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☆ What Rom-Coms Teach Us About Love, Life and Meg Ryan’s Hair
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Tala Safie | Alexis Soloski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

THE ENDThank you for playing,Photo credits: Sony Pictures (“Jerry Maguire”); Universal Pictures (“Love Actually,” “Marry Me,” “Notting Hill,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Along Came Polly,” “Bridesmaids”); 20th Century Fox (“Say Anything,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “There's Something About Mary”); Columbia Pictures (“50 First Dates,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Hitch,” “The Holiday,” “The Wedding Planner,” “Cruel Intentions”); Miramax (“Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Kate & Leopold,” “She’s All That”); MGM (“Licorice Pizza”); TriStar Pictures (“Sleepless in Seattle”); Warner Bros. (“You've Got Mail,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love”); Lionsgate (“Shotgun Wedding”); New Line Cinema (“Monster-in-Law”); Buena Vista Pictures (“Pretty Woman,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” “High Fidelity”); Disney (“The Princess Diaries”); Focus Features (“Deliver Us from Eva”); Paramount Pictures (“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”). A quiz by Tala Safie and Alexis Soloski. Produced by Sean Catangui, Amanda Webster, Alicia DeSantis and Lorne Manly.

☆ Amazon Studios is growing fast and spending big on shows like 'Citadel,' but insiders say unclear creative direction, leadership shifts, and tech bureaucracy threaten to drive away staff and talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

The dust has been settling at Amazon Studios after a big reorg in the fall that solidified Jen Salke's power. Yet Amazon Studios faces major challenges. Amazon Studios' Head of Global Television Vernon Sanders told Insider that the goal is to deliver content with global cultural relevance. Amazon Prime VideoWhile spending on such big swings has soared, some insiders see far less budgetary support for underrepresented casts. "I do think people wonder what's the commitment to Amazon Studios," the current insider said.

☆ Bob Iger's Disney revamp could keep critic Peltz 'at bay'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) CEO Bob Iger dazzled Wall Street on Wednesday with sweeping changes and billions of dollars in cost cuts, and some analysts are convinced that will be enough to sway its harshest critic - activist investor Nelson Peltz. Under the restructuring, Disney is cutting 7,000 jobs and reorganizing into three divisions - an entertainment unit encompassing film, television and streaming, a sports-focused ESPN unit and one with Disney parks, experiences and products. "Iger's early steps seem likely to keep Peltz at bay, which the company dearly wants. Peltz could have an opening if Disney slips up," said Barton Crockett, analyst at Rosenblatt Securities. "We are pleased that Disney is listening," a Trian spokesperson said.

"This reorganization will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated approach to our operations," Iger told analysts on a conference call. Disney earlier reported its first quarterly decrease in subscriptions for its Disney+ streaming media unit, which lost more than $1 billion. Iger also repositioned the company to capitalize on the streaming revolution, acquiring 21st Century Fox's film and television assets in 2019 and launching the Disney+ streaming service that fall. Now, Iger will seek to put Disney's streaming business on a path to growth and profitability. It reorganized its business in 2018 to accelerate the growth of its streaming business, and again in 2020, to further spur streaming's growth.

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger wastes no time putting turnaround plans in place after a solid quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Bottom Line The Disney quarter had a lot to offer for the bulls. In the current quarter, management expects operating results to improve by $200 million, pegging losses at around $800 million, which is in line with estimates on Factset. By extension, Disney is reorganizing into three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, an ESPN division, and a Parks, Experiences and Products unit. Iger wants Disney to be more efficient, and he believes this overhaul will make for a more cost-effective and streamlined approach to its operations. Bob Iger, former CEO, The Walt Disney Company Scott Mlyn | CNBC

Iger said he would reorganize the company into three segments: an entertainment unit that encompasses film, television and streaming; a sports-focused ESPN unit; and Disney parks, experiences and products. "This reorganization will result in a more cost-effective, coordinated approach to our operations," Iger told analysts on a conference call. Disney earlier reported its first quarterly decrease in subscriptions for its Disney+ streaming media unit which lost more than $1 billion. Now, Iger will seek to put Disney's streaming business on a path to growth and profitability. It reorganized its business in 2018 to accelerate the growth of its streaming business, and again in 2020, to further spur streaming's growth.

☆ 10 things about ancient Egypt that movies and TV got wrong, according to an expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Carter Thallon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Movies and television shape what people think about ancient Egypt. Here are 10 things that "Moon Knight", "The Mummy", and others got wrong and one they got right. When it comes to ancient Egypt, they can draw the portrait of pharaohs ruling Egypt with an iron fist, cruel torture, and wicked booby-trapped pyramids. "All of the sarcophagi that I've seen in Egypt were made of stone," said Browder, an author of several books on ancient Egypt. The curse that set Imhotep on his murderous path in "The Mummy" has no historical basisIn "The Mummy," Imhotep was mummified alive.

A former Fox News employee sued the network Wednesday, alleging that the late Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes sexually abused her for years. Ailes allegedly made it clear that if she tried to speak out or stop the abuse, Luhn would experience “severe personal humiliation and career ruin,” according to the suit. Luhn says in the suit that in 2011 she sent a letter to Fox’s general counsel detailing Ailes’ abuse. The suit says the network withheld over 30% of the payment for taxes. The sexual abuse that she suffered while working at Fox News was some of the worst imaginable,” said Luhn’s attorney, Barbara Whiten Balliette, a partner at Reid Collins & Tsai LLP.

☆ A former Fox News staffer said Roger Ailes told her she was his 'sex slave' and took videos of the abuse to use as 'blackmail,' but the network would dismiss claims with 'boys will be boys,' lawsuit s
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Luhn filed a lawsuit on Wednesday alleging Fox News enabled and covered up the abuse. In a statement to Insider, Fox called the allegations against the network "meritless." The lawsuit named Fox News, Twenty-First Century Fox, and William Shine, a former Fox News executive who also had a brief stint in the Trump White House. The sexual abuse that she suffered while working at Fox News was some of the worst imaginable. "New York's Adult Survivors Act recognizes the lifelong trauma that sexual abuse victims can suffer.

☆ Rupert Murdoch calls off proposed Fox-News Corp merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp and co-chairman of 21st Century Fox, arrives at the Sun Valley Resort of the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 10, 2018 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Rupert Murdoch has withdrawn the proposal to re-combine Fox Corp and News Corp .Fox said Tuesday its board received a letter from Murdoch, its chairman, and his son Lachlan Murdoch that "determined that a combination is not optimal for the shareholders" of either of the companies at the time. The potential merger had faced opposition from shareholders in recent months, who didn't believe a merger would show the true value of News Corp. if it merged with Fox. A combination of the two companies would have unified leadership in Murdoch's empire and cut costs. News Corp. owns Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones.

☆ Box office haul for 'Avatar: The Way of Water' tops $2 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Director James Cameron arrives at the world premiere of 'Avatar: The Way of Water' in London, Britain December 6, 2022. "The Way of Water" debuted in late December, 13 years after the original "Avatar" introduced the lush world of Pandora and became a worldwide phenomenon. Box office sales for "The Way of Water" totaled $2.024 billion on Sunday, according to Disney estimates. Roughly $1.4 billion of ticket sales have come from international markets outside the United States and Canada. A third "Avatar" movie, which Cameron has already filmed, is scheduled to debut in December 2024.

☆ Former Fox execs conspired to bribe FIFA officials, prosecution witness says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - An Argentine businessman testified on Wednesday that two former 21st Century Fox executives and a sports marketing company conspired with him to bribe South American soccer officials and secure lucrative broadcasting rights. FILE PHOTO: Businessman Alejandro Burzaco (R) of Argentina arrives at the Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York, September 18, 2015. Burzaco said that he, Lopez and Martinez collectively paid up to $32 million in bribes together. Full Play Group paid or committed to pay up to $90 million, he said. Lopez, Martinez and Full Play Group have pleaded not guilty to crimes including wire fraud and money laundering.

☆ Disney says Peltz 'lacks skills' to help business as proxy battle heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Peltz does not understand Disney's businesses and lacks the skills and experience to assist the board in delivering shareholder value in a rapidly shifting media ecosystem," Disney said. Peltz told CNBC on Thursday that Disney should either jettison the streaming business or buy the rest of rival streaming service Hulu. Disney also needs to boost capital expenditure at its parks business, where it probably raised ticket prices "too hard," he said then. In its statement on Tuesday, Disney said it was already working to improve profitability at the Disney+ streaming business that Iger helped launch in 2019 and was rolling out broader cost-cutting measures. Unless Peltz settles with Disney, investors will vote this year on whether he should sit on the company's board.

☆ 18 movies with valuable entrepreneurial lessons: From 'Startup.com' to 'Becoming Warren Buffett'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Vikas Jha | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Takeaway: This movie shows the effect money, greed and power can have on relationships. "The Social Network" (2010)"The Social Network" shows us that business success requires more than just a great idea. "Becoming Warren Buffett" (2017)In this documentary, Warren Buffett reveals his day-to-day, and his two most important investing rules. Takeaway: This movie shows how two young men were pitted against each other, striving to grow in a cut-throat business. I've found myself feeling motivated after watching a great film with lessons I can transpose to my entrepreneurial journey.

☆ Former Fox execs' FIFA case about 'corruption of international soccer,' prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The charges are part of a long-running corruption probe surrounding FIFA, the world governing body for soccer. "This case is about the corruption of international soccer," prosecutor Victor Zapana told jurors in opening statements, saying the alleged scheme funneled money that could have gone towards building stadiums and developing youth and women's leagues into the pockets of corrupt officials. An attorney for Full Play Group said the allegedly illicit payments were "expected, asked for and even demanded" by South American soccer officials. An attorney for Lopez told jurors his client was not aware of the bribes and immediately reported them to Fox upon learning of them. The charges are part of a sprawling FIFA corruption probe unveiled in May 2015.

☆ Former Executives of Fox Subsidiary Face Trial in FIFA Bribery Case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The World Cup closing ceremony before the final match between Argentina and France last month in Qatar. Two former executives of a 21st Century Fox subsidiary are set to go on trial beginning this week on charges that they bribed FIFA officials to secure broadcasting rights to soccer matches, the latest in a string of U.S. prosecutions alleging wide-ranging corruption in the sport’s international governing body. Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez , defendants in a Brooklyn federal court, are accused of working with others to make millions of dollars in illicit payments and kickbacks between 2000 and 2015 to South American soccer officials in exchange for the broadcasting rights to the region’s most popular club tournament, the Copa Libertadores, and other matches.

☆ Rupert Murdoch deposition in Dominion-Fox lawsuit delayed until next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp and co-chairman of 21st Century Fox, arrives at the Sun Valley Resort of the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 10, 2018 in Sun Valley, Idaho. Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch is now slated to appear for a deposition later in January as part of Dominion Voting's defamation lawsuit against the company and its cable news networks. The deposition is set to occur Thursday and Friday next week, according to court filings. Most recently, his son and Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch faced questioning as part of the lawsuit. The trial is set to begin on April 17, with pre-trial conferences in the days prior, according to court filings.

The tussle with Disney could be Peltz's biggest proxy battle since an acrimonious fight to bag a seat on the board of Tide detergent-maker P&G (PG.N). During his more than three-year tenure on P&G's board, the firm's stock price rose nearly 80%. Peltz's Trian Fund Management on Thursday filed documents with the U.S. securities regulator for his election as a director after Disney denied him a board seat. "Iger is a well-liked CEO, not only within Disney and its employees but also in Hollywood and the stock market. Investors will vote later this year on whether Peltz should sit on the company's board, unless it's settled before.

☆ Activist investor Peltz kicks off battle for Disney board seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Nelson Peltz founding partner of Trian Fund Management LP. The prominent activist investor's Trian Fund Management on Thursday filed documents with the U.S. securities regulator for his election as a director at Disney after the company denied him a board seat. "Peltz -- with a change-maker history at targets including P&G, Heinz, and Wendy's -- could provide a measure of that." Trian Fund Management owns roughly $900 million worth of Disney stock, which equates to about 0.5% stake, under the disclosure threshold of 5%. Sources familiar with Disney have said he has only leveled criticisms without offering possible solutions.

[1/3] The logo of the Times Square Disney store is seen in Times Square, New York City, U.S. December 5, 2019. Peltz, a billionaire activist who operates via his Trian Partners hedge fund, called for Disney to cut costs and turn a profit at its Disney+ streaming business, which has been losing money despite expanding at a fast clip. Its shares sank last year as losses deepened in its streaming business, and the price is now less than half the stock's 2021 high. Disney, Trian said, had overpaid for the assets of 21st Century Fox and bid aggressively for pay-TV giant Sky PLC. Disney said Trian would file with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday to elect Peltz for a board seat in opposition to the company's nominees.

☆ Disney board exposed itself to activist intervention, but Peltz may be overreaching
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's share price spike in 2021 was caused by the same phenomenon — investors charging into streaming services with significant subscriber growth. Activist investor Nelson Peltz spent about 30 minutes Thursday morning speaking with CNBC's Jim Cramer and David Faber in a wide-ranging interview about why he wants a Disney board seat. Now Iger's back, and the Disney board has tasked him with finding a successor in the next two years. It's a far easier case to be made that Disney's board and Iger have consistently bungled succession planning. As Trian noted in its presentation (on Slide 28), the Disney board extended Iger's retirement date five different times between October 2011 and December 2017.

☆ Nelson Peltz's attempt to join Disney's board could force much-needed accountability
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

If Nelson Peltz were to win his fight to join Walt Disney 's (DIS) board of directors, the activist investor could force a level of accountability at the company that's sorely needed. Disney's board made the decision to not endorse Peltz and swiftly announced Wednesday that they named Mark Parker, a director since 2016 and executive chairman at Nike (NKE), as chairman, succeeding Susan Arnold. Disney, Peltz explained, "is a lot more than a media company." Disney's streaming business lost nearly $1.5 billion last quarter. Given Disney's distressed balance sheet, Jim asked Peltz about streaming service Hulu.

☆ The Wall Street Journal parent Dow Jones is laying off staff as it faces an economic downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Layoffs are coming to The Wall Street Journal parent Dow Jones, according to people familiar with the situation. Layoffs are coming to The Wall Street Journal parent Dow Jones, according to people familiar with the situation, with one knowledgeable source saying the cuts amounted to less than 2% of staff. A Dow Jones spokesperson emailed a statement saying: "Dow Jones is focused on continuing to build on the momentum it has generated across its wide range of leading brands and platforms. The Dow Jones cuts come as the Journal has just appointed a new editor, Emma Tucker, from fellow News Corp. title The Sunday Times in London. This article was originally published on the morning of January 11 and has been updated to include Dow Jones' statement.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ Hope Hicks was once one of Trump's closest confidantes. Less than 2 years later, she testified that her former boss told her that no one would care about his legacy if he lost the 2020 election.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Rebecca Harrington | Ellen Cranley | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hope Hicks, 34, was one of President Donald Trump's most trusted advisers. Hicks resigned from the White House on January 12, 2021, but told people it was a planned departure. She was one of the few White House aides who told Trump he lost the 2020 election. Before testifying in the investigation launched against her former boss' involvement in the Capitol riots, Hicks was the youngest White House communications director in history. She later rejoined the Trump White House as a counselor to the president, reporting to senior adviser and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

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