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☆ The Oscar box office bump is shrinking
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The winner of the best picture award at Sunday's Oscars may not get a box office bump for taking home the night's biggest prize. The result has been a smaller bump in box office at the time of nominations and a significant surge in streaming demand. For 2014's "American Sniper," 99% of its box office ticket sales came after its nomination, a whopping $346 million. This year, all of the best picture nominees saw less than 13% of revenue from post-nomination box office except for one. "For decades, we've seen contenders pick up extra box office ticket sales once the picture nominations were announced.

☆ Steven Spielberg's latest film 'The Fabelmans' could win Best Picture at this month's Academy Awards. Here are his top 10 most popular films.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Paramount Pictures Worldwide box office: $603.9 million ($925 million, adjusted for inflation) Total domestic box office: $234.3 million Domestic opening weekend: $64.9 million Budget: $132 million 9. Paramount Studios Worldwide box office: $474.2 million ($1.1 billion, adjusted for inflation) Total domestic box office: $197.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $29.4 million Budget: $48 million 7. Paramount Pictures Worldwide box office: $790.7 million ($1.1 billion, adjusted for inflation) Total domestic box office: $317.1 million Domestic opening weekend: $100.1 million Budget: $185 million 6. Universal Worldwide box office: $618.6 million ($1.15 billion, adjusted for inflation) Total domestic box office: $229.1 million Domestic opening weekend: $72.1 million Budget: $73 million 5. Universal Worldwide box office: $792.9 million ($2.5 billion, adjusted for inflation) Total domestic box office: $437.1 million Domestic opening weekend: $11.8 million Budget: $10.5 million 1.

☆ All 31 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked by how much money they made at the global box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Travis Clark | Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Universal Pictures Worldwide box office: $264.7 million Total domestic box office: $134.8 million Domestic opening weekend: $55.4 million Budget: $150 million 29. Disney/Marvel Worldwide box office: $370.6 million Total domestic box office: $176.7 million Domestic opening weekend: $65 million Budget: $140 million 28. "Ant-Man" (2015) Marvel Worldwide box office: $519.3 million Total domestic box office: $180.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $57.2 million Budget: $130 million 23. Marvel Studios Worldwide box office: $644.8 million Total domestic box office: $206.4 million Domestic opening weekend: $85.7 million Budget: $170 million 19. Marvel/Sony Worldwide box office: $880.2 million Total domestic box office: $334.2 million Domestic opening weekend: $117 million Budget: $175 million 11.

☆ 'Law & Order: SVU' actor Richard Belzer dead at age 78
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Doha Madani | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Actor Richard Belzer poses for photographers at the premiere of the film 'V for Vendetta' in New York March 13, 2006. Actor Richard Belzer, best known for his role on the beloved crime procedural "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," died at the age of 78 on Sunday, NBC confirmed in a statement Sunday. "Anyone who ever had the pleasure of watching Richard Belzer portray Det. It was the first time he'd appear as John Munch , a detective that would soon become synonymous with Belzer. Mariska Hargitay, who portrays Benson, said on her Instagram Sunday that she loved Belzer, "now and forever."

☆ Raquel Welch, actor and international sex symbol, dies at 82
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Diana Dasrath | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Actor Raquel Welch, whose role in the 1966 film "One Million Years B.C." Welch died Wednesday morning following a brief illness, Media Four said in a statement. Welch won a Golden Globe in 1975 for best actress in a musical/comedy for her role in "The Three Musketeers." She was nominated in 1988 for best actress in a limited series for her role in "Right to Die." Over the course of a career that spanned more than 50 years, Welch had more than 30 film and 50 television credits.

☆ ‘Sopranos’ actor John Ventimiglia’s daughter Odele dies at 25
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Drew Weisholtz | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Odele Cape Ventimiglia, the 25-year-old daughter of “Sopranos” star John Ventimiglia, has died, her mother announced. “Heartbroken to have to post our darling Odele’s funeral notice,” Brenda Cape wrote on Facebook Jan. 21, while revealing the funeral was scheduled for Jan. 26. “Her sister Lucinda and I have been overwhelmed by the messages of support and love we have received, and your remembrances of how cherished Odele was to so many. Odele was greatly loved, and leaves a huge hole in our lives. Odele is survived by her sister, Lucinda Ventimiglia, mother, Belinda Cape, father John Ventimiglia, and her beloved daughter Shiloh.”Cape wrote that she died on Jan. 12.

☆ Jeff Bezos' partner Lauren Sánchez talked about being rejected as flight attendant because of her weight and becoming a pilot instead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Media personality Lauren Sánchez has been publically dating billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos since 2019. Sánchez was also married to her former spouse, Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman at William Morris Endeavor, at the time. "This is one of the only places I feel entirely in control," Sánchez told the outlet. "I don't know why more women don't do it," she told The Journal. "It's going to be women who are making a difference in the world and who are impactful and have a message to send,'" Sánchez told The Journal.

☆ Oscar-nominated 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' features an IRS ordeal, but here's what really happens in an audit, according to tax pros
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

But audits have been rare, according to Ryan Losi, a certified public accountant and executive vice president of CPA firm Piascik. "I have maybe two or three a year, and that's with 600 clients," he said. Typically, the IRS uses software to assign a numeric score to returns, and when the rating is high enough, it may be flagged for an audit, explained Michael Prinzo, managing principal of tax at CliftonLarsonAllen. During the fiscal year 2022, 85% of IRS audits occurred by correspondence, according to the Syracuse University report. Michael Prinzo managing principal of tax at CliftonLarsonAllen

☆ Fact Check-No evidence that four AI robots killed 29 scientists in Japan or South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

There is no evidence to support claims online that four artificial intelligence robots killed 29 scientists in a lab in Japan or South Korea. “Japanese A.I Robots Murders 29 Scientists,” reads one tweet (here). Some posts say that the supposed incident happened in Japan, while others (fb.watch/i9iz5cDId7/) place it to South Korea. Reuters found no evidence that such an incident took place in Japan or South Korea. There is no evidence to support claims circulating online that 29 scientists were killed in a lab in Japan or South Korea by four artificial intelligence robots.

☆ Amid 'Velma' pushback, Mindy Kaling is a 'lightning rod' held to impossible standard, some critics say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

In 2021, South Asian women made up 0.3% of onscreen representation in television and film, according to a study by the Nielsen company. Srinivas sees why the South Asian community feels incorrectly represented by Mindy, Devi, Bela or Velma. “When her characters have become so popular with the mainstream audience, I think it’s understandable that the South Asian community feels somewhat outraged by this portrayal of a South Asian individual,” she said. “It’s not inauthentic to the experience of South Asian kids growing up in this society. “They are very much the same as the characters Mindy portrays.”

☆ George Santos appears to have claimed he acted in 'Hannah Montana' and with Uma Thurman in a movie she wasn't actually in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Wikipedia user called Anthony Devolder made elaborate claims about his acting experience. The name is a known alias of GOP Rep. George Santos, who has made false claims about his past. No "Anthony Devolder" — or George Santos — was listed in the cast on IMDb. He has also at various times listed his full name as George Anthony Devolder Santos. He also went by the name George Devolder in social media posts in 2020, CNN reported.

☆ 'M3GAN' is getting a sequel after smashing the box office
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

"M3GAN" is getting a sequel, set for release in 2025. It shows the power of a potential merger between its production companies, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster. Production studios Blumhouse and Atomic Monster announced on Wednesday that they've greenlit a sequel to their hit horror movie, about an AI-powered doll that torments any humans she thinks will harm her owner. The sequel, titled "M3GAN 2.0," is set for release on January 17, 2025. "M3GAN" has been a box-office smash since debuting on January 6, earning $95 million at the global box office so far, $60 million of which is from the US.

☆ Fact Check-Behind-the-scenes filming of Brazilian TV show miscaptioned following capture of Ovidio Guzmán in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The clip opens with a group of three people slowly advancing down an ally, hunched over, and appearing to hold firearms. A further two people can subsequently be seen hunched around a corner, shooting toward the first group. Instead, it shows behind-the-scenes footage from a Brazilian TV show, Arcanjo Renegado, which was released in 2020 via the platform Globoplay (the streaming service owned by the Grupo Globo conglomerate). Reuters previously addressed another miscaptioned behind-the-scenes video of Arcanjo Renegado which can be seen here: (here). The clip shows behind-the-scenes filming of the Brazilian TV series, Arcanjo Renegado.

☆ Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ‘Dune’ Was Never Made, but With A.I., We Get a Glimpse of His ‘Tron’ - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Frank Pavich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

I was recently shown some frames from a film that I had never heard of: Alejandro Jodorowsky’s 1976 version of “Tron.” The sets were incredible. However, Mr. Jodorowsky, the visionary Chilean filmmaker, never tried to make “Tron.” I’m not even sure he knows what “Tron” is. caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption Generation Text prompt The A.I. caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption Generation Text prompt The A.I. If A.I.s were eligible for the Academy Awards, I’d vote for “Jodorowsky’s Tron” for best A.I.

☆ TikTok is offering IMDb data on millions of movies and TV shows, giving Gen Z another reason to ditch Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Users can link to movies and TV shows in their videos that direct to an in-app page with data about the title. It's one more way that young people can use TikTok as a search engine. TikTok and IMDb, a movie database owned by Amazon, announced a collaboration on Thursday that will see TikTok licensing IMDb data to power a new feature on the social platform. Creators will now be able to link to movies and TV shows in their videos. Search from the "movies and TV shows" option to find any of the 12 million-plus titles on IMDb.

☆ These 8 movies flopped in theaters, but you should still check them out. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Some movies that flopped in theaters this year deserve a watch, from "Babylon" to "The Northman." They suggest that even good original movies for adults don't attract audiences in droves anymore. Here's why some box-office stinkers are worth your time, and where to watch them. That means some box office flops from this year are actually great movies, like Oscar contenders "Tár," which stars Cate Blanchett, and Steven Spielberg's "The Fabelmans." Below are eight movies worth watching that flopped at the box office, and where to watch them.

☆ Amazon bulked up its advertising behemoth in 2022 — and its becoming an even bigger threat to Meta
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Amazon's digital ad business is only behind Google's and Meta's — and it's already stolen budget from Meta. Today, that advertising business is no longer simply a way to drive product sales on Amazon. Amazon's ad business, which generated $9.5 billion during the third quarter of 2022, dwarfed Microsoft and Snap and ranked third behind Google and Facebook parent, Meta. There are now nearly 600 advertising partners in Amazon's advertising ecosystem, according to Amazon's directory of companies in the space. As part of its ambitions to grow advertising, Amazon also pitches a data clean room called Amazon Marketing Cloud.

☆ Fact Check-Actor’s monologue about father giving up his heart for his son taken seriously
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An actor performing a monologue inspired by the film “John Q,” about a father giving up his heart for his son, was not intended to be taken seriously, but social media users are sharing the video believing it to be a true story. A video shared more than 11,000 times on Facebook includes the text: “Father gives his own heart to sick Son who needs heart transplant” (here). A Facebook search for the user’s name also leads to the page “Lewis Saunderson Actor” (here) and links to his YouTube page (here). The speech by Washington’s character John Q. Archibald can be seen (here) and matches the narrative of Saunderson’s performance. The video shared online was meant as a monologue performed by an actor and taken from a film with the same narrative.

☆ Netflix's plan with ads is cheaper, but it's missing hundreds of movies, new data shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It has 245 fewer movies and 118 fewer TV shows than the streamer's ad-free plans in the US. Popular movies like "Bullet Train" and TV shows like "Peaky Blinders" are missing. But it does come with limits, including notably fewer movies and TV shows than ad-free plans. It found that as of December 13, Netflix's ad plan has 245 fewer movies than the other plans in the US and 118 fewer TV shows. US subscribers to the ad-supported plan still get over 3,700 movies and more than 2,200 TV shows.

Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, the longtime DJ on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show, has died, according to his wife. Boss was pronounced dead just before 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday in Encino, the medical examiner said. Stephen 'tWitch' Boss in 2018. Holker Boss said her husband valued family, friends and community, adding that "leading with love and light was everything to him." Ellen DeGeneres said she was left “heartbroken” by news of Boss’ death, calling him "pure love and light."

☆ UN agency says Israel is delaying new visas for its staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Jerusalem CNN —A United Nations agency that operates in the West Bank and Gaza says Israel is not processing visas for its newly recruited staff, while Israeli officials accuse the agency of “ignoring Israeli victims of terror” in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, a charge the agency denies. The UN considers East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be occupied territory, and Israelis living there to be living in illegal settlements. Erdan said when OCHA is asked why they don’t count Israeli victims, they are told the agency does not have reliable data. “Of course you don’t, you don’t employ Hebrew speakers, and the senior manager of the agency is Palestinian,” Erdan said. OCHA’s latest report does record some instances of Israelis being injured by stones thrown at civilian vehicles traveling in the West Bank.

☆ Fact Check-The Onion video of Disney stars grown in a genetic engineering lab taken seriously
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video shared on social media shows a TV interview with a geneticist at “Disney Labs” who says well-known child celebrities are “grown” and “developed” in a genetic engineering lab. Another Facebook user shared a similar claim, saying “did y'all see that Disney is creating their next child stars in labs? Reuters Fact Check previously debunked another video by The Onion that was taken seriously by some users (here). A video about Disney stars grown and developed in genetic engineering labs in a “morning show” was intended as satire. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

☆ Amazon media chief Jeff Blackburn retires from the company for the second time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Senior Vice President of Business Development at Amazon Jeff Blackburn (R) and Anne Blackburn attend the The IMDb Dinner Party at the Sundance Film Festival presented by Dolby on January 28, 2019 in Park City, Utah. Jeff Blackburn is retiring for the second time from Amazon , where he held a number of high-profile leadership roles over two decades. Amazon said Friday that the senior vice president of global media and entertainment will remain at the company through early 2023 to "ensure a smooth transition." Blackburn joined Amazon in 1998 and has worked on a number initiatives at the company including advertising, Amazon Studios and Prime Video service and music business. He rejoined that May as the senior vice president of a new Global Media & Entertainment division, overseeing Amazon's video, music, podcast, and gaming businesses.

The much-respected Sight and Sound poll of the best films ever shows that what is valued onscreen has changed over time, sometimes radically. What are the greatest films of all time? But for many cineastes, a poll conducted once a decade by the British film magazine Sight and Sound has served as the gold standard since 1952. Roger Ebert once described the survey as “by far the most respected of the countless polls of great movies — the only one most serious movie people take seriously.”And for a very long time, the same “serious movies” got taken seriously decade after decade. The new list, however, marks several radical shifts from the accepted wisdom — and maybe, just maybe, from the idea of a “canon” altogether.

☆ Horatio Sanz: Parties in lawsuit accusing former 'SNL' star of sexual assault agree to dismiss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Michelle Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The parties involved in a lawsuit brought by an undisclosed woman accusing former “Saturday Night Live” star Horatio Sanz of sexual assault two decades ago have agreed to dismiss the case, according to court records from the Supreme Court of New York. Both Sanz and NBC Universal, the parent company of “SNL,” had been named as defendants in the lawsuit. In her 2021 lawsuit, the woman said Sanz began grooming her when she was around 14 and sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old, according to court documents. Sanz previously denied the allegations, with his attorney saying they were “categorically false.” CNN has reached out to NBC Universal for comment. Sanz was an “SNL” cast member from 1998 to 2006 and was the show’s first Latino cast member, according to IMDB.

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