News
March 21, 2016
Weekly Update from Kelly Graham-Scherer, Los Angeles Representative: March 18, 2016
Happy Friday everyone,
Digital delivery may have disrupted the television distribution model, but in the film world theater owners are fighting tooth and nail to preserve the window of time between when a movie arrives in theaters and when consumers can access it at home. As reported in Variety below, Facebook entrepreneur Sean Parkers' Screening Room proposal has been panned by the National Association of Theater Owners.
http://variety.com/2016/film/news/nato-sean-parker-screening-room-1201731571/
As Deadline reports, however, the lists of top directors for, and against, Screening Room are equally packed with heavy hitters.
http://deadline.com/2016/03/m-night-shyamalan-the-screening-room-protest-sean-parker-1201722440/
Meanwhile, television continues to adapt to changes in consumer behavior: as reported in the Los Angeles Times below, ABC and Warner Brothers TV have announced a groundbreaking deal that will allow ABC to offer an entire season of any WB.-produced series launched in the next two seasons on a variety of video-on-demand platforms. Currently, most networks only allow five episodes of a TV show to be available online, in an effort to maintain viewership on TV and preserve advertising revenue.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-abc-warner-bros-deal-binge-20160317-story.html
Warner Brothers is also breaking new ground with regards to its recently-announced partnership with China Media Capital and broadcaster TVB. As detailed in the Hollywood Reporter, the joint venture has unveiled its first 12 movie projects to be made in China, including a remake of Miss Congeniality, Adam Sandler's Blended and disaster picture Crater.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-flagship-entertainment-unveils-876092
Finally this week, it's not often that a Canadian television series gets the star treatment in the Los Angeles Times, so I'm pleased to bring you this glowing review and interview with Eugene and Dan Levy, stars of Schitt's Creek which is airing in the US on the Pop channel.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-schitts-creek-dan-and-eugene-levy-interview-20160316-column.html
Warmest regards,
Kelly