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☆ Angela Bassett and Mel Brooks Are Among Those to Receive Honorary Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kyle Buchanan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just a few months after Angela Bassett came close to clinching a supporting-actress Oscar for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” she’ll become one of four Hollywood figures to receive an honorary Oscar at this year’s Governors Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced. Also getting honorary Oscars will be the director Mel Brooks and the editor Carol Littleton, while the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter will be presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The awards “honor four trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans,” the academy president Janet Yang said in a statement. Bassett, 64, was first nominated for playing Tina Turner in the biopic “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and also starred in films like “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Malcolm X” and “Boyz N the Hood.” Her awards-season run for Wakanda Forever” earlier this year netted her a Golden Globe, and though she lost the Oscar to “Everything Everywhere All at Once” supporting actress Jamie Lee Curtis, Bassett is still one of only four Black actresses to have received more than one Oscar nomination for acting.

Persons: Angela Bassett, Oscar, “, she’ll, Mel Brooks, Carol Littleton, Michelle Satter, Jean Hersholt, ”, Janet Yang, Bassett, Tina Turner, Stella, ” “ Malcolm X ”, Jamie Lee Curtis Organizations: Academy of Motion Picture Arts, Sciences, Sundance, Globe

☆ Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks to get honorary Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 27 (Reuters - Actor Angela Bassett and veteran filmmaker Mel Brooks will receive Academy Honorary Awards this year in honour of their careers and contribution to cinema, Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has said. The Academy announced it had voted to present the awards to two-time Oscar nominee Bassett and "The Producers" writer Brooks, as well as to editor Carol Littleton at its Governor Awards in November. "Across her decades-long career, Angela Bassett has continued to deliver transcendent performances that set new standards in acting. Mel Brooks lights up our hearts with his humor, and his legacy has made a lasting impact on every facet of entertainment," Yang added. Writer, director, actor and producer Brooks, who turns 98 on Wednesday, began his career writing comedy routines for Sid Caesar's TV shows.

Persons: Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, Bassett, Brooks, Carol Littleton, Michelle Satter, Jean Hersholt, Janet Yang, Yang, Carol Littleton’s, Tina Turner, Exhale, Ramonda, Sid Caesar's, Oscar, Robin Hood, Littleton, Satter, Marie, Louise Gumuchian, Ed Osmond Organizations: Hollywood's Academy, Motion Picture Arts, Sciences, The Academy, Sundance, Jean, Governors, Sundance Institute, Academy, Thomson

☆ At Attractions About the Titanic, Pondering the Fate of the Titan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Christopher Kuo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It just felt so eerie to be like we added five more to the tally,” said Sebastian, a 34-year-old musician who lives in New York City, as he took in “Titanic: The Exhibition,” in New York. Ever since the submersible, the Titan, disappeared in the ocean depths last Sunday, its fate had riveted the world. Many were fascinated by the search and rescue efforts, hoping the missing explorers would be found alive. Others wondered why wealthy people would spend so much money on a dangerous tour of a disaster site. And others were drawn by its connection to the Titanic, whose sinking in 1912 remains one of the most famous maritime disasters in history, still the subject of films, exhibits and shows.

Persons: Jo, Sebastian, ”, ” Sebastian, Stefan Hut Locations: New York City, New York

☆ Hollywood props auction 'about people connecting with films they love': Propstore's Brandon Alinger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHollywood props auction 'about people connecting with films they love': Propstore's Brandon AlingerBrandon Alinger, Propstore COO, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss next week's Hollywood props live auction, where more than 1,400 items of film memorabilia from classic movies like 'Star Wars', 'The Shawshank Redemption' and 'Gladiator' will hit the auction block.

Persons: Brandon Alinger Brandon Alinger

☆ More than retail or hotels, the film industry is destroying the planet. But sustainable sets like Oscar winner 'The Whale' may offer a new way forward.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Parisa Hashempour | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

InsiderThe film industry has a sustainability problem, and it's massive: The average tentpole production — a film with a budget over $70 million — generates 2,840 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the British Film Institute reported. Yawger saw raw materials from industry waste transform into items such as tables, outdoor furniture, bowls, and benches. "It revealed the film industry was the second most polluting behind aerospace," Jennifer Sandoval, the director of service development at Earth Angel, told Insider. "Plastic and trash are very visible in the film industry, and people can understand why we need to change things," Yawger said. These changes might help drive a more climate-conscious narrative or simply enable Earth Angel to swap out a character's plastic water bottle for a reusable one.

Persons: Max, Leonardo DiCaprio's, Tamsin Hollo, Hollo, Quinn Yawger, Yawger, it's, we're, Jennifer Sandoval, Sandoval, NBCUniversal, Bosque Organizations: British Film Institute, Railroad, University of California, Netflix, United Locations: Thailand, Atlanta, Los Angeles, California, Niebla, Mexico, United Nations

☆ WBD chief Zaslav contacted filmmakers Scorsese, Spielberg to quell fears around TCM layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. The layoffs affected the company's vast portfolio of cable-TV networks including the Discovery Channel, Investigation Discovery and the Food Network. Its offerings are among the movies and shows included on Warner Bros. The shakeup at the network inspired Warner Bros. Scorsese, Spielberg and Anderson added that Zaslav contacted them regarding the restructuring of TCM, adding they each spent time talking with the CEO, individually and as a group, "and it's clear that TCM and classic cinema are very important to him.

Persons: shakeup, David Zaslav, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, —, Turner, Scorsese, Spielberg, Anderson, Zaslav Organizations: Warner Bros, Discovery, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Turner, TCM

☆ Inside Netflix's growing M&A machine, who's leading it, and what insiders think the streamer could buy next
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It then delved further into M&A to kickstart its games business. And the streamer hasn't completely abandoned its build-from-within strategy, as it also announced plans last fall to build its own gaming studio in Finland. He recently was elevated to the Lstaff, a group of 25 Netflix business heads who debate its biggest initiatives. (Netflix ended up doing a partnership in 2019 with that company, Studio Dragon, and its parent CJ ENM.) But leadership has been steadfast that Netflix's M&A mantra hasn't changed.

Persons: Here's, Reed Hastings, It's, it's, who's, what's, Roald Dahl, Dahl, Peter Rabbit, Spry, Harry Potter, execs, Spencer Wang, Michael Porter, Spencer Neumann, who'd, Neumann, Wang, Greg Peters, Ted Sarandos, Bela Bajaria, Scott Stuber, Mike Verdu, Jay MacDonald, Digiday, Ana Milicevic, Hastings, Sarandos, CJ ENM, Mario Organizations: Netflix, stoke, Paramount, Night School, Spry Fox, Disney, Warner Bros, DC Comics, Digital Capital Advisors, MLB, Surf League, Street Journal, Microsoft, Sparrow Advisers, MGM, Amazon, Mario Bros, Activision Blizzard, Epic Games, UBS Locations: Finland, New Jersey, Hollywood

☆ TikTok and Candle Media strike deal to co-create content
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - TikTok and Blackstone-backed Candle Media will co-create content and branded entertainment as part of a broad strategic partnership in the United States, the companies said on Tuesday. A key piece of the partnership will be Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon's company that Candle acquired in 2021. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, will also allow advertisers purchase advertisements directly adjacent to Candle content and share that ad revenue as part of the tie-up. Candle Media was founded by former top Walt Disney (DIS.N) executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Reese Witherspoon's, TikTok, HBO's, hashtag, China's ByteDance, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Jaspreet Singh, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Blackstone, Media, Walt Disney, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru

A team of scientists working to map the Titanic in 2010 as part of a project to create a high-definition 3D image of the ship. For decades after the Titanic sank, searchers scanned the dark waters of the North Atlantic for the ship’s final resting place. Since the wreck was found, in 1985, it has drawn hundreds of filmmakers, salvagers, explorers and tourists, using robots and submersibles. Mr. Cameron, who has repeatedly visited the wreck, was among those calling for care around the site. By the time it began offering tours to paying customers, researchers said that the Titanic had little scientific value compared to other sites.

Persons: James Cameron, Cameron’s, Cameron Organizations: Titanic, Atlantic, Expeditions

Persons: James Cameron, Cameron’s, Cameron Organizations: Titanic, Atlantic, Expeditions

☆ 'The Flash,' 'Elemental' disappoint as 'Spider-Verse' continues box office domination
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The mixed results saw disappointing debuts from "The Flash" and "Elemental," while "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" continued to attract ticket buyers. It also fell short of the $67 million debut of fellow DC film "Black Adam" last October. "Audiences have shown in recent months and post-'Endgame' years that they are being more selective about which comic book films are going to earn their box office dollars," he said. Estimates peg the film's debut at $29.5 million, just higher than the $29.1 million "Toy Story," Pixar's first-ever theatrical release, which opened in 1995. Across Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Father's Day weekend, the domestic box office is expected to tally just under $175 million in receipts.

Persons: Adam, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, Ezra Miller, Mario, Paul Dergarabedian Organizations: Warner Bros, BoxOffice.com, DC, Pixar, DreamWorks, Mario Bros, Comscore, Guardians, Galaxy, Comcast, CNBC Locations: NBCUniversal

☆ Glenda Jackson, British actor turned politician, dies aged 87
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Elizabeth Piper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Raw-boned, pallid and angular, with striking, sharp eyes, she had starred on stage, television and film before quitting to take up politics, declaring: "An actor's life is not interesting". Jackson also won two Emmy awards for her portrayal of England's Queen Elizabeth I in the BBC's 1971 television series "Elizabeth R". After more than three decades on stage and film, Jackson quit acting and took her no-nonsense, straight-talking style into politics. In 1992, at the age of 55, Jackson won a seat in parliament representing the left-of-centre Labour Party in a constituency in north London. In parliament, Jackson was vociferous in her condemnation of the Conservative Party which she accused of instilling a "dreadful, dreadful moral malaise" in Britain.

☆ 36 Hours in Bath, England
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Susanne Masters | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

3:30 p.m. Be awed by Mary ShelleyThe author Mary Shelley stayed in Bath for five months from 1816 to 1817, attending scientific lectures. By the time she left, most of “Frankenstein” was written. Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein (entry £17.50), a museum that opened in 2021 near Queen Square, explores Shelley’s life and the time she spent in Bath, as well as her influences and her legacy. Basement rooms add to the creepy experience by pushing you through bad smells and weird textures while someone lurks in costume. Upstairs, explore the vast quantity of films and memorabilia inspired by the book.

Persons: Mary Shelley The, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein ”, Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein Locations: Bath, Queen

☆ Hong Kong protest anthem vanishes from online music platforms after government seeks full ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The ballad contains lyrics that reference the phrase “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” a protest slogan that has been already outlawed in 2020 for what the government and courts have declared are the phrase’s secessionist and subversive connotations. Users in the US cannot purchase the song on Apple Music either, although it also still yields search results on the platform. Following its 1997 handover to China, Hong Kong was promised key freedoms and autonomy to run its own affairs. The head of Amnesty International’s China team, Sarah Brooks, described the government’s move to outlaw the song as “absurd.”“The Hong Kong government must end its increasingly fervent crackdown on freedom of expression. Playing the song in public in Hong Kong is now fraught with legal risk.

Persons: Hong Kong ”, ”, “ ThomasDGX, Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s, John Lee –, –, Sarah Brooks, ” Brooks, Hong Kongers, Carl Court, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Google, Department of Justice, RTHK, Amnesty, “, Volunteers Locations: Hong Kong, United States, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Hong, Beijing

The movie is projected to debut with a modest $31 million to $41 million this weekend in the U.S., according to the Box Office Pro website. That is well shy of the recent $120.5 million haul for Sony’s critically acclaimed animated hit "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Pixar is looking to rebound from the box office disappointment of 2022 release "Lightyear," the origin story of "Toy Story" hero Buzz Lightyear. "Judging Pixar on the recent past, history would not be kind," said SVB MoffettNathanson media analyst Michael Nathanson. But the move dealt a blow to creatives who had hoped their films would be seen on the big screen, according to one Pixar director who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Persons: Athie, Leah Lewis, Pete Docter, Denise Ream, Peter Sohn, Adele Exarchopoulos, Vincent Lacoste, Jim Morris, Read, Buzz Lightyear, Pixar, Michael Nathanson, Sohn, Mario, Shawn Robbins, Robbins, Bob Chapek’s, Luca, creatives, Sohn’s, Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, Nathan Frandino, Kenneth Li, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Cannes Film, Pixar Animation Studios, Box, Pixar, Reuters, Walt Disney Co, Reuters Television, Comcast, Universal Pictures, Mario Bros, Sony Pictures, Pro, Disney, U.S, Cannes, Rotten, Thomson Locations: U.S, City, Los Angeles, San Francisco

☆ Hollywood actor becomes latest arrested in Jan 6 Capitol assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, June 7 (Reuters) - A Hollywood actor who has appeared on such TV shows as "Arrested Development" and the cartoon hit "Bob's Burgers," was arrested on Wednesday for his role in the U.S. Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, that sought to keep Donald Trump in the White House. Johnston surrendered on Wednesday to the FBI field office in Los Angeles, where he is a resident, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Johnston has appeared in dozens of films and television shows, often portraying law enforcement officers, including recurring roles as a cop on the comedies "The Sarah Silverman Program" and "Arrested Development." He was banned from the show in 2021 after he was identified as having participated in the Jan. 6 mob, according to the Daily Beast. Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jay Johnston, Joe Biden's, Johnston, sleuths, Trump, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Pesto, Steve Gorman, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: U.S, Capitol, District of Columbia, FBI, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Capitol Police, NBC News, Electoral, Republican, Fox, Daily Beast, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, District, Los Angeles, U.S

☆ Read the pitch deck that helped raise $5 million for fintech FilmHedge after it closed $100 million in debt financing to fund new films and TV shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

FilmHedge closed in March on a $5 million funding round and has a $100 million credit facility. FilmHedge, an Atlanta-based fintech launched in February 2020, provides liquidity to productions with budgets ranging from $1 million to $50 million. It follows a $100 million credit facility from Coromandel Capital and Fallbrook Capital in 2022, which helps FilmHedge finance projects. "We have access to $100 million, but we see around $70 million in applicants per month," he said, "so we have to pass on a lot of deals." FilmHedge gave Insider a look at the 18-page pitch deck it used while raising its $5 million Series A round and $100 million credit facility — check it out here.

Persons: FilmHedge, Jon Gosier, fintech, May FilmHedge, Gosier, —, Axios, FilmHedge hadn't Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Entertainment, Variety, Lionsgate, Disney, Collab, WOCStar, Savannah College of Art & Design, TriplePoint, Coromandel Capital, Fallbrook, Media Locations: Atlanta, Coromandel, Hollywood

☆ Celebrate Pride at the Tribeca Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Kyle Turner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The 2023 Tribeca Festival is coinciding with Pride month, and as L.G.B.T.Q. rights come under renewed attack, the festival includes a handful of films that show the resilience of the community. From that robust list, these five films are worth a closer look. ‘Chasing Chasing Amy’Director: Sav RodgersThe documentarian Sav Rodgers examines the significance of the writer-director Kevin Smith’s 1997 comedy through a number of lenses. Most important, Rodgers wrestles with the role the film had in his own self-discovery.

Persons: Amy ’, Sav Rodgers, Kevin Smith’s, Rodgers, Smith Locations: tribecafilm.com

☆ Exploring Rock Hudson’s Legacy Through a New Lens
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( David Belcher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rock Hudson was the ultimate midcentury movie star, turning heads and breaking hearts as the camera lit his chiseled face and rugged frame. The double life he led as a gay man — and his death from AIDS-related causes at 59 in 1985 — have sealed him in Hollywood lore, but he is largely unknown to new generations of film fans. For Stephen Kijak, the director of the HBO documentary “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed,” premiering Sunday at the Tribeca Festival (and streaming on Max on June 28), the actor was a fascinating figure to explore, both as a quintessential midcentury movie star and a gay icon. Mr. Kijak, who has directed several L.G.B.T.Q.-themed films, spoke recently from his Los Angeles home about the legacy of and enduring fascination with a movie star who lived a gay life almost out in the open and who, in a true act of openness as one of the first celebrities — if not the first — to go public about his illness, changed the course of how the world responded to the AIDS epidemic. The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Persons: Hudson, —, Stephen Kijak, Kijak Organizations: HBO, Tribeca, Max Locations: Hollywood, Los Angeles

☆ 40-year-old director never thought she could have a film career—now her latest movie stars Robert De Niro
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

"When I thought of a film director, I pictured, you know, Spielberg. At 28, she finally enrolled in film school at New York University with the support of her family and her partner at the time. "Those three years of film school were the best years of my life," she says. While she was in school, Terruso "said yes to everything." She worked on films for as little as $100 a day doing whatever they needed, wanting to soak up as much experience as she could.

Persons: Laura Terruso, she'd, –, Spielberg, Robert De Niro, Sebastian Maniscalco, Terruso Organizations: CNBC, Getty, New York University Locations: Dyker, Brooklyn

☆ Justine Triet: French film director attacks Macron during Palme d'Or acceptance speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —French film director Justine Triet condemned what she called French President Emmanuel Macron’s “shocking” repression of the pension reform protests during her Palme d’Or acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. “The commodification of culture that the neoliberal government defends is in the process of breaking the French cultural exception,” Triet continued. Triet is just the third woman to win the Palme d’Or, one of cinema’s tpp prizes, after New Zealand’s Jane Campion and France’s Julia Ducournau. “Happy to see the Palme d’Or awarded to Justine Triet, the 10th for France! France’s social unrest has cast a shadow over this year’s instalment of the film festival.

☆ Global audience demand for streaming Asian movies, series grows with hits like 'Squid Game'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But investment in Asian, especially Korean, content is still high. "Some might think that supply outstripping demand globally could mean a slight pullback in investment could be on the table. The behemoth streaming service said it plans to invest $2.5 billion over the next four years to produce more Korean shows and movies. While global demand for Korean-language TV shows has increased since early 2020, it has still been outpaced by the supply of the content. Meanwhile, that demand has stagnated in comparison to other Asian language TV series, specifically Japanese and Chinese, according to Parrot.

☆ A.I. Generated Scripts? Get Me Rewrite! - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Paul Rudnick | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the strike by unions representing thousands of film and TV writers approaches its second month, the role that A.I. might play in writing scripts remains one of the biggest issues. While the Writers Guild of America has expressed a willingness to work with A.I. Scene 2DETECTIVE: Did you kill that dead body? Scene 3DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Did you kill that dead body?

☆ Fact Check-Clip shows behind-the-scenes of ‘First Man’ movie, not film crew on Moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Footage showing behind-the-scenes during the filming of the 2018 ‘First Man’ movie starring actor Ryan Gosling has been shared with false claims that it shows a film crew on the surface of the Moon. Further footage shows camera operators and film crew capturing the astronaut walking on what appears to be the lunar surface. Some shared the video on social media with suggestions that it showed proof that the lunar landing was a hoax. Examples of the clip shared online can be seen (here) and (here). The clip shows behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of the ‘First Man’ movie starring Ryan Gosling.

☆ Emotional Harrison Ford reflects on his years as Indiana Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CANNES, May 19 (Reuters) - Harrison Ford teared up on Friday as he recalled his years playing Indiana Jones, after the Cannes premiere of what he has said will be his last outing in the blockbuster film franchise. "I love to work and I love this character and I love what it brought into my life," he told journalists at the festival. The new film, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", pits the adventurous archaeologist against a former Nazi scientist, played by Mads Mikkelsen, who is searching for a dial that makes it possible to travel through time. That's what I looked like 35 years ago because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we made together over all these year," Ford said. Ford, who first played Indiana Jones in 1981, told Total Film magazine last month that he would hang up the character's iconic bull whip and hat for good after this film, which will be released to wider audiences in late June.

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