Latest Business News
‘SNL’ Postproduction Workers Ratify First Contract, Officially Calling Off Strike Threat
The strike threat on Saturday Night Live has officially passed. Postproduction workers on the show who are unionized with the Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG) have officially ratified their first contract with the NBC live comedy show, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The bargaining unit of 12-20 staffers (the number of those working on the […]
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Cinema Stocks Jump Amid Report Apple Plans $1 Billion Theatrical Movie Push
Cinemas stocks got a boost Thursday after a report that Apple plans to splash $1 billion a year on producing movies that will be sent to theaters. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported that the tech giant plans to release a few movies in theaters this year, while ramping up its theatrical slate for a greater number of […]
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TikTok CEO’s Testimony to Congress May End Up Escalating Calls for a Ban
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee interrogated the chief executive of TikTok on alleged national security risks posed by the immensely popular video-sharing app, while the CEO stressed that data privacy and security issues are prevalent across all of Big Tech and that the company doesn’t share information with the Chinese government. During […]
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Comedian Matt Friend Signs With UTA (Exclusive)
Actor, comedian and impressionist Matt Friend has signed with UTA for representation in all areas. UTA will help bolster Friend’s comedy career with new opportunities in touring, TV, film, unscripted, endorsements, animation, voiceover work and digital talent. As an impressionist, he has a repertoire of over 250 impressions, ranging from Rami Malek to Timothée Chalamet […]
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Fremantle Acquires Majority Stake in A Team, Belgian Producer of ‘Baghdad Messi’
Fremantle, the production unit of Bertelsmann-owned TV giant RTL Group, has acquired a majority stake in A Team Productions, the Belgium-based producer of upcoming feature film Baghdad Messi and upcoming drama series Alter Ego. Financial details weren’t disclosed. The deal for the company, founded in 2009 and led by Kobe van Steenberghe and Hendrik Verthé, is the […]
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PR Firm DKC Opens Flagship Office in Century City
DKC has a new home base on the West Coast. The public relations, digital communications and content production agency has opened doors of a new West Coast flagship office. Located on the ground floor at 1801 Century Park East in Century City, the spread features open-concept workspaces, multiple high-design meeting rooms, a product showroom, viewing […]
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Writers Guild Says It’s Pushing to Prohibit AI-Generated Works Under Contract in Negotiations
While the Writers Guild of America is at the negotiating table with studios and streamers hammering out the industry’s approach to this evolving technology, the union has clarified its stance on works created with the help of artificial intelligence. The guild stated that it is seeking in these talks to ban AI from being used […]
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Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul and Soulja Boy Charged in Crypto Scheme
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged eight high-profile celebrities in a crypto scheme tied to Justin Sun and his companies Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd. and Rainberry Inc. The stars were charged with touting cryptocurrencies associated with Sun’s companies “without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation.” […]
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‘The Winchesters’ Star Drake Rodger Signs With Gersh (Exclusive)
Drake Rodger, best known for his series-lead role as John Winchester on CW’s The Winchesters, has signed with Gersh for representation. Meg Donnelly and Rodger star in the CW series as the future parents of Supernatural leads Sam and Dean. The Winchesters became CW’s most watched series debut in October 2022, with Rodger playing the titular role […]
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‘Scream VI’: Behind the Chillingly Effective Marketing Campaign
His voice has become iconic and it’s never good news when he calls — but 2 million people had custom chats with Ghostface as part of the marketing campaign for Scream VI, a sign the idea rang true with fans. “When the marketing is fun, audiences think the movie is going to be fun and […]
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Portugal’s Tage Studios Promises to Be Europe’s First Entirely Green Shooting Facility
This story is part of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 Sustainability Issue (click here to read more). Just outside of Lisbon, plans are underway to build Europe’s, and maybe the world’s, first truly green film studio. The €200 million ($215 million) Tage Studios project, which is set to begin breaking ground near the town of Palmela, […]
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Hollywood Courts Wall Street’s ESG Investors Mainly With Film and TV Messages, Not Carbon Offsets
This story is part of The Hollywood Reporter’s 2023 Sustainability Issue (click here to read more). On Spaceship Earth, the famous ride at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center (it’s the one housed inside the park’s signature geodesic sphere), visitors are transported through humanity’s great achievements, culminating with a projection of the Earth in the vast […]
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UTA Opens Doors on Atlanta Full-Service Office
UTA and sister company Klutch Sports Group have officially opened a new office in Atlanta, marking the Hollywood talent agency’s expansion to launch a full-service shop in that key U.S. production center. The new address, which includes the UTA Artist Space Gallery open to the public, follows UTA locations in Beverly Hills, Nashville, New York, […]
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Newsmax to Return to DirecTV Lineup, Ending Carriage Dispute
The conservative news and commentary channel Newsmax will return to the lineup of satellite giant DirecTV, nearly two months after a carriage dispute broke out and became a political football. The companies announced the new deal Wednesday morning, adding that Newsmax will return to DirecTV and its streaming offering on Thursday. Terms of the deal […]
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AFM to Change Venues Following Closure of Loews Hotel
The American Film Market has a new home. The Loews, the iconic Pacific-facing hotel in Santa Monica that since 1991 has provided shelter for thousands of film buyers and sales execs (and a whole lot of insane movie posters, many involving sharks), has now closed for major renovations. While the site is due to reopen […]
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‘Angry Birds’ Maker Rovio’s Sale Talks With Israel’s Playtika End, Strategic Review Continues
Takeover talks between Rovio Entertainment, the Finland-based video games company behind Angry Birds, and suitor Playtika, the Israeli group behind casino-style online games and shooting simulator 1V1.LOL, have ended without a deal. “Preliminary discussions between Rovio and Playtika have now ended,” Playtika said on Tuesday without providing further details. Rovio made a similar statement. “The board of directors of Rovio continues […]
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