Does Viacom’s Hunt for a Partner Foreshadow Big Media’s Tough Choices?
Viacom’s main business, cable TV networks, has withered in a changing climate marked by shrinking ad sales, viewer losses and potent online rivals like Netflix Inc. Other media companies are also vulnerable to those changes and may have to consider their own drastic measures in the coming months. (AA)
The New ‘Supergroup of Altruism’, The Artemis Agency, Signs Laday Gaga, Charlize Theron and Al Gore Charities
Four veteran philanthropic advisors, Sarah Adolphson, Catherine Kimmel, Regina Miller and Michelynn Woodard, have joined forces to launch The Artemis Agency, a firm dedicated to providing support for the philanthropic strategies of individual, corporate and nonprofit clients. (THR)
Idris Elba to Square Off Against Matthew McConaughey in ‘The Dark Tower’
Iconic author Stephen King made it official on his Twitter account that Idris Elba has been set to play the gunslinger Roland Deschain. He will square off against Matthew McConaughey, who’ll play the villainous Man in Black. (DL)
Making History: Gawker Staff Ratifies First Digital Media Contract for WGA
Gawker’s editorial staff has ratified the first digital media contract negotiated by representatives at the Writers Guild of America East. The guild touted the contract as a milestone in its efforts to organize digital media workers to join the labor movement around the world. (VAR)
#OscarsSoWhite Reverberates Across the Industry with a Wave of Diversity Casting News
Management 360 partner Darin Friedman said, “From both the filmmaker side and the buyer side, there’s a push for more diverse stories. It’s happening in a genuine way: an understanding that the cast or the directors who get hired should reflect the way the world looks.” (THR)
No Laughing Matter as 2 High Level Execs Depart Fox TV’s Comedy and Drama Departments
Two high-level development executives at 20th Century Fox TV, SVP of drama development Lisa Katz and SVP comedy development Dana Honor, will be leaving the studio at the end of their current contracts in July. Both opted not to enter new contracts. (DL)
Han Capital Management Sets Sights on U.S. with $200M Film Fund
Han Capital Management last week said it had raised $500M to finance Chinese film and TV projects. Founder John Liu has partnered with American United Entertainment’s Robert Rodriguez to produce 15 U.S.-based films under Han Pictures & Media Corp. The partners are working with an initial $200M fund. (DL)
Hot Blazes! Josh Brolin and Miles Teller to Star in Firefighter Action Movie ‘No Exit’
Tron: Legacy helmer Joseph Kosinski is directing the pic, which tells the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of firefighters that faced one of the deadliest wildfires in history in order to save an Arizona town, resulting in the tragic death of 19 crew members. (VAR)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Finding Dory’
Here’s a new trailer for the sequel to Pixar’s Finding Nemo, Finding Dory. Dory, the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones and everyone learns a few things about the true meaning of family. (YT)
Screenwriters: What do the People of the Middle East Really Think of American Films?
Story analyst Julie Gray recounts her realizations after moving from Hollywood to the Middle East. “It has been quite an illuminating transition to say the least, and it has, among other things, allowed me to see Hollywood and storytelling itself, from a completely different angle. It has shown me the true impact of film.” (SM)