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REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Acquire Licensing RightsLOS ANGELES, Nov 20 (Reuters) - "Wish," the new animated musical movie marking Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) 100th anniversary, reaches back to its modest beginnings to inspire future generations. Walt Disney Studios was founded in 1923 in Hollywood, California, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney, making it the world's oldest running animation studio. Disney movies are usually based on classic fairy or folk tales, mixing romance, humor, sadness, high-stakes action and self-discovery. "Not just to wish, but usually sing to their heart's desire, and so I think it's important to this movie obviously. I think it will be important to many Disney movies in the future too."

Persons: Ariana DeBose, Asha, Chris Pine, Roy, Mario Anzuoni, Walt Disney, Walt, Jennifer Lee, Lee, King Magnifico, Roy O, Danielle Broadway, Rollo Ross, Mary Milliken, Richard Chang Organizations: Disney Animation, REUTERS, Walt Disney Co's, Walt Disney Animation, Disney, Walt Disney Studios, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, U.S, Kingdom of Rosas, Hollywood , California

☆ Hollywood actors' strike: How would it hit TV shows and movies?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Reuters) - Thousands of Hollywood film and television actors may go on strike from Thursday, joining writers who walked off the job 11 weeks ago. How would a walkout by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) affect viewers' favorite shows and movies? Which films and television shows would be hit? Broadcast networks including Fox (FOXA.O) and Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC have announced fall lineups heavy with reality shows, which are not affected by the strikes. The same is true for unscripted reality shows such as "Big Brother" and "The Bachelor."

Persons: Walt Disney, Abbott, Fox, Inc's, Lisa Richwine, Dawn Chmielewski, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television, Radio Artists, Fox, Walt Disney Co's, ABC, Netflix, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, United States, Los Angeles, Korea, India

☆ Disney to offer free mobile streaming of cricket in India like rival JioCinema
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 9 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Hotstar will offer free streaming of cricket tournaments in India on mobile devices, a move similar to its top rival JioCinema, as it aims to court more users in the cricket-crazy country. Hotstar on Friday said it will offer the Asia Cup and ICC Men's Cricket World Cup tournaments at no cost to users. The company lost the streaming rights for the highly popular Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament to Reliance Industries' (RELI.NS) JioCinema earlier this year. JioCinema, which made the tournament free to watch, clocked a record 1.47 billion digital views in the first weekend of the tournament. While JioCinema is preparing to start charging users for its content, it plans to keep IPL streaming free, Jyoti Deshpande, president of Reliance's media and content business, told Bloomberg in an April Interview.

Persons: Walt Disney, Hotstar, JioCinema, Jyoti Deshpande, Munsif Vengattil, Priya Sagar, Janane Venkatraman, Jason Neely Organizations: Walt Disney Co's, Asia Cup, ICC Men's Cricket, Indian Premier League, Reliance Industries, Research, IPL, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: India, Hotstar, New Delhi, Bengaluru

☆ Digital doubles, fake trailers: AI worries Hollywood actors before labor talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

AI already has divided studios and striking film and television writers, who want assurances that the emerging technology will not be used to generate scripts. SAG-AFTRA wants to ensure its members can control use of their "digital doubles" and ensure studios pay the actual actors appropriately, said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief negotiator. A representative for the AMPTP had no comment on its position on use of AI with actors. In negotiations with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the AMPTP proposed discussing the topic once a year, which the Guild viewed as an attempt to avoid the issue. You're never going to see anything like that if we're all using AI."

Persons: Julia Louis, Dreyfus, Christine, Wes Anderson, Harry Potter, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, AFTRA, Duncan Crabtree, Crabtree, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Reeves, Leland Morrill, we're, Morrill, Justine Bateman, Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, Walt Disney, Ford, Stephen Colbert, James Earl Jones, Darth Vader, Carrie Fisher, AFTRA's Crabtree, Bateman, " Bateman, Lisa Richwine, Jorge Ramos, Dawn Chmielewski, Mary Milliken, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Warner Bros ., Screen, Writers Guild America, YouTube, SAG, Microsoft Corp, Walt Disney Co's, Lucasfilm, Disney, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Writers Guild of America, WGA, Thomson Locations: Burbank , California, ANGELES, Hollywood, Ireland, ., Los Angeles

☆ Toyota posts 35% surge in Q4 operating profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Media & Telecom category · May 9, 2023Walt Disney Co's quarterly revenue growth is expected to hit its lowest in nearly two years, underlining the hurdles that Chief Executive Bob Iger faces in revitalizing a company that is now caught in what could be a long strike by Hollywood writers.

☆ Disney's Iger may have to add slowing growth to his turnaround checklist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Disney is also embroiled in a legal fight with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over state efforts to control Disney World. The media and entertainment giant's Disney+ streaming service is expected to add a net 1.3 million subscribers in the second quarter, compared with additions of 7.9 million a year ago, according to Visible Alpha. "Star Wars" spin-off "The Mandalorian" was Disney+'s most in-demand series both in the U.S. and worldwide during the quarter, according to data provider Parrot Analytics. The streaming unit's operating loss is expected to widen to about $750 million from a loss of nearly $670 million a year earlier. That would mark the slowest growth since the second quarter of 2021, as the company's cable business also takes a hit from an ad market slowdown.

May 4 (Reuters) - Paramount Global Inc (PARA.O) missed first-quarter revenue estimates on Thursday amid a weak advertising market in its TV business and cut its dividend. The company incurred a $1.7 billion charge in connection with its plan to integrate Showtime into its Paramount+ streaming service and remove certain programming. Paramount Global said its dividend cut to 5 cents per share will result in approximately $500 million in annualized cash savings. Paramount+, the company's flagship streaming platform, added 4.1 million subscribers during the quarter, compared with 9.9 million in the preceding quarter. Sales for its TV media segment declined by 8% from a year earlier and advertising revenue fell by 11%.

Paramount invested in original content to try to attract subscribers to its streaming platform, but is up against competition from established players such as Netflix (NFLX.O) and Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Disney+. Paramount+, the company's flagship streaming platform, added 4.1 million subscribers during the quarter, compared with 9.9 million in the preceding quarter. Sales for its TV media segment declined by 8% from a year earlier, and advertising revenue fell by 11%. Investment in original content and expansion of its streaming platform are consuming cash at the owner of the CBS network. The operating loss was $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared with an operating income of $775 million a year earlier.

Disney sued DeSantis on Wednesday to block a state law that created an oversight board that Disney said will interfere with billions of dollars of planned development. Disney alleges a law that imposed an oversight board was punishment for voicing opposition to DeSantis' classroom instruction law known as the Parental Rights in Education Act. The gender-education statute, derided by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" law, survived challenges in federal court before a different judge. Free speech has been central to several rulings by Walker against DeSantis, although the judge has also at times sided with the governor. Walker said Florida had become a place where the First Amendment allowed, rather than prevented, the state to limit speech.

April 11 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's newly formed oversight board is seeking to assert control over development in two cities where Walt Disney World Resort is located, the latest twist in a battle for authority over the company's Florida theme parks. A resolution, seen on Tuesday by Reuters, would give the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board the power to review and evaluate development in the 25,000-square acres of property in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) theme parks. The district would hold "superior authority and control" over planning, zoning and other land use in the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, under a Florida law that formed the state-appointed oversight board. A spokesperson for Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake did not respond to Reuters' request for comment. A spokesperson for the oversight board referred inquiries to an attorney, who was not immediately available for comment.

☆ Actor Jeremy Renner says horrific snowplow accident was 'my mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Reuters) - Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner said he was at fault in a New Year's Day snowplow accident that left him close to death and that he apologized to his family for putting them through the ordeal. Renner stuck one foot out of the plow to look back at Alex and did not set the parking brake. Renner, then worried that the snowplow would roll back and crush his nephew, said he tried to jump back into the vehicle to stop it. Renner was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his work in 2008 film "The Hurt Locker" and for best supporting actor for his work in 2010 movie "The Town." Renner credited the support of his family with helping him survive the snowplow accident.

☆ Disney's streaming chief to exit under company revamp
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Joe Earley, the current president of Hulu, will take over as president of streaming for Disney Entertainment, the company said. Iger is restructuring Disney and promised to cut $5.5 billion in costs to make the company's streaming business profitable. Paull was appointed to run the streaming unit in January 2022 under former Chief Executive Bob Chapek. He is the former CEO of BamTech, a company Disney acquired to power its streaming ambitions. In the new role, Earley will work to expand streaming efforts across Disney+ and Hulu, the company said.

☆ ABC News lays off senior executives in Disney's cost-cutting drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 30 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC News laid off several senior executives on Thursday, as it restructures its newsroom, two sources confirmed. Among those to lose their jobs in the restructuring were Wendy Fisher, senior vice president of news gathering; Galen Gordon, senior vice president of talent; Alison Rudnick, vice president of corporate communications; and David Herndon, executive director and Los Angeles bureau chief. Godwin named London bureau chief Katie den Daas as vice president of newsgathering, overseeing domestic and international teams. The business and operations team will expand to include talent, production and business affairs, reporting to ABC News Executive Vice President Derek Medina. Stacia Deshishku, executive editor and senior vice president of News, will assume responsibility for the investigative and enterprise reporting unit.

☆ Champagne carpet and crisis team ready for Oscars celebration on Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In case of an unexpected twist, a crisis response team will be on hand at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Several of 2022's biggest hits at the multiplex landed in the best picture race, from "Top Gun" and "Everything Everywhere" to "Elvis" and "Avatar: The Way of Water." To change up the look, organizers swapped out the traditional red carpet for the first time since 1961, opting instead for a champagne color. "Everything Everywhere All at Once," an offbeat story about a Chinese-American laundromat owner struggling to finish her taxes, comes in as the favorite to win best picture. The dimension-hopping kung fu adventure has swept the major Hollywood awards in the weeks leading up to the Oscars.

☆ Offbeat multiverse movie 'Everything Everywhere' dominates the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The movie claimed seven awards overall, including three of the four acting Oscars for stars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis, who built a career in horror films such as "Halloween," won best supporting actress for playing a frumpy tax agent named Deirdre Beaubeirdre. "The Whale" star Brendan Fraser, known for 1990s roles such as "The Mummy" and "Encino Man," won best actor for playing a severely obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter. "Naatu Naatu," a song from the Indian movie "RRR" that created a viral dance sensation, was honored as best original song. The 95th Academy Awards ceremony was broadcast live on Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) ABC network.

☆ DeSantis' hand-picked Walt Disney World oversight board meets for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Octavio JonesMarch 8 (Reuters) - A new board controlling Walt Disney World's special taxing district in Florida will meet for the first time on Wednesday, as Governor Ron DeSantis' hand-picked group gets ready to end the entertainment giant's "corporate kingdom." Nothing in the language of the legislation creating the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District gives the board of supervisors authority to direct Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) content. "The District board members are now in place and will be examining all of the needed actions to get back on track," Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for the governor, said on Tuesday. Legislators in Florida passed a bill in February giving DeSantis effective control over a board that oversees municipal services and development in a special district that encompasses Walt Disney World resort. “Shameful to see Disney continue to use children as pawns to advance their WOKE political agenda,” Ziegler tweeted.

☆ What could go wrong? Oscars team prepares for anything after Will Smith slap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, March 8 (Reuters) - Organizers of Sunday's 95th Academy Awards are preparing for the unexpected after Will Smith's infamous slap of Chris Rock convulsed Hollywood's biggest awards ceremony last year. For the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has created a crisis team to respond to any mishaps. The organization has not disclosed details about the membership of the crisis team or how it may react to anything out of the ordinary. Weiss said the team was planning to pepper the show with moments that they hope would spread on Twitter and TikTok. Pop superstar Rihanna will sing her nominated song "Lift Me Up" from "Wakanda Forever."

☆ Warner Bros Discovery posts quarterly loss after restructuring charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) Inc on Thursday posted a $2.1 billion loss in its fourth quarter, reflecting ongoing charges related to the restructuring of the merged media companies. Warner Bros Discovery reported a loss of 86 cents per share, versus expectations of a 21-cent-per-share loss. Warner Bros Discovery said the months-long merger-related restructuring, which resulted in thousands of layoffs and canceled film and television projects, is complete. Warner Bros Discovery also said it has paid down $7 billion in debt since April. Like other media companies, Warner Bros Discovery has yet to turn a profit on its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, though the company has reduced losses from them.

☆ Film academy response to Will Smith slap was 'inadequate,' group's president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Feb 13 (Reuters) - Hollywood's film academy did not adequately respond to Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards last March, the organization's president said on Monday at a gathering of this year's Oscar nominees. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was criticized for allowing Smith to remain in his seat, and accept the best actor trophy, after he assaulted Rock on stage. "What happened on stage was totally unacceptable," academy president Janet Yang said at the annual Oscar nominees' luncheon in Beverly Hills. Smith resigned from the academy after the incident, and the academy banned him from attending the Oscars for 10 years. He remains eligible to be nominated for and win Academy Awards.

☆ Florida governor assumes control over Disney district board
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 10 (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers granted Governor Ron DeSantis effective control of the board that oversees development in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) central Florida theme parks, escalating the Republican's battle with the emblematic company. The board members will be confirmed by the Senate, and will have no involvement in the day-to-day operations of the theme parks. "Reedy Creek gifted extraordinary special privileges to a single corporation," DeSantis' spokesman Bryan Griffin wrote on Twitter. Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida with close to 75,000 employees, drawing 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. The new bill preserves the Reedy Creek special district, though within two years it will be renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

☆ Florida governor gains control over Disney district board
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Sunlight breaks through clouds near Disney World in Orlando, Florida, U.S. September 8, 2017. REUTERS/Gregg Newton/File PhotoFeb 10 (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers on Friday granted Governor Ron DeSantis effective control of the board that oversees development in and around Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) central Florida theme parks, escalating the Republican's battle with the company. DeSantis' spokesperson Bryan Griffin said the prior system, under which the Florida legislature in 1967 gave Disney sole control over the district, lacked accountability. Disney World is the largest employer in central Florida with close to 75,000 employees and drew 36.2 million visitors in 2021, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. The new bill preserves the Reedy Creek special district, though within two years it will be renamed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Despite a rich stable of characters from Batman to Wonder Woman, the DC film and television studio has failed to match the success of Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Marvel hit factory. Also in 2025, DC Studios will release "Batman - Part II," a sequel starring Robert Pattison, a darker, more adult tale that is not part of Gunn's newly envisioned "DC Universe." While Marvel has become the highest-grossing film franchise in history, DC Studios has had mixed results. Four DC film projects that were completed before Gunn and Safran took over the studio will be released to theaters this year, "Shazam! Zaslav cut some costs by scrapping a third "Wonder Woman" film and a "Batgirl" movie that was headed to streaming.

☆ 'Elvis,' 'Everything Everywhere' vie for Oscar nods on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Hollywood's film academy will announce this year's Oscar nominees early on Tuesday, a field expected to range from biopic "Elvis" to dark comedy "The Banshees of Inisherin" and multiverse adventure "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The Oscars and other entertainment awards shows have been struggling to attract TV viewers, particularly younger ones who spend time on TikTok and YouTube. Last year's Academy Awards show, when Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock before winning best actor, drew about 15.4 million TV viewers, the second-smallest audience ever. The Gold Derby website, which monitors Hollywood's awards races, gives "Everything Everywhere" the best odds at the moment to ultimately win best picture. The movie stars Michelle Yeoh in a dimension-hopping action film about an exhausted woman trying to finish her taxes.

☆ Box office hits 'Everything Everywhere,' 'Elvis' and 'Avatar' land Oscar nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"Everything Everywhere," a science-fiction flick about an exasperated Chinese immigrant struggling to finish her taxes, landed 11 nominations, including best picture and four acting nods. Other films in the hunt for the top trophy at the Academy Awards included sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water," James Cameron's visual spectacle that currently ranks as the sixth-highest grossing movie of all time. Last year's Academy Awards ceremony, when Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock before winning best actor, drew about 15.4 million TV viewers, the second-smallest audience ever. Apple TV+ (AAPL.O) nabbed best picture last year for heartwarming drama "CODA." This time, Disney received the most nominations, a total of 22, for movies including "Avatar," "Banshees" and animated "Turning Red."

☆ China lets Marvel movies back in, sets dates for Black Panther, Ant-Man sequels
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Danielle Broadway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LOS ANGELES, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Marvel Studios on Tuesday announced February release dates for "Black Panther" and "Ant-Man" sequels in China, marking the first time in nearly four years that the Communist country has allowed Marvel movies into its cinemas. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will arrive in Chinese theaters on Feb. 7 followed by "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" on Feb. 17, Marvel announced on Chinese social media network Weibo. "Wakanda: Forever," the sequel to 2018's blockbuster hit "Black Panther," debuted in global theaters in November. The first "Black Panther" took in $105 million at Chinese theaters, while the second "Ant-Man" movie generated $121 million, according to Box Office Mojo. The February releases will be the first Marvel films to play in Chinese theaters since "Spider-Man: Far from Home" in July 2019.

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