‘Star Wars: The Acolyte’ Exec Producer Shuffle Sparks Breach of Contract Suit Against Lucasfilm
Lucasfilm is being taken to court by producer Karyn McCarthy, who allegedly accepted a deal to executive produce Star Wars series The Acolyte over a competing offer that would’ve made her the highest paid producer for Apple. She accuses the studio of breaching her contract in a move that deprived her of a high-profile credit […]
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TikTok Under Fire From Bill Backed by White House
The White House is supporting a bipartisan measure to take action against TikTok and other companies subject to influence from foreign adversaries that could threaten national security. A bill introduced on Monday would establish a new, unified framework for reviewing and addressing foreign technology. Under the measure, the Commerce Department would have the authority to […]
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Fewer Feature Films Nab California Tax Credits
Independent films dominated the latest round of productions granted tax credits to shoot in the state. Of 24 movies selected to participate in California’s Film & TV tax credit program, only three are studio projects, the state’s film office said Monday. They’re helmed by Lionsgate ($21.1 million), MGM ($13.8 million) and Disney ($11.3 million). Netflix […]
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John Malone and Charter Directors Reach $87.5M Deal to Settle Investor Suit
A seven-year old lawsuit alleging billionaire John Malone was illegally compensated through a side deal in Charter’s 2015 acquisition of Time Warner Cable has settled for $87.5 million. A proposed deal filed on Friday in a Delaware court notes that the money will be paid to Charter. Malone and other defendants named in the suit […]
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Rupert Murdoch, Fox Corp. Sued for Sharing Biden’s Presidential Ads Before They Aired
A complaint has been filed against Fox Corp. and chairman Rupert Murdoch over allegations that the network chief gave confidential information in 2020 to former president Donald Trump’s campaign. In a suit filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday, progressive watchdog group Media Matters claims that Fox made an illegal contribution to Trump’s political […]
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TikTok Facing Increasing Prospect of National Ban in New Bill Passed by House Committee
TikTok is one step closer to being effectively banned on mobile devices in the U.S, though an outright prohibition still faces significant hurdles. A House committee voted along party lines on Wednesday to advance a bill to block U.S. activity on the popular Chinese-owned video app used by more than 100 million Americans. The measure […]
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Disney Loses Control of Special District to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has assumed control of the board that oversees development at Walt Disney World, seizing leverage over the state’s largest employer and retaliating against the entertainment giant for opposing the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. “Today, the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” he said Monday at a bill signing ceremony […]
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How Much Is a Lost Producer Credit Worth? In ‘Charlie Says’ Trial, A Jury Says $1.9M
Director and producer Kevin Shulman was awarded $1.9 million after a jury found that he was cheated out of a producer credit in Manson family murders movie Charlie Says. The decision by the jury in Los Angeles County, which came on Feb. 9 after less than a day of deliberations, included $1 million in punitive […]
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‘South Park’ Licensing Deal Sparks Lawsuit From Warner Bros. Discovery Against Paramount Global
Warner Bros. Discovery is suing to enforce its exclusive streaming rights to South Park on HBO Max. A lawsuit filed on Friday in New York state court accuses Paramount Global of going back on a $500 million licensing deal reached in 2019 with Warners by diverting South Park specials and other related content to its […]
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‘Rust’ Producers Settle Citation From New Mexico Safety Agency For $100,000
The producers of Rust have settled a citation from a New Mexico safety agency for numerous violations of safety protocols on the set of the low-budget western. The New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau found in April that the movie’s producers knew that firearm safety procedures weren’t being followed on-set and demonstrated a “plain […]
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Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 16 Years in L.A. Rape Trial
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in prison for rape, capping off his fall as one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood. The sentence will likely lead to Weinstein, who’s already serving 23 years after a conviction in a trial in New York, spending the rest of his life behind bars. He […]
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Thanos VFX Technology Lawsuit Against Disney Dismissed by Judge
Disney has won a skirmish in sprawling litigation surrounding the use of allegedly stolen VFX technology to animate some of the entertainment giant’s most iconic characters in its highest-grossing movies. A federal judge on Feb. 21 dismissed the suit from Rearden, finding that the company didn’t back up its claims of copyright and patent infringement. […]
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