by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:
DISNEY - From APNews: The NFL will enter the world of Toy Story tomorrow morning when the Atlanta Falcons face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars at London's Wembley Stadium. The "animated alternate telecast" will be streamed on ESPN+ and Disney+, with the main live-action game being featured on ESPN+.
MOVIES - From Variety: This year makes the 20th anniversary of the original theatrical release of the 2003 film, School of Rock. It turns out that many of its young stars faced bullying, physical violence, and harassment when they tried to return to their normal lives after the film's release.
MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline: Marvel Studios reportedly will begin listening to writers' pitches for their "X-Men" movie later this fall with the writer to be chose early in 2024. The first film in the franchise was 2000's X-Men.
MUSIC/CRIME - From Deadline: A suspect named Duane "Keefe D" Davis has been arrested and charged with the 1996 killing of the late hip-hop icon, Tupac Shakur.
From Deadline: Director Allen Hughes (Broken City) is among the filmmakers who have produced projects about Tupac Shakur who are speaking about the recent arrest of Duane Davis for the murder of Shakur. Hughes directed FX's television miniseries, "Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur."
ACADEMY AWARDS - From Variety: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will bestow a replacement Oscar for supporting actress winner Hattie McDaniel to Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts during a ceremony titled “Hattie’s Come Home” in Washington D.C. on Oct. 1st. McDaniel's Oscar, the first competitive Oscar received by a Black performer, has been missing for over 50 years.
From TheColoradoan: "Inside the decades-old mystery of Hattie McDaniel's missing Oscar" by Erin Udell
MOVIES - From Variety: Writer-director Sam Esmail was "scared the f*** out" when one of the producers of his new film, "Leave the World Behind" (starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke), sent him script notes. The producer that sent the notes was none other than former President Barack Obama.
CELEBRITY - From Variety: Actress Kerry Washington says that she stopped playing "the white girl's best friend" after playing that role in Meg Ryan's 2004 boxing drama, "Against the Ropes."
STREAMING - From Deadline: ABC's fondly-remembered comedy-drama series, "Moonlighting" (1985-89), starring Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, will begin streaming on Hulu, October 10, 2023,
MOVIES/MUSIC - From Deadline: The Taylor Swift concert film, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," will get a global theatrical release in more than 100 countries on Oct. 13th, 2023.
VIDEO GAMES - From SAG: SAG-AFTRA members have voted 98.32% in favor of a strike authorization on the Interactive Media Agreement that covers members’ work on video games. 34,687 members cast ballots, representing a voting percentage of 27.47% of eligible voters.
TELEVISION - From Deadline: The 2023-24 television broadcast season has been saved because the WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement to end the writer's strike. Deadline looks at the return dates for some series.
From Variety: Starz has announced the cancellation of four its series, including the wrestling drama, "Heels," starring scab actor, Stephen Amell. "Run the World" and Blindspotting have also been cancelled. "The Venery of Samantha Bird" has its first season scrapped without ever being aired.
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 9/22 to 9/24/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "The Nun II" with an estimated take of 8.4 million dollars... maybe. Lionsgate's "Expend4bles" is close behind.
TELEVISION/SPORTS - From Deadline: Grammy-winning recording artist Usher has been confirmed as the headline act at halftime of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Super Bowl 58 will air on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 11th, 2024.
OBITS:
From Variety: The Irish-born British actor, Michael Gambon, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, September 28, 2023. Gambon had a long and storied career, but in 21st century, he may be best known for playing the role of "Albus Dumbledore" in the "Harry Potter" films series, beginning with "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Gambon replaced the late actor Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two films before passing. Gambon's other notable roles include, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Love" (1989), Gosford Park (2001), and The King's Speech (2010), to name a few.
From Deadline: Scottish film and television actor, David McCallum, has died at the age of 90, Monday, September 25, 2023. McCallum gained fame as "Illya Kuryakin" in the former NBC spy series, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964-68). His longest running role is that of "Dr. Donald 'Ducky' Mallard" in the CBS series, "NCIS." He received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations, two for his work on "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
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WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:
BREAKING - From Deadline: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.
From WGAContract: The WGA contract page has additional information on the settlement.
From WGAContract: A summary of the new agreement.
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From Deadline: Television writers rooms are opening again in the wake of the end of the writers strike. On Monday, such series as "Grey's Anatomy," "9-1-1," and "Family Guy," to name a few, go back to work.
From Variety: The Writers Guild (WGA) and AMPTP to meet today (Sun., Sept. 24th) after the studios supposedly make their "best and final" offer to the writers.
From Deadline: A meeting between leading television showrunners, including Kenya Barris and Noah Hawley, and WGA leadership has been cancelled.
From Deadline: The actors’ strike is now in its 63rd day. Now, SAG-AFTRA leaders are ramping up their rhetoric against the studio heads, accusing them in the latest issue of the "SAG-AFTRA Magazine" of “behaving like petty tyrants,” “would-be feudal lords” and “land barons in feudal times.”
From Deadline: Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that Hollywood unions need to embrace AI.
From Deadline: The AMPTP says that the Writers Guild's claims that their is division in the ranks of the studios about the strike are false.
From Deadline: The WGA (Writers Guild of America) told its members Friday (Sept. 8th) that despite the united front the streamers and studios (via the AMPTP) have shown in public during the guild’s 130-day strike, several of the legacy companies privately have expressed “both the desire and willingness to negotiate an agreement that adequately addresses writers’ issues.”
From Deadline: Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.
From Deadline: The writers of MTV’s "Ridiculousness" are coming closer to being unionized. The show’s writing team, which was behind over 230 episodes last year, has been going through the process to unionize over the last few months, hoping to join the WGA.
From THR: As talks with the Writers Guild of America stall, the studio trade association, AMPTP, has retained D.C.-based firm, The Levinson Group, to pursue a fresh messaging strategy.
From Deadline: Regarding the Hollywood writers strike, the AMPTP (representing the studios) released the details of a proposed labor agreement that it made to the WGA (the Writers Guild) on August 11th.
From Deadline: A pair of former production assistants-turned-assistant directors have created a nonprofit in hopes of providing financial aid to PAs (production assistants) who’ve been put out of work due to the strike.
From Deadline: Writers Guild (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume strike talks today, Fri., Aug. 11th.
From Deadline: Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.
From Deadline: Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes. Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.
From Deadline: If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.
From Variety: International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.
From Variety: Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."
From Deadline: Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.
From THR: Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.
From Variety: Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.
From Variety: Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”
From Deadline: If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.
From Variety: The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles. Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.
From Deadline: The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."
From Deadline: Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.
From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.
From Deadline: WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.
From THR: TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.
From Deadline: The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.
From Deadline: Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.
From THR: Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.
From Deadline: The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.
From Deadline: Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday. The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.
From Deadline: Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.
From Deadline: President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.
From Deadline: Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.
From Deadline: Retaliation! Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike. Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.
From Deadline: The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.
From Deadline: Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.
From Deadline: The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.
From Deadline: What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?
From Deadline: The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.
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