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Hollywood Remembers William Friedkin; Marvel VFX Workers File to Join Union; Paramount to "Optimize" Streaming Spend; 'Jules' Review

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August 08, 2023

What's news: The DGA approved a new free medical plan for members. Sandra Bullock’s longtime partner Bryan Randall has died. Wayne Brady has revealed he is pansexual. Paramount Global has hit 61m total streaming subscribers worldwide. Succession and The Bear won the top prizes at the TCA Awards. — Abid Rahman

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William Friedkin 1935 - 2023

►Master. William Friedkin, the Oscar winner behind The French Connection and The Exorcist who was one of the most admired directors to emerge from a wave of brilliant filmmakers who made their mark in the 1970s, died Monday. He was 87. Friedkin died of heart failure and pneumonia at his home in Bel Air, his wife, former producer and studio head Sherry Lansing, announced. The obituary.

—"Undoubtedly a genius." Filmmakers, actors and creative collaborators took to social media to pay their respects to Friedkin and eulogize his singular talent. The likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Baker, Jason Blum, David Gordon Green, Scott Derrickson, Matt Reeves, Chris Miller, Natasha Lyonne, Stephen King and more remembered Friedkin on Monday. The reaction.

—"Friedkin’s skill remains extraordinary at creating atmosphere with sound and visuals." THR's chief film critic David Rooney pens a tribute to The Exorcist, arguably Friedkin's greatest work. David writes that the 1973 blockbuster, nominated for 10 Oscars, leaves an unparalleled stamp on the genre and in popular culture, sending chills down countless spines to this day. The critic's notebook.

Marvel VFX Workers File to Join IATSE Union

►"This is a historic first step for VFX workers coming together." THR's Borys Kit and Carolyn Giardina report that visual effects crews at Marvel Studios filed Monday for a unionization election with the National Labor Relations Board. IATSE said that Marvel’s more than 50-worker crew had signed authorization cards indicating they wished to be represented by the union. The VFX pros are employed directly by Marvel and generally work in Atlanta, L.A. and New York. The story.

—More funds approved. IATSE is set to contribute an additional $2m in funds to help members experiencing financial distress amid the ongoing strikes. The crew union’s general executive board unanimously approved the funds that will be distributed to industry-recognized charities, including the Motion Picture & Television Fund, The Entertainment Community Fund and the Actors Fund of Canada. The story.

—New medical plan approved. The DGA has introduced a free major medical plan for eligible members amid the ongoing strikes. The union announced on Monday that the Board of Trustees for the DGA’s Producer Pension and Health Plans unanimously approved the new plan, which will offer network-only medical coverage for participants and their eligible dependents. The story.

—"We saw drastic cuts in projects from all the major streamers long before the writers and actors went on strike." Amid a tough animation industry climate, the nonprofit organization Women in Animation is launching a series of programs to help members. The programs include adaptation and success strategies as well as those aimed at well-being. WIA is also expanding its online career resource center, including new information for unemployed members, educational videos, and a recruiter directory. The story.

'Bachelorette' Star on Feeling "Blindsided" During Fantasy Suites

►"I was shown everything that I needed to see." THR scapegrace Ryan Gajewski spoke to Charity Lawson about the extreme highs and lows she dealth with during the highly anticipated fantasy-suites episode of The Bachelorette. The star of season 20 discusses the emotional conversation that led to the stunning exit. Warning: Spoilers! The interview.

—Private battle. Sandra Bullock’s longtime partner, Bryan Randall, has died at age 57 following a battle with ALS. News of Randall’s death came as a shock as the model-turned-photographer did not publicly disclose his diagnosis. Through a statement attributed to his “loving family,” Randall passed away “peacefully” on Saturday. Randall, who had been dating Bullock since 2015, "chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request," per his family. The story.

—"I'm doing this for me." Wayne Brady has revealed he is pansexual. In a new interview, the Let’s Make a Deal host said that he was ready to share with the world his sexuality. During his recent journey of self-discovery, Brady said he was struggling to determine his sexual identity and if it was bisexual “because I had to really see what that was, especially because I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything.” The story.

—Getting creative. As Jeopardy!’s return approaches, showrunner Michael Davies revealed some changes to the game plan for the upcoming season amid the ongoing writers strike. On Monday’s episode of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, Davies noted that since the “best episodes” of the trivia show are the ones that “feature our writers, writing original material,” the 2022-2023 postseason would have to be postponed. He added that season 40 would proceed with its fall premiere, but with recycled questions and contestants. The story.

—🏆 No major surprises 🏆 HBO’s Succession and FX’s The Bear earned top honors at the Television Critics Association’s annual awards. Rather than being presented in the closing weekend at the semi-annual press tour, the awards were released online after the summer session was canceled as a result of Hollywood’s labor battles. Succession earned the biggest award — the prestigious program of the year prize — and The Bear had wins for outstanding new program and achievement in comedy. The winners.

Paramount to "Optimize" Streaming Content Spend

►Wait, what? Paramount Global is embarking on a rethink of its streaming content strategy, one that executives suggest will lower the cost of content (to help profitability), while also reducing churn among its subscribers. The company is focusing on giving target audiences "not too little, but also not too much" content throughout the year, CFO Naveen Chopra said on the earnings call on Monday. Chopra said the company is using its internal data to change its content slate, and will focus on specific audience segments. The story.

—Streaming losses narrow. Paramount Global reached 61m Paramount+ streaming subscribers worldwide in the three months ended June 30, a slight gain from the 60m announced last quarter, but importantly the company pared down its streaming losses. On the streaming side, the company reported a quarterly adjusted operating loss of $424m compared to $511m last quarter and $445m a year ago. Subscription revenue increased 21 percent year-over-year, to reach $1.2b.

On the earnings call, CEO Bob Bakish addressed the ongoing double strike by mentioning the studio's “critical” partnership with the artists. However, he added that his studio had positioned itself to withstand the strike by adjusting its fall schedule to now feature acquired series such as Yellowstone, as well as focusing on its sports lineup and licensing its content to third parties, in addition to sharing content across its own platforms. The results.

—Second time lucky? Paramount Global has found a new buyer for Simon & Schuster at a slightly discounted all-cash price point of $1.62b. Private equity firm KKR has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of the book publishing giant. In opting to sell to a buyer not affiliated with the 'Big Five' publishers — which includes prior suitor Penguin Random House along with HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group and Macmillan — Paramount appears to think this is the deal that can finally clear regulatory approval. The story.

Post-Tucker Carlson, Fox Ad Revenue Slips to $1B

►FNC feels the pinch. Fox Corp. saw its ad revenue decline 4 percent year over year to $1b this quarter, with impacts at both its broadcast and cable networks. In broadcast, the decline was due to lower political ad revenues, which were offset by higher revenues at the free streaming service Tubi. In the cable division, Fox News ousted host Tucker Carlson in the quarter, resulting in a ratings decline in the 8 p.m. slot. It is not clear how much an impact Carlson’s departure had. The results.

—Booming box office. Cinema giant AMC Theatres swung to a Q2 profit as revenue jumped 15.6 percent to $1.35b and touted its highest quarterly attendance in years, but also issued a warning of possible liquidity challenges ahead. Earnings for the second quarter hit $8.6m, compared to a loss of $121.6m in the comparable period of 2022, the company reported on Tuesday. It also saw a 12.2 percent gain in attendance year-over-year. The results.

—First up. RedBird IMI, the venture led by former CNN chief Jeff Zucker, has made its first media investment. The $1b media, entertainment and sports vehicle is launching a new non-fiction content studio led by Ian Orefice, the former president and COO of Time Studios. The new studio, called EverWonder, will finance, produce and distribute non-fiction features, documentaries and series, with a particular eye toward projects that can be leveraged into brand extensions or new intellectual property. The story.

—"I’m extremely grateful for the confidence that has been placed in me." The CW Network has extended the contract of president Dennis Miller through 2027. Miller has been with the CW since October 2022, when the network was acquired by Nexstar Media Group. Since the acquisition, the network has seen extensive changes, which have included cutting most of its original scripted series, in favor of acquisitions, and a greater focus on unscripted series as well as sporting events. The story.

Film Review: 'Jules'

►"A heartwarming E.T. for the senior set." THR critic Frank Scheck reviews Marc Turtletaub's Jules. Ben Kingsley plays an elderly man who discovers a crashed spaceship and an alien in his backyard. Also stars Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Jade Quon and Zoe Winters. The review.

—"More like colonial nightmares." THR's Jordan Mintzer reviews Ena Sendijarević's Sweet Dreams. The Bosnian writer-director's movie, about a Dutch family whose small colonial empire crumbles, premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival. The review.

—"Jude the obscure." Jordan reviews Radu Jude's Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World. For his new feature, which premiered in competition at Locarno, the Golden Bear-winning auteur focuses on two women fighting the patriarchy in Romania's past and present. The review.

In other news...

—Peacock to sample Killing It on USA Network, YouTube, TikTok

—Scottish director Lynne Ramsay to receive Sarajevo Festival lifetime honor

—Ed Sheeran, Linkin Park releases help drive Warner Music revenue

—Streaming growth slim silver lining at Fremantle parent RTL Group

—Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild sets awards timetable

—Stand Up to Cancer sets fundraising special with Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore and Don Cheadle

—U.N. report blasts response to Johnny Kitagawa sexual abuse scandal

What else we're reading...

—Peter Bradshaw pays tribute to William Friedkin, writing that he created unforgettable horror and pleasure with equal brilliance [Guardian]

—David Canfield ruminates on the terror and promise of a very weird, very long Emmy season [VF]

—Matteo Wong is of the opinion that a government crackdown on AI is in the offing [Atlantic]

—Alex Abad-Santos tries to make sense of the right-wing backlash against the USWNT from supposed patriots [Vox]

—Timothy Bella has the timeline on the Montgomery Riverfront brawl that is inspiring some incredible content on Black Twitter [WaPo]

Today...

Today's birthdays: Dustin Hoffman (86), Meagan Good (42), Devery Jacobs (30), Keith Carradine (74), Jon Turteltaub (60), Matt Shakman (48), Jackie Cruz (37), Shawn Mendes (25), Martin Brest (72), Rafael Casal (38), Guy Burnet (40), Peyton List (37), Katie Leung (36), Lindsay Sloane (46), Michael Chernus (46), Michael Urie (43), Laura Wiggins (35), Tawny Cypress (47), David Midthunder (61), Branscombe Richmond (68), Casey Cott (31), Veronica Falcón (57), Brooke Bundy (79), Mãdãlina Ghenea (36), Aiysha Hart (35), Jocelyn Towne (47), Jessy Hodges (37), Enzo Cilenti (49), Makenzie Leigh (33), Ni Ni (35)

Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Oscar-winning film editor who collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on 10 films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 86. The obituary.

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Written by José Vizcarra
on Tuesday, August 08, 2023 at 7:01 AM.

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