DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Jane Fonda says director asked to sleep with her before filming sex scene
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“Was it a sloppy pass?” asked Andy Cohen, host of the show. “It was a beautiful moonlit night,” said Fonda, who described him as having been “skinny.”Garbo had dived into freezing cold water, Fonda recalled. As his first question, Cohen asked which of those nominations she felt was “most deserving” of the title. She chose the 1982 movie “On Golden Pond,” in which she starred alongside her father, Henry Fonda. Finally, Cohen asked: “After your decades working in the entertainment industry, who do you think is the biggest misogynist in Hollywood?”“Oh my God,” Fonda replied in mock horror.

☆ At Cannes, independent film firms optimistic as streamers stumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Miranda Murray | Thomson Reuters | Speed Editor On The Berlin Hub Who Provides General Coverage On Everything Politics To Energy In Germany | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Independent film companies facing a market upended by the entry of streaming services are showing some optimism heading into this year's Cannes Film Festival as the Netflix era has begun flattening out and audiences start trickling back into cinemas post-pandemic. Cannes may make headlines for its glitz and glamour, but as the world's largest event for buying and selling movie rights, its importance to the industry is unparalleled. "It's a transitional time on the business side as the traditional business model that independent buyers use sees lessened value," said O'Shea. The similarity among much of the content offered on streaming platforms leaves theatre audiences wanting something different, an unmet appetite that independent companies could fulfil, he said. "Something good is happening, and I'm sure other streaming services will follow suit," Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux said in an interview with Le Film francais magazine in April.

☆ Leaked memo: Amazon Studios parts ways with a longtime MGM film exec and expands others' roles in shakeup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon Studios is shaking up its business ranks in the wake of its acquisition of MGM. Feldman has been at Amazon Studios since 2015 and was a VP at MTV for about four years before that. Feldman has been at Amazon Studios since 2015 and was a VP at MTV for about four years before that. Also getting new responsibilities is Sam Semon , who will have international business affairs consolidated under him, adding oversight for Ingrid Auyón Tanji, who leads business affairs in Latin America. , who will have international business affairs consolidated under him, adding oversight for Ingrid Auyón Tanji, who leads business affairs in Latin America.

☆ Johnny Depp marks celebrity comeback with Cannes opening film
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Opening ceremony and screening of the film "Jeanne du Barry" Out of competition - Red Carpet arrivals - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. Johnny Depp poses. REUTERS/Yara... Read moreCANNES, May 16 (Reuters) - Johnny Depp seemed back in full celebrity mode on Tuesday, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans before the premiere of the Cannes Film Festival's opening film "Jeanne du Barry," which marks the actor's first major role since his high-profile defamation trial. "There are hundreds of film festivals all around the world, but there's only one Cannes," Douglas told the crowd. "Even the casting - some would say stunt casting - of Johnny Depp as the king offers a few early thrills and then mostly yawns," wrote The Hollywood Reporter.

☆ 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3' had best second weekend box office hold for MCU in 5 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In its second week in theaters, the director's "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. Most blockbuster films' ticket sales drop between 50% and 70% from the opening weekend to the second week. It is the third-best second week fall of any MCU film since 2008, just behind "Thor," which slipped 47.2% during its second week in 2011. For comparison, the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film tallied $773.3 million globally during its run in 2014 and "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. The strong box office for "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.

☆ 'I got a check the other day for $8': TV and film writers share why they're on strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

TV and film writers at the picket line in New York on the first day of the WGA strike, May 2, 2023. Every three years, the Writers Guild of America, the TV and film writers' union, negotiates a contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. "You go from job to job," and each contract can look different from writer to writer depending on their experience, for instance. TV writer Sheri Holman on strike in New York. TV and film writer Chisa Hutchinson.

☆ When is Cannes Film Festival 2023 and what can we expect?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] The 75th Cannes Film Festival - The Palme d'Or Award - Cannes, France, May 17, 2022. Below are some facts about the Cannes Film Festival and this year's contenders. WHAT IS THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL AND WHY IS IT CELEBRATED? Cannes is the world's biggest film festival, first conceived in 1939 as an alternative to the then-fascist-influenced Venice Film Festival. Other awards include the Grand Prix, jury prize, best director, best actor, best actress, best screenplay and best short film.

☆ Halle Bailey 'honored' to play Ariel in 'Little Mermaid' remake
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Rollo Ross | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Cast member Halle Bailey attends the premiere of the film "The Little Mermaid" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 8, 2023. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLOS ANGELES, May 9 (Reuters) - Black American singer Halle Bailey has said she was "honored" to play Ariel in the live action remake of "The Little Mermaid", adding she hoped to inspire children of colour with the new iteration of the beloved Disney animation. "It's so important for little girls to see themselves in things, in movies, in representation," said Awkwafina (Nora Lum), who voices the seagull Scuttle. The film's premiere took place amid a nearly week-long strike by thousands of film and television writers in Hollywood. Reporting by Rollo Ross; Writing by Rollo Ross and Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LOS ANGELES, May 8 (Reuters) - Writing for a new season of "The Handmaid's Tale" and a coming "Game of Thrones" prequel was halted as a nearly week-long strike by thousands of film and television writers rippled across Hollywood on Monday. Writing of the dystopian drama stopped when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called a strike last week, Chang told Reuters on Monday. Martin said in a blog post that the writers' room for prequel series "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight" was "closed for the duration of the strike." Warner Bros has not announced a release date for "The Hedge Knight." The second season of "House of the Dragon," another "Game of Thrones" prequel, began filming in April, Martin said, and will continue in London and Wales.

☆ Nice Guy Meets Iron Man in the First Novel by Tom Hanks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Alexandra Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

THE MAKING OF ANOTHER MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE, by Tom Hanks. Sidelined by the pandemic, some actors fired up ceramics or sang fragments of “Imagine.” Tom Hanks, one of the most prominent to contract an early case of Covid, bounced back by making a run at the Great American Novel. Alas, it is more Forrest Gump trotting from coast to coast than Sully landing on the Hudson. Titled “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece,” the book arrives at a crossroads for Hollywood. The novel also acknowledges a fading time when leading actors, even avatars of Everyman decency like the author, were royalty: their work shown not in living rooms but red-velvet-swagged “palaces.”

☆ What does 'No Animals Were Harmed' mean? The disclaimer is not a guarantee of animal safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Crystal Raypole | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The American Human Association monitors roughly 70% of animal action in Hollywood productions. Since they've trademarked the "No Animals Were Harmed" disclaimer, only they can issue and define it. And despite past accounts of cover-ups, AHA guidelines aim to provide productions and animal trainers with a better understanding of animal safety limitations. Video footage released in 2016 showed Michael Hackenberger, Hollywood animal trainer and owner of the Bowmanville Zoo, whipping a tiger named Uno multiple times. Even so, many people believe the only movies that can truly state "No Animals Were Harmed" are movies that replace animal actors with computer-generated imagery.

☆ TV and film writers are fighting to save their jobs from AI. They won’t be the last
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A powerful new crop of AI tools, trained on vast troves of data online, can now generate essays, song lyrics and other written work in response to user prompts. While there are clearly limits for how well AI tools can produce compelling creative stories, these tools are only getting more advanced, putting writers like August on guard. But as part of their demands, the WGA is also fighting to protect their livelihoods from AI. Stephanie Elam/CNNWhile film and TV writers in Hollywood may currently be leading the charge, professionals in other industries will almost certainly be paying attention. “Watch this #WGA strike carefully,” Justine Bateman, a writer, director and former actress, wrote in a tweet shortly after the strike kicked off.

☆ How 2 longtime Warner Bros. execs and a veteran media banker plan to invest $360 million in sports, live experiences, and proven IP
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alex Iosilevich, Kevin Tsujihara, and Jeff Bewkes raised $360 million to invest in media, entertainment, and gaming. "Today it's television, tomorrow it's virtual reality," Alex Iosilevich, a longtime media banker and investor, told Insider. The trio announced April 27 that they raised $360 million for their first private equity fund to invest in media, entertainment, and gaming companies. Bewkes was chairman and CEO of Time Warner; he left as part of AT&T's 2016 acquisition of the company. With the market for subscription-based streaming services getting saturated, streaming companies will have to look more aggressively for new audiences through overseas expansion, ad-supported tiers, and new entertainment content.

LOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - Thousands of film and television writers will go on strike starting Tuesday, throwing Hollywood into turmoil as the entertainment business grapples with seismic changes triggered by the global streaming TV boom. The rise of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. The last WGA strike, in 2007 and 2008, cost the California economy an estimated $2.1 billion as productions shut down and out-of-work writers, actors and producers cut back spending. Writers say they have suffered financially during the streaming TV boom, in part due to shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. Half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels, compared with one-third in the 2013-14 season, according to Guild statistics.

☆ How will TV shows be affected by the Hollywood writers strike?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike BlakeLOS ANGELES, May 1 (Reuters) - Thousands of Hollywood film and television writers will go on strike starting Tuesday, an action that will disrupt TV production. How will the walkout by the Writers Guild of America's affect viewers' favorite TV shows and movies? Which shows will feel the first impact of the strike? A protracted strike could delay the start of the fall television season, when networks debut new scripted shows and fresh seasons of their hits. Netflix (NFLX.O), which makes shows around the world, has said it can feed its service with shows produced outside the United States.

☆ Three media veterans just raised $360 million to invest in sports, live experiences, and proven IP — trends that are 'permanent' even as streamers struggle for profits and consumers churn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Alex Iosilevich, Kevin Tsujihara, and Jeff Bewkes raised $360 million to invest in media, entertainment, and gaming. "Today it's television, tomorrow it's virtual reality," Alex Iosilevich, a longtime media banker and investor, told Insider. The trio announced April 27 that they raised $360 million for their first private equity fund to invest in media, entertainment, and gaming companies. And Iosilevich's resume includes more than a decade of media dealmaking at UBS, Deutsche Bank, and Barclays. With the market for subscription-based streaming services getting saturated, streaming companies will have to look more aggressively for new audiences through overseas expansion, ad-supported tiers, and new entertainment content.

"The companies' behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce," said the WGA, which represents roughly 11,500 writers. The rise of streaming has led to declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. The last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008 lasted 100 days. Writers say they have suffered in the streaming TV boom with shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

More than 11,000 film and television writers, who say their compensation doesn't match the revenue generated in the streaming era, are on strike for the first time since 2007-08. Most immediately, this will have a significant impact on late-night shows, where writers are tasked with crafting timely and topical jokes. That's because many shows and films have already wrapped production and will enter the marketplace unaffected by the strike. Instead, they feel they've been shortchanged on compensation as studios, networks and streaming platforms write a new rulebook in real time. Unlike the 2007 strike, writers currently have social media on their side and are rallying on platforms like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok to get their message out.

☆ How Runway's idea for AI-driven video and photo editing and generation went from a "crazy" concept to a Silicon Valley darling worth half a billion dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When Runway's founders first came up with the idea for an AI art startup, they were called crazy. Now, the generative AI startup has become a fan favorite of VCs and the public alike. When Cristóbal Valenzuela began building his generative AI company Runway in 2018, investors, filmmakers, and advertisers told the cofounder that he was crazy. "They were saying, 'why would you want to build AI tools for video and filmmaking?'" Many of these features were developed hand-in-hand with customers, who often described to Runway the problems and obstacles they ran into while creating videos, Valenzuela said.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery previews a stacked film slate, centered around this summer's 'Barbie'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. is offering a wide slate of films in 2023 across drama, comedy, horror and action. Warner Bros. capped its presentation with words from Peter Safran, one half of its new duo of creative leaders at DC Studios. Zaslav says he's seen "The Flash" three times and told CinemaCon audiences "it's the best superhero movie I've ever seen." He also reassured media and insiders that Warner Bros.

☆ MoviePass has landed a deal with Walmart to sell subscriptions in stores across the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

MoviePass will be available at Walmart, several sources familiar with the deal told Insider. MoviePass relaunched last year in beta form and plans to be available to all customers by the summer. MoviePass will have displays in Walmart stores across the country where its subscription cards will be available for shoppers, sources said. No details were given to Insider about what the offer on the MoviePass Walmart cards will be, or when the cards will be available in stores. "This is a huge win for MoviePass and for the theatrical movie business," Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Insider.

☆ Richard Lewis ‘finished with standup’ amid Parkinson’s disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —For those wondering where he has been for the last few years, Richard Lewis has an answer. He’s undergone surgeries for his shoulder, back and hips, and has been dealing with another health challenge. “Two years ago I started walking a little stiffly, I was shuffling my feet and I went to a neurologist and they gave me a brain scan and I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,” Lewis, 75, said in his video. And I’m on the right meds, so I’m cool.”Lewis said he’s “finished with standup,” instead “focusing on writing and acting.” He added that he is happy and doing well. According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson’s “is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves.”Other celebs who are also living with Parkinson’s disease include singer Neil Diamond and actor Michael J.

☆ Movie stars who draw audiences to theaters are getting older, raising questions about young Hollywood's star power
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new study found the actors who are most likely to draw audiences to theaters are getting older. Most of the top 100 actors — with 13 exceptions — were age 40 or older, according to the study. 10 among Gen Z), Zendaya (No. 14 among Gen Z), Michael B. Jordan (No. But older actors also ranked highly with younger cohorts, including Hart and Sandler, who were the third and fifth biggest box-office draws respectively for Gen Z.

☆ Koko Da Doll, Star of Film on Transgender Sex Workers, Is Killed in Atlanta
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Michael Levenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Koko Da Doll, who was featured in “Kokomo City,” a documentary about four Black transgender sex workers that won awards at the Sundance Film Festival this year, was fatally shot in Atlanta on Tuesday, the film’s director said. Koko Da Doll, 35, whose name was Rasheeda Williams, “was the latest victim of violence against Black transgender women,” the director, D. Smith, said in a statement. “I created ‘Kokomo City’ because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women,” Ms. Smith said. “I wanted to create images that didn’t show the trauma or the statistics of murder of transgender lives. But here we are again.”The Atlanta Police Department said that it was actively investigating three violent crimes against transgender women this year — the fatal shooting on Tuesday, another fatal shooting on April 11 and a shooting that critically injured a female victim in January.

☆ How Naomi Watts and Elle Fanning Stay Hungry
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ella Riley-Adams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When I was shooting the first season of “The Great” [the Hulu series that premiered in 2020, and that will soon air its third season, with Fanning playing Catherine the Great], it was also my first time producing a show. I hadn’t been behind the scenes much before, making those decisions, but I’d always been curious about how everything’s put together. Now I can feel myself evolving, not being as afraid to speak up in rooms that I wouldn’t normally be in. I’m still young, but I keep having to remind myself, “You’ve been acting since you were 2 — you’ve been on a lot of film sets, and you’ve seen a lot of things.”

Search resuls for: "of Film"

25 mentions found