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☆ Lego Investing Is Booming. Here’s How It Works
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TV Shows Are Too Dark! Here’s How to Fix That. TV shows like “House of the Dragon” and “Stranger Things” have come under fire for being too dark. WSJ’s Kenny Wassus spoke with experts about why shows are leaving us squinting and how to adjust your TV to help. Illustration: Alex Kuzoian for The Wall Street Journal

☆ Lego Investing Is Booming. Here’s How It Works.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to run ads on HBO originals on HBO Max, a move that could be controversial in Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Discovery is exploring running ads on HBO originals like "Game of Thrones." HBO Max launched its ad-supported tier in June 2021 for $10 a month versus the streamer's $15 ad-free version. HBO Max capped ads at four minutes per hour, limited how often users would see the same ad, and said no ads would run on original HBO programming. Since then, HBO Max parent WarnerMedia has been acquired by Discovery, and under new CEO David Zaslav, the merged entity Warner Bros. It's also unclear whether WBD will charge a premium for ads appearing in HBO originals — and if so, how much.

The Golden Globes are attempting to press forward after a rocky few years for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that puts on the ceremony. The press association ultimately decided to hold the event privately, with a small audience and winners announced on social media. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has since diversified its voting membership, and NBC has reinstated the telecast. Including popular television series could help the Globes draw viewers this year. Gilles Mingasson / ABCThe nominees for best drama series are "Better Call Saul," "The Crown," "House of the Dragon," "Ozark" and "Severance."

[1/4] Cast members Jay Ellis, Miles Teller, Tom Cruise, Glen Powell and Greg Tarzan Davis, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer pose for photographs during a news conference to promote the film 'Top Gun: Maverick' at a hotel in Seoul, South Korea, June 20, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanLOS ANGELES, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Nominations for the annual Golden Globe awards for film and television were announced on Monday. Winners will be announced Jan. 10 in a televised ceremony on Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) NBC. The broadcaster dropped the Globes telecast last year after a Los Angeles Times investigation highlighted the organization's ethical and financial failures and revealed that none of the then-87 members were Black. Following is a list of nominees in key categories:MOVIESBEST DRAMA“Avatar: The Way of Water”“Elvis”“The Fabelmans”“Tar”“Top Gun: Maverick”BEST COMEDY OR MUSICAL“Babylon”“The Banshees of Inisherin”“Everything Everywhere All At Once”“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”“Triangle of Sadness”BEST ACTOR, DRAMAAustin Butler: “Elvis”Brendan Fraser: “The Whale”Hugh Jackman: “The Son”Bill Nighy: “Living”Jeremy Pope: “The Inspection”BEST ACTRESS, DRAMACate Blanchett: “Tar”Olivia Colman: “Empire Of Light”Viola Davis: “The Woman King”Ana de Armas: “Blonde”Michelle Williams: “The Fabelmans”BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICALDiego Calva: “Babylon”Daniel Craig: “Glass Onion: A Knives out Mystery”Adam Driver: “White Noise”Colin Farrell: “The Banshees of Inisherin”Ralph Fiennes: “The Menu”BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICALLesley Manville, “Mrs.

☆ Golden Globe Awards 2023: See the full list of nominees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The nominees for the 80th Golden Globe Awards were announced on Monday. Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva, two of the stars from “Lopez vs. Lopez,” announced the range of film and television nominees as selected by members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Favored Oscars contender “The Banshees of Inisherin” led the film categories, with nominations including best musical or comedy film. It stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. The ceremony, which was not broadcast last January over controversy surrounding the HFPA, will return to NBC on Jan. 10.

☆ U.S. vs. China: Can Comac’s C919 Compete With Boeing’s 737?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Video Investigation: Russia Is Using a Secret Network to Steal Ukraine Grain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Elon Musk’s Unconventional Management Style: Former Employees Share Stories
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ HBO layoffs, cuts, and 'ill will' over show cancellations have damaged its reputation among TV creators
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"I'm super, super nervous, because HBO has always been my favorite place to do business," said one TV agent. But concerns about new corporate leadership, layoffs, budget cuts, and the future of HBO Max — the streaming home of HBO — kept bubbling to the top. "I'm super, super nervous, because HBO has always been my favorite place to do business," one TV agent said. Aside from the 70 or so layoffs at HBO and HBO Max over the summer amid broader restructuring at WBD, creatives were troubled by the company's decision to pull existing TV shows and films from HBO Max. Read all of Insider's 2022 report here: 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows: HBO is No.

Best Cyber Monday streaming dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Limited-Time Deal Hulu Cyber Monday Deal (Monthly Price) Hulu offers lots of series, movies, and originals, including "Bob's Burgers," "Prey," and "The Handmaid's Tale." Deal Peacock Premium Black Friday Deal (Monthly Price) Now through November 28, new subscribers can lock in a year of Peacock Premium for $1/month. $1.99 from HBO Max Originally $9.99 Save 80%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Discovery Plus Cyber Monday Deal (Monthly Price) Whether you're a fan pimple popping, house flipping, explorative cooking, or ghost hunting, Discovery Plus has a series that will keep you hooked.

☆ HBO is No. 1 as 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows: Apple's a big spender and 'there's a sheen when you're a Hulu show,' but there's 'fear in the air' at Netflix
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

"It's definitely been not the most exciting and robust year," said one TV agent at a major agency. Around 70 people at HBO and HBO Max have been let go this year, and their comedy development teams have merged. While WBD doesn't break out streamer-specific figures, it said on Thursday's earnings call that HBO Max, HBO, and Discovery+ have a combined 94.9 million subscribers, ensuring that any show on HBO Max has the chance to get a lot of eyeballs. They'll also take smaller swings in the genre department, do things at a lower budget," said the second TV agent. Echoed the first TV agent: "You pitch and sell to them if no one else wants it."

☆ These are the best Black Friday streaming deals from Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Streaming is getting more expensive, but there are still some good deals to be had this Black Friday. From Amazon to HBO, there are a number of offers available if you want to catch up on "House of the Dragon" or finally watch "The Handmaid's Tale." The offer is available to new subscribers, as well as past subscribers who haven't been members for at least the past month. Prime Video — $1.99 for select channelsSopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesSubscribers to Amazon Prime already receive Prime Video included with their membership. Disney Plus — Get a full year for $79Thiago Prudencio | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

☆ Streaming services are down to all-time low prices for Black Friday — check out the best deals on Paramount Plus, HBO Max, Discovery Plus, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sarah Saril | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Best Black Friday streaming dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $1.99 from HBO Max Originally $9.99 Save 80%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Discovery Plus Black Friday Deal (Monthly Price) Whether you're a fan pimple popping, house flipping, explorative cooking, or ghost hunting, Discovery Plus has a series that will keep you hooked. $24.99 from Paramount Plus Originally $49.99 Save 50%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Limited-Time Deal Paramout Plus Premium Black Friday Deal (Annual Plan) Now through November 27, new and returning subscribers can get 50% off an annual plan of Paramount Plus.

☆ GQ Awards honour 'Squid Game' star Lee, rapper Stormzy, among others
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Lee Jung-jae accepts the award for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for "Squid Game" at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, U.S., September 12, 2022. REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Actors Lee Jung-jae, Sydney Sweeney and Andrew Garfield, England soccer captain Leah Williamson and rapper Stormzy were among the honourees at the 2022 GQ Men Of The Year Awards in London on Wednesday. "This is the 25th GQ Men of the Year awards at British GQ. And what better time to just be a little bit radical, try something new, have a bit of fun. Other honourees include actor Ben Whishaw, documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux, Olympic distance-running champion Mo Farah and "House of the Dragon" star Emma D'Arcy.

☆ Some Amazon staffers joked that the writers of its mega-expensive 'Lord of the Rings' series should be laid off after the company cut thousands of roles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Travis Clark | Katherine Long | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Some Amazon staffers have joked that the "Rings of Power" writers should be laid off. "The Rings of Power" was hit with a mixed reception, and Amazon has been quiet about its viewership. Several of those employees have joked that the writers of Amazon's uber-expensive series, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," should be laid off, Insider reported. No press release followed its season finale; by contrast, HBO released viewership for the finale of its own fantasy series, "House of the Dragon," the next day. And judging by the jokes in the layoffs-focused Slack channel, that seems to even be a narrative within Amazon among staffers.

☆ Warner Bros. Discovery layoffs, cuts, and 'ill will' over canceled shows have tarnished HBO with TV creators
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"I'm super, super nervous, because HBO has always been my favorite place to do business," said one TV agent. But concerns about new corporate leadership, layoffs, budget cuts, and the future of HBO Max — the streaming home of HBO — kept bubbling to the top. "I'm super, super nervous, because HBO has always been my favorite place to do business," one TV agent said. Even original series created just for the streamer, such as "Little Ellen," "Summer Camp Island," and "My Dinner with Hervé," were pulled. Read all of Insider's 2022 report here: 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows: HBO is No.

☆ 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows now as Apple TV+ closes in on HBO Max amid turmoil at Warner Bros. Discovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

When measured on the grime factor, “The Rings of Power” has emerged as the dirtier show because of its settings. Elves slog through mud to dig tunnels for their captors. Hobbit-like nomads called Harfoots have soiled skin and shrubbery in their hair. Fighters get caked in ash from an erupting Mount Doom. Ben Rothstein/Amazon

Warner Bros. Pictures, film subsidiary of Warner Bros. "We're spending more money this year than we've ever spent historically," Warner Bros Chief Executive David Zaslav told a conference call. Warner Bros posted a third-quarter loss of $2.3 billion, or 95 cents a share, which includes $1.5 billion in pre-tax restructuring charges. Warner Bros Discovery, home to hit franchises such as "Batman" and "Euphoria," added 2.8 million new streaming subscribers in the third quarter, bringing its total to 94.9 million. A merger of HBO Max and Discovery+ will debut on an accelerated timetable, in spring of 2023.

☆ For your consideration: Warner-Discovery part two
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) boss has encountered a series of problems since his splashy merger in April. A giant pile of borrowed money used to help cover the cash outlay to AT&T (T.N) for Warner Media looms large. Warner Bros Discovery counts more than 90 million subscribers for services such as HBO Max, less than half as many as at Disney and Netflix. There might be another $3 billion in savings, using the same 20% of EBITDA targeted by Warner Media and Discovery. Its shares have fallen about 48%, to nearly $12 apiece, since the merger of Discovery with AT&T’s Warner Media on April 8.

☆ Netflix CEO once handed out army berets to his execs in response to an insult from the former Time Warner boss, and it shows the rivalry between Netflix and HBO stretches over a decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes implied Netflix was overrated in a 2010 interview. A new book about HBO reveals that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took the comments in stride. "We didn't have the financial flexibility to make that commitment," former HBO CEO Richard Plepler told the book's authors, Gillette and Koblin. In other words, Netflix wanted to be more like HBO and HBO's corporate overlords wanted it to be more like Netflix. HBO's content chief, Casey Bloys, was recently elevated to CEO of HBO, HBO Max, and HBO Content.

HBO Max is home to tons of horror films that are perfect for the spooky season. Some of the service's best horror flicks include classics like "The Shining" and newer hits like "The Witch." You can sign up for HBO Max for $10/month with ads or $15/month without ads. With Halloween right around the corner, it's also home to tons of excellent horror films perfect for watching this spooky season. Below, we've highlighted some of the best ones the service offers, from "A Nightmare on Elm Street" to "The Witch."

☆ Amazon has been suspiciously quiet about 'The Rings of Power' viewership in the 2 weeks since the first season concluded
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Steven Tweedie | Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon has yet to share viewership numbers on its "Rings of Power" finale, weeks later. The show has yet to cross the vague 100 million viewers milestone it teased three weeks ago. Payne and Patrick McKay later noted that 12.6 million viewers watched the premiere in the US in the first four days. Still, Amazon said "Rings of Power" in its first two months has driven "more Prime signs-up globally than any other Amazon original." HBO said this week that "House of the Dragon" was averaging 29 million viewers per episode.

☆ 'House of the Dragon' creator knows that one scene was too dark, says he's learned 'we are making the show for people's television sets'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"House of the Dragon" showrunner Ryan Condal acknowledged how dark scenes in episode seven were. He said he has to take more into account that "we are making the show for people's television sets." Episode seven in particular, titled "Driftmark," was criticized for scenes that many viewers said were too dark to see on their TV screens. "The unique challenge of making television post-production is that you're making it in this highly calibrated facility with millions of dollars' worth of equipment and high-end professionals," Condal said. Sapochnik also directed a "Game of Thrones" episode that received some backlash for being too dim, the season eight episode "The Long Night."

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