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SSN ORIGINALS
Senior editor Neil Turitz returns with his eponymous column, taking a look at the various properties and franchises owned by the studios. In the wake of Sony’s news about a
Ghostbusters shared universe, what’s stopping the Big Six from combining any number of characters? Or, for that matter, sharing them with others? Prepare to be entertained.
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The publicity company has an especially productive and prolific week, as has Paradigm, which signed several new clients. As usual, just about all the agencies in town get in on the action somewhat, but click on the link for the full skinny.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
Producer Jim Burke will take over at the indie studio, while current Focus Features Sr. VP of Production, Josh McLaughlin, has been promoted to executive VP and will report to Burke. Burke previously produced Alexander Payne’s
The Descendants as well as
The Savages, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, and
Cedar Rapids, starring Ed Helms.
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His new film,
Mr. Holmes, was a huge hit at the Berlin Film Festival, and now Miramar and Roadside Attractions are bringing it to the state on July 17th. In the film, directed by Bill Condon, McKellan plays a 93-year-old Sherlock Holmes wrestling with the case that forced him into retirement.
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Grenier’s
52: The Search For the Loneliest Whale got the donation from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, pushed the total donations over the goal of $300,000, meaning Grenier and his team can now access all pledges made by over 3,300 backers. (With DiCaprio's gift, the total amount raised stands at $330,124.)
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On the heels of HBO announcing that it will be coming out with a similar service that will cost $14.99 per month and appear on AppleTV next month comes word that Showtime will also be offering such a service. CBS chief Les Moonves told Deutsche Bank Securities 2015 Media, Internet & Telecom Conference that "in the not-too-distant future," Showtime will allow cord-cutters to watch content for a small monthly fee, saying "the floodgate is now open.”
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Two of the stars of the short-lived, but much beloved,
Firefly are launching an Indiegogo campaign to fund a new web series,
Con Man. The series will be written and directed by Tudyk, who will star alongside his former shipmate Fillion (who is also producing). Show would follow two actors who used to be on a sci-fi series cancelled before its time, one of whom toils in obscurity while the other has become a major star.
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Stars of the film, which has grossed over $500 million worldwide, were paid $250,000 for the first film with no back end compensation (though they did get bonuses tied to box office results) ensuring Universal had a very healthy profit on the drama that cost a mere $40 million. Reportedly, the actors are looking for an increase not dissimilar to what Jennifer Lawrence received following
The Hunger Games — she went from $500,000 to $10 million.
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Everyone on Delta Air Lines' 11:30 a.m. flight from Los Angeles to the South by Southwest festival on Friday will get expedited security processing, complimentary cocktails and a chance to win first-class tickets to London and New York. Good luck booking a seat. This is an invitation-only junket to Austin, part of Delta's bid to grab more of the entertainment industry's travel business, which the carrier estimates is worth $1 billion a year.
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The first images from Guy Ritchie’s upcoming King Arthur film, starring Charlie Hunnam as the legendary ruler, as well as Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as Guinevere, Eric Bana as Arthur’s father, Uther Pendragon, while Jude Law is locking down the role of the villainous Vortigern and Djimon Hounsou is in talks to be Sir Bedivere, one of Uther’s old comrades who takes Arthur under his wing. Film hits theaters July 22nd, 2016.
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