upcoming term will be Bailey’s last. Because of term limits, he will have to leave the board next summer, which will make him ineligible for another term as president.
Bailey’s films include “Ordinary People,” “The Big Chill” and “Groundhog Day.” He is the first member of the Cinematographers Branch to serve as Academy president.
Also Read: Oscars: What Does It Take to Become a Member of the Motion Picture Academy Anyway?
Four additional Academy officers were re-elected to their positions on the board: Lois Burwell as first vice president, Jim Gianopulos as treasurer, David Rubin as secretary and Nancy Utley as vice president.
- 8/8/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
It’s been a couple of months since the TV Academy and ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC reached a preliminary agreement in principle on a new eight-year “wheel” deal that would keep the Primetime Emmy Awards on the Big 4 broadcast networks through 2026. But ahead of next week’s announcement of the nominees for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards on NBC — the last ceremony under the current eight-year deal — a new contract has still not been signed.
While basic terms for the new pact had been agreed upon — the four nets rotating in hosting the Emmys and a minor increase from the current license fee, believed to be $8.25 million a year — there is another aspect still being worked out: how some of the categories are presented during the telecast.
In the past two months, I hear the TV Academy has been leading an outreach to the Hollywood guilds — primarily WGA and...
While basic terms for the new pact had been agreed upon — the four nets rotating in hosting the Emmys and a minor increase from the current license fee, believed to be $8.25 million a year — there is another aspect still being worked out: how some of the categories are presented during the telecast.
In the past two months, I hear the TV Academy has been leading an outreach to the Hollywood guilds — primarily WGA and...
- 7/3/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: George Gallo has come attached to direct The Nazi Titanic, a film that tells the crazy backstory of the German WWII propaganda film about the most famous shipping disaster, which itself turned out to be a cinematic disaster of epic proportions. The project is being cast now, and it has a script by Scott D. Rosenbaum and Josh Posner. The pic is being produced by Jeff G. Waxman, Tony Grazia and Rosenbaum.
While there are several memorable films about the 1912 disaster — James Cameron’s Titanic and Roy Ward Baker’s A Night to Remember among them — the banned and barely seen 1943 Nazi film has as wretched a behind-the-scenes backstory as just about any film ever made, even though Adolf Hitler and his Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels commissioned it to be their greatest cinematic triumph.
While director James Cameron’s 1997 film went 100% over budget and led then-Fox president...
While there are several memorable films about the 1912 disaster — James Cameron’s Titanic and Roy Ward Baker’s A Night to Remember among them — the banned and barely seen 1943 Nazi film has as wretched a behind-the-scenes backstory as just about any film ever made, even though Adolf Hitler and his Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels commissioned it to be their greatest cinematic triumph.
While director James Cameron’s 1997 film went 100% over budget and led then-Fox president...
- 6/27/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The message from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to film professionals used to feel something like, “Not yet. You’ll get here some day.” Lately it’s shifted to a welcoming chorus of, “Come on in!”
Hollywood’s esteemed collective unveiled its annual list of new member invites Monday. It was, once again, a record: 928 individuals, yet another giant leap from the previous year and a far cry from the days when 200 was considered a swell.
In particular, the data provided on this year’s class touted the Academy’s accelerated efforts toward gender parity. Of the 928 invitations, 49% were extended to women. Last year the number was 39%. In 2016 it was 46%, but this year, nine of the Academy’s 17 branches invited more women than men, including actors, film editors, and producers.
According to the Academy, these numbers will bring the overall female makeup of its membership to 31%.
Following...
Hollywood’s esteemed collective unveiled its annual list of new member invites Monday. It was, once again, a record: 928 individuals, yet another giant leap from the previous year and a far cry from the days when 200 was considered a swell.
In particular, the data provided on this year’s class touted the Academy’s accelerated efforts toward gender parity. Of the 928 invitations, 49% were extended to women. Last year the number was 39%. In 2016 it was 46%, but this year, nine of the Academy’s 17 branches invited more women than men, including actors, film editors, and producers.
According to the Academy, these numbers will bring the overall female makeup of its membership to 31%.
Following...
- 6/25/2018
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
Despite winning an Academy Award, former NBA star and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant isn’t getting a spot in the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Though a membership committee in the Academy’s Short Films and Feature Animation Branch voted to invite him into the ranks, the Academy’s governors committee, which has final say-so on membership, overruled them, Variety reported on Wednesday.
The Academy’s denial of Bryant’s membership was first reported by Cartoon Brew.
The final decision on who will be invited to join the Academy this year will be made on Saturday by the entire Board of Governors, which will review lists from each branch during its regularly scheduled meeting.
Also Read: Jennifer Todd Wins Academy Board Runoff Election Over Jason Blum
Bryant shared the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball,” which he wrote and narrated, with director Glen Keane.
The Academy’s denial of Bryant’s membership was first reported by Cartoon Brew.
The final decision on who will be invited to join the Academy this year will be made on Saturday by the entire Board of Governors, which will review lists from each branch during its regularly scheduled meeting.
Also Read: Jennifer Todd Wins Academy Board Runoff Election Over Jason Blum
Bryant shared the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball,” which he wrote and narrated, with director Glen Keane.
- 6/21/2018
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Hollywood needs to offer audiences more diversity in movies if the industry is to stay in business, several key independent film executives asserted at Saturday’s Produced By Conference.
“The marketplace is more receptive to diverse content,” said “Mudbound” producer Charles King at the event on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles. He appeared on a panel titled “Financing Your Film: How to Find the Right Partners” at the Paramount Theatre.
“Mudbound” wound up receiving four Oscar nominations in a major triumph for streaming service Netflix, which has profoundly disrupted the movie business. King, who also produced “Fences” through his Macro company, praised Netflix’s awards season campaign as “above and beyond.”
He noted that Netflix presented an offer for “Mudbound” at the Sundance Film Festival that far exceeded the others, including a commitment for an Academy Award campaign. “To be honest, they were an incredible partner,” King said.
Pandemonium chief Bill Mechanic,...
“The marketplace is more receptive to diverse content,” said “Mudbound” producer Charles King at the event on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles. He appeared on a panel titled “Financing Your Film: How to Find the Right Partners” at the Paramount Theatre.
“Mudbound” wound up receiving four Oscar nominations in a major triumph for streaming service Netflix, which has profoundly disrupted the movie business. King, who also produced “Fences” through his Macro company, praised Netflix’s awards season campaign as “above and beyond.”
He noted that Netflix presented an offer for “Mudbound” at the Sundance Film Festival that far exceeded the others, including a commitment for an Academy Award campaign. “To be honest, they were an incredible partner,” King said.
Pandemonium chief Bill Mechanic,...
- 6/10/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
One prominent film agent says Netflix, which for years provided an outlet for independent films that otherwise might have struggled to find distribution at movie theaters, is gravitating to splashier cinematic fare as it ramps its movie production.
“The problem is, now they’re not buying those movies,” said Jessica Lacy, Head of International & Independent Film for ICM Partners. “So, they’ve really hurt my business.”
To be sure, Netflix secured the rights earlier this year to the next four films from the Duplass Brothers, the veteran independent American filmmakers behind The One I Love, Creep and The Overnight. But these days, Lacy says, Netflix is focused on producing originals in-house or acquiring films that will make a huge splash, like the $100 million fantasy movie Bright starring Will Smith, which attracted 11 million views in the first three days.
Participants in the film financing panel at today’s Produced By Conference...
“The problem is, now they’re not buying those movies,” said Jessica Lacy, Head of International & Independent Film for ICM Partners. “So, they’ve really hurt my business.”
To be sure, Netflix secured the rights earlier this year to the next four films from the Duplass Brothers, the veteran independent American filmmakers behind The One I Love, Creep and The Overnight. But these days, Lacy says, Netflix is focused on producing originals in-house or acquiring films that will make a huge splash, like the $100 million fantasy movie Bright starring Will Smith, which attracted 11 million views in the first three days.
Participants in the film financing panel at today’s Produced By Conference...
- 6/10/2018
- by Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
At this point, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ governors election looks more like a round-up than a race; more than 180 members have declared their interest in filling 17 contested spots on the 54-member Board of Governors.
Voting in the run-off round starts on Monday and ends May 18. That will narrow the present field to a maximum of four nominees per branch in the final round, which follows.
For now, there are on average about 11 candidates in the running for each slot. In the casting directors and costume design branches, only three members have declared for each slot. But not so in the actors branch, where 17 members — including Brie Larson, Jacki Weaver and Meg Ryan — are vying for the spot being vacated by termed-out Tom Hanks; or the producers, executives, and public relations branches, all of which have a bumper crop of candidates. Marvin Levy, currently a governor in the public relations branch,...
Voting in the run-off round starts on Monday and ends May 18. That will narrow the present field to a maximum of four nominees per branch in the final round, which follows.
For now, there are on average about 11 candidates in the running for each slot. In the casting directors and costume design branches, only three members have declared for each slot. But not so in the actors branch, where 17 members — including Brie Larson, Jacki Weaver and Meg Ryan — are vying for the spot being vacated by termed-out Tom Hanks; or the producers, executives, and public relations branches, all of which have a bumper crop of candidates. Marvin Levy, currently a governor in the public relations branch,...
- 5/11/2018
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Paramount Pictures has abandoned the development of the Brian Michael Bendis/Marc Andreyko project Ness (previously titled Torso), which Paul Greengrass was attached to direct in what was to be a possible feature franchise property. Well, we’re told no longer. So what happened?
Sources said that no one could agree on a script and the versions of the script were really not representative of the book which focuses on the 1930s Torso murder cases. The project was based on the graphic novel Torso and the last script was from Brian Helgeland, who earned Academy Award nominations for Mystic River and L.A. Confidential.
This is the second go-round for this project as the studio also tried to develop this property with David Fincher in 2008. But that fell apart when creative differences arose with studio exec Rob Moore.
Ness is a crime thriller that follows Treasury Department agent Eliot Ness...
Sources said that no one could agree on a script and the versions of the script were really not representative of the book which focuses on the 1930s Torso murder cases. The project was based on the graphic novel Torso and the last script was from Brian Helgeland, who earned Academy Award nominations for Mystic River and L.A. Confidential.
This is the second go-round for this project as the studio also tried to develop this property with David Fincher in 2008. But that fell apart when creative differences arose with studio exec Rob Moore.
Ness is a crime thriller that follows Treasury Department agent Eliot Ness...
- 5/8/2018
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
A man who says he’s the great-grandson of Moe Howard, of the legendary “Three Stooges” vaudeville comedy team, filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing the late Paramount chief Brad Grey of having raped him. In the suit, obtained by TheWrap, Rovier Carrington also accuses Brian Graden, a former head of programming at MTV Networks, of sexual misconduct.
Carrington said in the legal filing that he was also tricked by Viacom into signing a non-disclosure agreement over his misconduct claims. He is demanding $100 million in damages. The lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court.
The lawsuit also contends that Graden stole his idea for a gay reality dating show after the two engaged in a two year relationship.
Also Read: Charlie Rose Faces Backlash Over Proposed #MeToo Redemption Series: 'My Feed Is Just Anger'
In his lawsuit, Carrington said that he was sexually assaulted by Brad Grey, the late CEO and chairman of Paramount Pictures.
According to Carrington, Grey invited him to a dinner. Grey then drove Carrington home and parked his car. It was then, according to the lawsuit, Grey “began kissing Carrington all over his face, neck and mouth.”
When Carrington rebuffed his advances, Grey became violent, the lawsuit said, as he slammed Carrington’s face into the window.
“The abruptness of Grey’s personality from dinner until that moment completely took [Carrington] off-guard and he did not know how to react,” states the complaint. “Grey indicated to Carrington, that if he did not have sex with him, he would destroy any chance [he] had of building a career in the entertainment industry.”
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
Carrington claims that Grey then pulled his pants down and performed oral sex on him, and eventually anally raped him.
“Carrington as expected, was conflated; crying, scared and did not want to go through with having sex,” the complaint went on to say. “Grey demanded Carrington drink alcohol to make it easier, at which point he proceeded to pour the spirit down Carrington’s throat, ripped off his clothes, and proceeded to anally rape him, without a condom.”
Following the encounter, Carrington claims he was asked by Viacom’s human resource department to sign a non-disclosure agreement. To sweeten the deal, the documents say, he was promised an envelope filled with money. Carrington said that after he declined the offer, he was blacklisted by Viacom.
A rep for Viacom told TheWrap in a statement: “We take allegations of this sort seriously, and are reviewing the complaint.”
Grey, a former Hollywood talent manager was the head of Paramount from 2005 to 2017. He died of cancer shortly after leaving his job at age 59.
Also Read: Tony Robbins Dragged Over #MeToo Comments: 'Biggest Pile of Dog S-' (Video)
Carrington said during that time he came into contact with Brian Graden through a gay dating site. Graden, best known for helping Matt Stone and Trey Parker develop the hit animated series “South Park,” was running MTV at the time and launching the Logo Network for Viacom.
“Graden indicated to Carrington that if he wished to move forward with his reality show, and come off Viacom’s banned list, that he would be required to have sex with Graden, Carrington agreed, as having sex with Graden was now his only option if he wanted to work in the entertainment industry,” the lawsuit states.
Graden’s lawyer, Larry Stein, told TheWrap in a statement: “This sensationalized and meritless lawsuit is particularly egregious as it attacks two respected executives, one of whom is an industry icon whose death prevents him from defending himself, and the other, who has had a long, sterling and unblemished career free of any implication of inappropriate behavior personally or professionally. The complaint, which reads more like fiction than fact, seems to be based more upon Mr. Carrington’s entitled belief that he is ‘Hollywood royalty’ with a ‘pedigree of a star’ because he claims his great grandfather was one of the Three Stooges, than on facts. It is unfortunately too common for wannabes to hold on to their entitlement, but uncommon for such claims to make headlines by use of hyperbole and baseless allegations of rape and conspiratorial extortionist conduct. The complaint ends just as it started, wildly untethered to reality, seeking damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars. We are confident that Mr. Graden will be fully vindicated and Mr. Carrington will be exposed for what and who he truly is.”
Carrington is seeking $50 million in actual and compensatory damages and another $50 million in exemplary and punitive damages.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
Read original story Brad Grey, Brian Graden Accused of Rape, Sexual Exploitation in $100 Million Lawsuit At TheWrap...
Carrington said in the legal filing that he was also tricked by Viacom into signing a non-disclosure agreement over his misconduct claims. He is demanding $100 million in damages. The lawsuit was filed in New York Supreme Court.
The lawsuit also contends that Graden stole his idea for a gay reality dating show after the two engaged in a two year relationship.
Also Read: Charlie Rose Faces Backlash Over Proposed #MeToo Redemption Series: 'My Feed Is Just Anger'
In his lawsuit, Carrington said that he was sexually assaulted by Brad Grey, the late CEO and chairman of Paramount Pictures.
According to Carrington, Grey invited him to a dinner. Grey then drove Carrington home and parked his car. It was then, according to the lawsuit, Grey “began kissing Carrington all over his face, neck and mouth.”
When Carrington rebuffed his advances, Grey became violent, the lawsuit said, as he slammed Carrington’s face into the window.
“The abruptness of Grey’s personality from dinner until that moment completely took [Carrington] off-guard and he did not know how to react,” states the complaint. “Grey indicated to Carrington, that if he did not have sex with him, he would destroy any chance [he] had of building a career in the entertainment industry.”
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
Carrington claims that Grey then pulled his pants down and performed oral sex on him, and eventually anally raped him.
“Carrington as expected, was conflated; crying, scared and did not want to go through with having sex,” the complaint went on to say. “Grey demanded Carrington drink alcohol to make it easier, at which point he proceeded to pour the spirit down Carrington’s throat, ripped off his clothes, and proceeded to anally rape him, without a condom.”
Following the encounter, Carrington claims he was asked by Viacom’s human resource department to sign a non-disclosure agreement. To sweeten the deal, the documents say, he was promised an envelope filled with money. Carrington said that after he declined the offer, he was blacklisted by Viacom.
A rep for Viacom told TheWrap in a statement: “We take allegations of this sort seriously, and are reviewing the complaint.”
Grey, a former Hollywood talent manager was the head of Paramount from 2005 to 2017. He died of cancer shortly after leaving his job at age 59.
Also Read: Tony Robbins Dragged Over #MeToo Comments: 'Biggest Pile of Dog S-' (Video)
Carrington said during that time he came into contact with Brian Graden through a gay dating site. Graden, best known for helping Matt Stone and Trey Parker develop the hit animated series “South Park,” was running MTV at the time and launching the Logo Network for Viacom.
“Graden indicated to Carrington that if he wished to move forward with his reality show, and come off Viacom’s banned list, that he would be required to have sex with Graden, Carrington agreed, as having sex with Graden was now his only option if he wanted to work in the entertainment industry,” the lawsuit states.
Graden’s lawyer, Larry Stein, told TheWrap in a statement: “This sensationalized and meritless lawsuit is particularly egregious as it attacks two respected executives, one of whom is an industry icon whose death prevents him from defending himself, and the other, who has had a long, sterling and unblemished career free of any implication of inappropriate behavior personally or professionally. The complaint, which reads more like fiction than fact, seems to be based more upon Mr. Carrington’s entitled belief that he is ‘Hollywood royalty’ with a ‘pedigree of a star’ because he claims his great grandfather was one of the Three Stooges, than on facts. It is unfortunately too common for wannabes to hold on to their entitlement, but uncommon for such claims to make headlines by use of hyperbole and baseless allegations of rape and conspiratorial extortionist conduct. The complaint ends just as it started, wildly untethered to reality, seeking damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars. We are confident that Mr. Graden will be fully vindicated and Mr. Carrington will be exposed for what and who he truly is.”
Carrington is seeking $50 million in actual and compensatory damages and another $50 million in exemplary and punitive damages.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
Read original story Brad Grey, Brian Graden Accused of Rape, Sexual Exploitation in $100 Million Lawsuit At TheWrap...
- 5/2/2018
- by Itay Hod
- The Wrap
I have learned that the TV Academy and ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC are getting close on a new eight-year “wheel” deal that will keep the Primetime Emmy Awards on the Big 4 broadcast networks through 2026. It would come eight months after the sides started discussions last July and more than three months before the current eight-year agreement expires with the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on NBC.
I hear the new pact, which is being hammered out, is similar to the current one, with the four nets rotating in hosting the Emmys, each getting two telecasts. I also hear the new agreement includes a minor increase from the current license fee paid by the networks, which is believed to be $8.25 million a year. The Primetime Emmy Awards are the primary revenue source for the TV Academy, helping to fund its programs for the year.
The TV Academy traditionally starts conversations...
I hear the new pact, which is being hammered out, is similar to the current one, with the four nets rotating in hosting the Emmys, each getting two telecasts. I also hear the new agreement includes a minor increase from the current license fee paid by the networks, which is believed to be $8.25 million a year. The Primetime Emmy Awards are the primary revenue source for the TV Academy, helping to fund its programs for the year.
The TV Academy traditionally starts conversations...
- 4/30/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
In its annual adjustment of Oscar rules, the Academy has added a first round of voting to produce a shortlist in the Best Original Song and Best Original Score categories.
Both categories will now be narrowed down to 15 films before a second round of voting by the Music Branch produces the final five nominees. That marks a dramatic change from the existing rules that have called for a single round of nomination voting.
The music categories will now align with several other categories that use shortlists, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film and the short-film categories.
Also Read: Academy Sets Key Dates for 2019 Oscars
In other rule changes, documentary features can now qualify for the Oscars by winning an award at a qualifying film festival. In the past, all feature docs had needed a theatrical release to qualify, though short docs could qualify via film-festival awards.
Other rule changes affected submission deadlines and the number of producers eligible to receive Oscars in the doc-feature and animated-feature categories.
The new rules were recommended by the individual branches, reviewed by the Academy’s Awards and Events Committee and then approved by the Board of Governors.
The board also approved new campaign regulations for the 91st Oscars next year. The most dramatic of those confirmed earlier reports that studios will be required to send materials to Oscars voters through an “Academy-approved mailing house.”
In the past, studios have been able to send screeners, invitations and other materials directly to Academy members, but the new rule brings the process in line with the one used by the Television Academy for Emmy voting.
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
Additionally, the number of post-nomination screenings that include filmmaker Q&As has been trimmed to four, eliminating the two additional screenings that were allowed in the documentary and foreign-language categories.
The new rules, from the Academy press release:
Submission deadlines for awards eligibility have been changed. There is now one submission deadline – Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 – for the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories. The submission deadline for Best Picture and all other categories is Thursday, Nov. 15, by 5 p.m. Pt.
In the Music categories, all members of the Music Branch will view films eligible for Original Score and film clips of eligible Original Songs and vote in a preliminary round to produce a shortlist of 15 titles in each category using the preferential voting system. Five nominees for Original Score and five nominees for Original Song will then be chosen by branch members in a second round of balloting also using preferential voting.
In the Documentary Feature category, films that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival will be eligible for Academy Awards consideration regardless of any prior public exhibition or distribution by nontheatrical means. The Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival List will be available later this spring. Furthermore, the critic review eligibility requirement has been expanded to include additional New York- and Los Angeles-based publications.
To align with credits eligibility in the Best Picture category, rules in both the Animated Feature Film and Documentary Feature categories have been updated to allow for more than one producer to be designated as a nominee.
In a procedural change, members of the Visual Effects Branch Nominating Committee will now be able to stream bake-off reels from the shortlisted films or attend satellite bake-off screenings and vote online. Previously, committee members were only able to vote in person at the Academy’s Visual Effects Bake-off in Los Angeles.
Other amendments to the rules include standard date changes and other “housekeeping” adjustments.
Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards and Events Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.
Also Read: 7 Hollywood Stars to Add Inclusion Riders to Their Projects, From Michael B. Jordan to Brie Larson (Photos)
Updated campaign regulations, which specify how companies and individuals may promote to Academy members any movies and achievements eligible for the 91st Academy Awards, are also presented to the Board of Governors for approval.
For the first time, studios, distributors and filmmakers will be required to use an Academy-approved mailing house to send sanctioned awards materials for eligible films to Academy members. Each approved mailing house will be provided with an official list of Academy members who have opted-in along with their contact information to facilitate both physical and digital mailings.
Additionally, the number of post-nominations screenings with a filmmaker Q&A is now limited to a maximum of four regardless of category or country in which the event takes place. This rule eliminates the two additional screenings currently allowed for Documentary and Foreign Language Film nominees.
Read original story Oscars Add New Round of Voting in Music Categories At TheWrap...
Both categories will now be narrowed down to 15 films before a second round of voting by the Music Branch produces the final five nominees. That marks a dramatic change from the existing rules that have called for a single round of nomination voting.
The music categories will now align with several other categories that use shortlists, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film and the short-film categories.
Also Read: Academy Sets Key Dates for 2019 Oscars
In other rule changes, documentary features can now qualify for the Oscars by winning an award at a qualifying film festival. In the past, all feature docs had needed a theatrical release to qualify, though short docs could qualify via film-festival awards.
Other rule changes affected submission deadlines and the number of producers eligible to receive Oscars in the doc-feature and animated-feature categories.
The new rules were recommended by the individual branches, reviewed by the Academy’s Awards and Events Committee and then approved by the Board of Governors.
The board also approved new campaign regulations for the 91st Oscars next year. The most dramatic of those confirmed earlier reports that studios will be required to send materials to Oscars voters through an “Academy-approved mailing house.”
In the past, studios have been able to send screeners, invitations and other materials directly to Academy members, but the new rule brings the process in line with the one used by the Television Academy for Emmy voting.
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
Additionally, the number of post-nomination screenings that include filmmaker Q&As has been trimmed to four, eliminating the two additional screenings that were allowed in the documentary and foreign-language categories.
The new rules, from the Academy press release:
Submission deadlines for awards eligibility have been changed. There is now one submission deadline – Monday, Oct. 1, 2018 – for the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories. The submission deadline for Best Picture and all other categories is Thursday, Nov. 15, by 5 p.m. Pt.
In the Music categories, all members of the Music Branch will view films eligible for Original Score and film clips of eligible Original Songs and vote in a preliminary round to produce a shortlist of 15 titles in each category using the preferential voting system. Five nominees for Original Score and five nominees for Original Song will then be chosen by branch members in a second round of balloting also using preferential voting.
In the Documentary Feature category, films that have won a qualifying award at a competitive film festival will be eligible for Academy Awards consideration regardless of any prior public exhibition or distribution by nontheatrical means. The Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival List will be available later this spring. Furthermore, the critic review eligibility requirement has been expanded to include additional New York- and Los Angeles-based publications.
To align with credits eligibility in the Best Picture category, rules in both the Animated Feature Film and Documentary Feature categories have been updated to allow for more than one producer to be designated as a nominee.
In a procedural change, members of the Visual Effects Branch Nominating Committee will now be able to stream bake-off reels from the shortlisted films or attend satellite bake-off screenings and vote online. Previously, committee members were only able to vote in person at the Academy’s Visual Effects Bake-off in Los Angeles.
Other amendments to the rules include standard date changes and other “housekeeping” adjustments.
Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Awards and Events Committee then reviews all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Board of Governors for approval.
Also Read: 7 Hollywood Stars to Add Inclusion Riders to Their Projects, From Michael B. Jordan to Brie Larson (Photos)
Updated campaign regulations, which specify how companies and individuals may promote to Academy members any movies and achievements eligible for the 91st Academy Awards, are also presented to the Board of Governors for approval.
For the first time, studios, distributors and filmmakers will be required to use an Academy-approved mailing house to send sanctioned awards materials for eligible films to Academy members. Each approved mailing house will be provided with an official list of Academy members who have opted-in along with their contact information to facilitate both physical and digital mailings.
Additionally, the number of post-nominations screenings with a filmmaker Q&A is now limited to a maximum of four regardless of category or country in which the event takes place. This rule eliminates the two additional screenings currently allowed for Documentary and Foreign Language Film nominees.
Read original story Oscars Add New Round of Voting in Music Categories At TheWrap...
- 4/24/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members will cast ballots for 2019 Oscar nominations beginning Jan. 7, with the nominated films and filmmakers set to be revealed Jan. 22, the academy announced on Monday.
The academy had previously announced that the 91st Academy Awards show will be Sunday, Feb. 24, but now the timetable leading up to the Oscars has been filled out.
The schedule starts with the Governors Awards on Nov. 18. The first round of Oscar voting begins Jan. 7 and will close Jan. 14. After nominations are announced on Jan. 22, the nominees luncheon will be held on Feb. 4. The Scientific and Technical Awards will be Feb. 9, before final voting for awards begins Feb. 12. Final voting will end Feb. 19.
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
ABC will broadcast the awards show, but neither producers nor a host of the show have been named at this time.
Below is the full schedule:
Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018: Governors Awards
Monday, Jan. 7, 2019: Nominations voting opens
Monday, Jan. 14, 2019: Nominations voting closes
Tuesday, Jan.22, 2019: Oscar Nominations Announcement
Monday, Feb. 4, 2019: Oscar Nominees Luncheon
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019: Scientific and Technical Awards
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019: Finals voting opens
Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019: Finals voting closes
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019: 91st Oscars
Read original story Academy Sets Key Dates for 2019 Oscars At TheWrap...
The academy had previously announced that the 91st Academy Awards show will be Sunday, Feb. 24, but now the timetable leading up to the Oscars has been filled out.
The schedule starts with the Governors Awards on Nov. 18. The first round of Oscar voting begins Jan. 7 and will close Jan. 14. After nominations are announced on Jan. 22, the nominees luncheon will be held on Feb. 4. The Scientific and Technical Awards will be Feb. 9, before final voting for awards begins Feb. 12. Final voting will end Feb. 19.
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
ABC will broadcast the awards show, but neither producers nor a host of the show have been named at this time.
Below is the full schedule:
Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018: Governors Awards
Monday, Jan. 7, 2019: Nominations voting opens
Monday, Jan. 14, 2019: Nominations voting closes
Tuesday, Jan.22, 2019: Oscar Nominations Announcement
Monday, Feb. 4, 2019: Oscar Nominees Luncheon
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019: Scientific and Technical Awards
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019: Finals voting opens
Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019: Finals voting closes
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019: 91st Oscars
Read original story Academy Sets Key Dates for 2019 Oscars At TheWrap...
- 4/23/2018
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
A leaked letter from resigned Board of Governor's member and producer Bill Mechanic has found its way to Variety, and its full of some hot takes regarding how the current Academy leadership has made The Oscars worse. Mechanic, who said the letter "says what it says," when asked for comment, blasted the Academy for making the Oscars long and boring, giving super small films far more credit than he thinks they deserve, and over-promoting diversity. Read the full letter below, and feel free to share your reactions to Mechanic's thoughts in the comments:
John Bailey
President, AMPASDear John:There’s a moment when if you fail to make an impact, the right thing to do is make for the exits. After Saturday’s meeting, I’m at that moment and I respectfully must resign from the Board of Governors.I have great love and respect for the Academy. I grew up...
John Bailey
President, AMPASDear John:There’s a moment when if you fail to make an impact, the right thing to do is make for the exits. After Saturday’s meeting, I’m at that moment and I respectfully must resign from the Board of Governors.I have great love and respect for the Academy. I grew up...
- 4/22/2018
- by Mick Joest
- GeekTyrant
Come Monday, film producer and executive Bill Mechanic’s sizzling letter of resignation from the governing board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—which he has since said was not intended for public consumption—will set the agenda for what might be the most interesting Academy board election since, well, ever.
Though he effectively stepped down as one of the Academy’s 54 current governors on April 9, Mechanic’s letter of explanation to president John Bailey leaked publicly only this week. In it, he described a list of perceived problems and leadership failures that have been discussed endlessly within the Academy, but almost never in open conversation. It’s all there: The Oscar ratings collapse; the never-ending museum expense; staff churn; deep concern at the attempts to enforce a moral policy; fear that inclusion now trumps achievement; suspicion that some internal player leaked word of a harassment claim...
Though he effectively stepped down as one of the Academy’s 54 current governors on April 9, Mechanic’s letter of explanation to president John Bailey leaked publicly only this week. In it, he described a list of perceived problems and leadership failures that have been discussed endlessly within the Academy, but almost never in open conversation. It’s all there: The Oscar ratings collapse; the never-ending museum expense; staff churn; deep concern at the attempts to enforce a moral policy; fear that inclusion now trumps achievement; suspicion that some internal player leaked word of a harassment claim...
- 4/21/2018
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Feature film productions on-location in Los Angeles increased 11.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018, compared to Q1 of last year. It marks the first double-digit increase in three years, according to the not-for-profit organization FilmL.A.
The California Film Commission has been offering tax credits to lure Hollywood studios back to the Golden Coast to film projects, as major studios like Disney have fled for tax havens such as Atlanta, or locations with other incentives.
Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” starring Brie Lawson, is currently in production and is one of seven films under California’s incentive program with a budget over $100 million to film in the state. The Marvel film, due out next year, filmed in the first quarter under the incentive program along with “Bird Box,” “Peppermint,” “The Devil has a Name” and “Destroyer.”
Also Read: 'Scarface,' 'Deadwood' Movie, Jordan Peele Film Score California Tax Credits
“It is exciting to see increases in high job producing categories in film and television production,” FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said in a statement. “The California Tax Credit program is sustaining the industry in our region and demonstrates how critical it is for a continuation of the program.”
Of the 9,724 shoot days logged during the first quarter, films brought in by the incentive tax program accounted for 161 of those.
TV saw a 7.4 percent decline in the number of shoot days in L.A., but TV pilots enjoyed a 22 percent increase, and those brought in by the tax program contributed 24 percent, or 65 of the total shoot days.
Also Read: Cathy Yan in Early Talks to Direct Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn Movie
Tax incentivized TV dramas contributed 50.3 percent of the total shoot days in the category during the first quarter. Incentivized TV comedy projects totaled 89 shoot days, or 17 percent of the category. And on-location commercials rose 10 percent in the first quarter, to 1,633 shoot days.
“This report confirms what below-the-line-workers across Los Angeles are already experiencing – film and television production is booming,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “Each new production means more good-paying jobs and a healthier economy for everyone. L.A. is the creative capital of the world, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
Production of web-based TV in L.A. was down 28.7 percent in the first quarter, compared with last year. Last April, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told TheWrap that the streaming giant planned to bring as much of its production as possible to California.
The company’s $90 million hit fantasy cop film “Bright,” which starred Will Smith and Joel Edgerton, also filmed entirely on location in downtown Los Angeles.
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
“I personally believe instead of investing in tax incentives that we should invest in infrastructure,” Sarandos told TheWrap. “When you think about productions chasing tax credits all over the world, it puts the onus on the cast and crew who have to travel.”
Read original story Film Production in Los Angeles Enjoys First Double-Digit Growth Since 2015 At TheWrap...
The California Film Commission has been offering tax credits to lure Hollywood studios back to the Golden Coast to film projects, as major studios like Disney have fled for tax havens such as Atlanta, or locations with other incentives.
Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” starring Brie Lawson, is currently in production and is one of seven films under California’s incentive program with a budget over $100 million to film in the state. The Marvel film, due out next year, filmed in the first quarter under the incentive program along with “Bird Box,” “Peppermint,” “The Devil has a Name” and “Destroyer.”
Also Read: 'Scarface,' 'Deadwood' Movie, Jordan Peele Film Score California Tax Credits
“It is exciting to see increases in high job producing categories in film and television production,” FilmL.A. President Paul Audley said in a statement. “The California Tax Credit program is sustaining the industry in our region and demonstrates how critical it is for a continuation of the program.”
Of the 9,724 shoot days logged during the first quarter, films brought in by the incentive tax program accounted for 161 of those.
TV saw a 7.4 percent decline in the number of shoot days in L.A., but TV pilots enjoyed a 22 percent increase, and those brought in by the tax program contributed 24 percent, or 65 of the total shoot days.
Also Read: Cathy Yan in Early Talks to Direct Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn Movie
Tax incentivized TV dramas contributed 50.3 percent of the total shoot days in the category during the first quarter. Incentivized TV comedy projects totaled 89 shoot days, or 17 percent of the category. And on-location commercials rose 10 percent in the first quarter, to 1,633 shoot days.
“This report confirms what below-the-line-workers across Los Angeles are already experiencing – film and television production is booming,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “Each new production means more good-paying jobs and a healthier economy for everyone. L.A. is the creative capital of the world, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
Production of web-based TV in L.A. was down 28.7 percent in the first quarter, compared with last year. Last April, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told TheWrap that the streaming giant planned to bring as much of its production as possible to California.
The company’s $90 million hit fantasy cop film “Bright,” which starred Will Smith and Joel Edgerton, also filmed entirely on location in downtown Los Angeles.
Also Read: Bill Mechanic's Academy Exit Blasts CEO Dawn Hudson, Inclusion Efforts, #MeToo Response
“I personally believe instead of investing in tax incentives that we should invest in infrastructure,” Sarandos told TheWrap. “When you think about productions chasing tax credits all over the world, it puts the onus on the cast and crew who have to travel.”
Read original story Film Production in Los Angeles Enjoys First Double-Digit Growth Since 2015 At TheWrap...
- 4/18/2018
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Dan Fellman, a veteran Warner Bros. executive, has been named to the board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following the resignation of Bill Mechanic.
Mechanic stepped down on April 12, citing a variety of concerns about the Oscar broadcast, the Academy’s diversity and sexual harassment initiatives, and the leadership of CEO Dawn Hudson.
Under Academy rules, board vacancies are filled by appointment of the second-place finisher in the previous board election. Fellman will serve the remainder of Mechanic’s term, which expires on June 30, 2019.
Fellman previously served a three-year term on the board from 2014 to 2017.
Fellman, a longtime distribution executive, retired from Warner Bros. in 2015 following a four-decade career with the studio. Fellman will be one of three representatives on the 54-member board of the Academy’s executives branch.
In his resignation letter, Mechanic said the Oscar broadcast has become “long and boring,” and said the Academy nominated too many small,...
Mechanic stepped down on April 12, citing a variety of concerns about the Oscar broadcast, the Academy’s diversity and sexual harassment initiatives, and the leadership of CEO Dawn Hudson.
Under Academy rules, board vacancies are filled by appointment of the second-place finisher in the previous board election. Fellman will serve the remainder of Mechanic’s term, which expires on June 30, 2019.
Fellman previously served a three-year term on the board from 2014 to 2017.
Fellman, a longtime distribution executive, retired from Warner Bros. in 2015 following a four-decade career with the studio. Fellman will be one of three representatives on the 54-member board of the Academy’s executives branch.
In his resignation letter, Mechanic said the Oscar broadcast has become “long and boring,” and said the Academy nominated too many small,...
- 4/18/2018
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
If you want to understand the myriad problems facing the Academy, just ask former board member Bill Mechanic. In a blistering resignation letter addressed to Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president John Bailey, the producer and former studio head lays it bare: Oscars are long and boring. The Academy Museum is a mess. Academy leadership is consumed by politics.
Mechanic’s frustration cements his reputation as a straight shooter:
You can’t hide the drainage of employees, the cataclysmic decline in the Oscar ratings, the fact that no popular film has won in over a decade; that we decided to play Moral Police and most probably someone inside the Academy leaked confidential information in order to compromise the President; that the Board doesn’t feel their voice is being heard with regard to the Museum; that we have allowed the Academy to be blamed for things way beyond...
Mechanic’s frustration cements his reputation as a straight shooter:
You can’t hide the drainage of employees, the cataclysmic decline in the Oscar ratings, the fact that no popular film has won in over a decade; that we decided to play Moral Police and most probably someone inside the Academy leaked confidential information in order to compromise the President; that the Board doesn’t feel their voice is being heard with regard to the Museum; that we have allowed the Academy to be blamed for things way beyond...
- 4/18/2018
- by Anne Thompson and Dana Harris
- Thompson on Hollywood
If you want to understand the myriad problems facing the Academy, just ask former board member Bill Mechanic. In a blistering resignation letter addressed to Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president John Bailey, the producer and former studio head lays it bare: Oscars are long and boring. The Academy Museum is a mess. Academy leadership is consumed by politics.
Mechanic’s frustration cements his reputation as a straight shooter:
You can’t hide the drainage of employees, the cataclysmic decline in the Oscar ratings, the fact that no popular film has won in over a decade; that we decided to play Moral Police and most probably someone inside the Academy leaked confidential information in order to compromise the President; that the Board doesn’t feel their voice is being heard with regard to the Museum; that we have allowed the Academy to be blamed for things way beyond...
Mechanic’s frustration cements his reputation as a straight shooter:
You can’t hide the drainage of employees, the cataclysmic decline in the Oscar ratings, the fact that no popular film has won in over a decade; that we decided to play Moral Police and most probably someone inside the Academy leaked confidential information in order to compromise the President; that the Board doesn’t feel their voice is being heard with regard to the Museum; that we have allowed the Academy to be blamed for things way beyond...
- 4/18/2018
- by Anne Thompson and Dana Harris
- Indiewire
Dan Fellman, the longtime Warner Bros distribution exec who retired in 2015, has been named governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Executives Branch, where he will serve out the term of Bill Mechanic, who resigned the post last week in news that broke yesterday.
The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. Mechanic and now Fellman’s governor term expires June 30, 2019.
Mechanic’s exit had an incendiary backstory, as well as a letter he wrote to the board upon his resignation April 12. Sources said part of the ire was directed toward the sudden bullishness of the Academy over #MeToo issues and plans to punish for indiscretions, and also in the way that an inappropriate behavior allegation leveled at AMPAS president John Bailey was leaked internally to press. The Academy later found the complaint to be unsubstantiated and its president was cleared.
The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. Mechanic and now Fellman’s governor term expires June 30, 2019.
Mechanic’s exit had an incendiary backstory, as well as a letter he wrote to the board upon his resignation April 12. Sources said part of the ire was directed toward the sudden bullishness of the Academy over #MeToo issues and plans to punish for indiscretions, and also in the way that an inappropriate behavior allegation leveled at AMPAS president John Bailey was leaked internally to press. The Academy later found the complaint to be unsubstantiated and its president was cleared.
- 4/18/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
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