An end in sight? Striking writers and Hollywood studios spend second full day in negotiations
Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters have spent a second full day in talks that could potentially put an end to the nearly five-month dispute that has brought many film and television productions to a halt.
Disney to boost prices for ad-free Disney+ and Hulu services and vows crackdown on password sharing
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger vowed to make its streaming services profitable via a planned October price hike on its ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans and a crackdown on password sharing expected to extend through next year.
Disney parks at the forefront after Iger's return
It’s been six months since Bob Iger canceled his retirement and stepped back into the top role at Disney to right a number of perceived wrongs under his handpicked successor, with one hovering right near the top: reconnecting with the Disney theme park die-hards and restoring their faith in the brand.
Iger back on top in a Disney plot twist that few saw coming
Bob Iger, the enterprising entertainment executive who brought Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel under the Disney marquee and challenged the streaming dominance of Netflix, will replace his handpicked successor, CEO Bob Chapek, whose two-year tenure has been marked by clashes, missteps and a weakening financial performance.
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Academy Museum to honor Sophia Loren, Haile Gerima at gala
Director Haile Gerima appears at the 65th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 2, 2008, left, and Sophia Loren arrives at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, 2019. Loren and independent filmmaker Haile Gerima will be honored with special awards by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. (Photos by Andrew Medichini/AP, left, and Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is assembling a star-studded cast for its opening gala in September. Italian screen legend Sophia Loren and independent filmmaker Haile Gerima will be honored with special awards, and Tom Hanks, Annette Bening and Bob Iger are being saluted for their efforts to raise $388 million for the long gestating museum, the organization said Monday. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in the historic Saban Building.
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may step down without stepping away
Amazon announced Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, that Jeff Bezos would step down as CEO later in the year, leaving a role he's had since founding the company nearly 30 years ago. Amazon says Bezos will be replaced in the summer by Jassy, who runs Amazon's cloud business. (Isaac Brekken/AP Images for NFL, File)Even after stepping aside as CEO, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will likely keep identifying new frontiers for the world's dominant e-commerce company. Tuesday's announcement that Bezos will hand off the CEO job this summer came as a surprise. “Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming," Bezos wrote.
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Kingdom of Wakanda destined for Disney + streaming service
Disney on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, announced a five-year exclusive TV deal with Cooglers Proximity Media company that includes development of a series based in the Kingdom of Wakanda from Cooglers Black Panther blockbuster. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES – The Kingdom of Wakanda is staking out turf on the Disney + streaming service. A TV series set in the “Black Panther” kingdom will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday with filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media company. Coogler wrote and directed 2018’s “Black Panther,” a box-office hit that turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. The Black Panther character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, which became part of Disney in 2009 when the media giant acquired Marvel Entertainment.
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Film Academy Museum completes pre-fundraising goal
After 8 years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum director and president Bill Kramer said Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, that the new museum has raised $388 million. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)It took eight years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, but the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum director and president Bill Kramer said Friday that the new museum has raised $388 million. Located in Los Angeles at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, the Academy Museum is set to open on April 30, five days after the 93rd Academy Awards.
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California wavers on theme park opening rules amid pressure
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Facing mounting pressure to let theme parks such as Disneyland reopen amid the pandemic, California Gov. But reopening rules still don't include theme parks, frustrating the theme park sector while other indoor businesses get going again. Disneyland referred questions about the guidance from Newsom about theme park reopening rules to the industry association. The theme park in Orange County has been closed since March 14 because of the pandemic. —Taxin reported from Orange County, California.
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Chadwick Boseman, who embodied Black icons, dies of cancer
FILE - In this March 4, 2018 file photo, Chadwick Boseman arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer. When the former playwright suited up as Black Panther, he brought cool intellectual gravitas to the Marvel superhero whose Wakanda forever! salute reverberated worldwide. You dont have the same exact experience as a Black actor as you do as a white actor. Before an auditorium full of actors, Chadwick Boseman stepped to the microphone.
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Colin Kaepernick to Star in ESPN Docuseries as Part of Overall Deal With Disney
Colin Kaepernick is telling his story. On Monday, Disney announced that it has signed an overall deal with the 32-year-old former NFL player, which will include an ESPN Films docuseries on his journey. The first-look deal will extend to all Disney platforms including Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar, and The Undefeated. "During this unprecedented time, The Walt Disney Company remains committed to creating diverse and inclusive content that resonates and matters," Disney executive chairman Bob Iger added. RELATED CONTENT:Inside Colin Kaepernick's Fight for Racial JusticeColin Kaepernick Teams With Ava DuVernay for Netflix Show on His LifeAl Sharpton Calls Out the NFL: 'Give Colin Kaepernick His Job Back'
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In 3 months, Disney+ has already scored 26.5 million subscribers
Disney+ has 26.5 million subscribers, the company reported in its first fiscal quarter earnings report on Tuesday, exceeding analyst expectations. Disney+, which launched on November 12, is the company's first foray into the streaming world. Analysts expected that the service would bring in 20 million to 25 million subscribers this quarter. The company’s movie studio had a strong quarter with $3.7 billion in revenue, which was up more than 100% over the year prior. The company’s streaming unit also saw revenue go up more than 100% from last year, bringing in $3.9 billion.