LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Universal Pictures on Saturday canceled the release of “The Hunt,” a satirical thriller about a group of Americans who are captured to be hunted and killed for sport, following apparent criticism by President Donald Trump and a recent s... More »
(Reuters) – Walmart Inc said on Friday it has asked employees at its stores in the United States to take down signs and playable demos of violent video games but made no changes to its policy on selling firearms. In an internal memo, Walmart also asked its emp... More »
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) – The cast of the 1990s hit “Beverly Hills, 90210” returns to U.S. television on Wednesday, much older but promising lots of the juicy drama that made their teenage characters famous. The six, one-hour episodes of “BH90210” on t... More »
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (Reuters) – Producers of the Emmy Awards telecast next month have decided to do without a host so the show can devote more time to celebrating popular series that have recently ended, an executive with Fox, the network that will broadcast... More »
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Space Communication said on Wednesday its Amos-17 communications satellite was launched into space and was enroute to its orbital position after separating from its SpaceX rocket. The Israeli satellite operator is counting on Amos-17, whi... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Disney’s “The Lion King” might still rule everything the light touches, but Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” certainly held its own this weekend at the domestic box office. In a win for original content, Tarantin... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department said it was greenlighting T-Mobile US Inc’s request to acquire rival Sprint Corp after the companies agreed to divest Sprint’s prepaid businesses including Boost Mobile to Dish Network Corp in an effort to cre... More »
(Reuters) – Entertainment One Ltd, which makes the popular children’s television show “Peppa Pig”, said award-winning producer Mark Gordon will continue to develop and produce content for the company, following a multi-year production deal. Investors had been ... More »
ROME (Reuters) – Italian author Andrea Camilleri, who penned the acclaimed Inspector Montalbano detective novels, died on Wednesday at the age of 93, state-owned broadcaster Rai said. Camilleri spent much of his life working as a theater director, screenwriter... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Sony’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home” claimed victory again during its second weekend in theaters, dominating over new releases, Paramount’s gator thriller “Crawl” and Disney’s R-rated comedy “Stuber.” The superhero tentpole collected ... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Superheroes were once again around to save the day as “Spider-Man: Far From Home” ignited a much-needed boost in the domestic box office. The web-slinging adventure easily dominated in North America, delivering a $185 million debut... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A truce in the trade war between the United States and China that pushed large-cap stocks to new record highs Monday does not appear to be enough to buoy the shares of small U.S. companies that are struggling under the weight of higher tar... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Forky are still ruling the box office. Despite solid debuts from newcomers “Annabelle Comes Home” and “Yesterday,” Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” easily dominated North America. The fourth chapter in the... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – When Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos was spotted schmoozing in NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s booth during the Super Bowl in February, the media world exploded with anticipation about Amazon’s imminent domination of sports media. B... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The second debate among Democrats running for U.S. president attracted 18.1 million television viewers across three networks, a record audience for a Democratic primary face-off, NBC News said on Friday. Thursday’s event featuring front... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Disney’s domination over the box office only seemed to strengthen this weekend as “Toy Story 4” easily topped box office charts. The fourth entry in Pixar’s animated series collected $118 million in ticket sales when it debuted in 4... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Country music superstar Carrie Underwood, the National Football League and NBC were sued on Wednesday for allegedly copying the “Game On” theme song used in 2018 for “Sunday Night Football” from an identically-titled song recorded two year... More »
(Reuters) – U.S. cable provider Comcast Corp on Tuesday launched a program to further develop an advertising strategy that better targets audiences, as the TV industry looks to lure more advertisers away from digital players like Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc’... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department said on Monday it had settled antitrust charges with CBS Corp, Cox Enterprises Inc, E.W. Scripps Co, Fox Corp and Tegna Inc, which were accused of sharing competitively sensitive information. “All five compani... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Hollywood seems to be coming down with a contagious case of franchise fatigue this summer, as “Men in Black: International” and “Shaft” become the latest sequels largely dismissed by moviegoers in North America. Sony’s “Men in Black... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Presenter Jeremy Kyle, whose tabloid talkshow was canceled last month by broadcaster ITV after a participant died following a recording of the program, has been asked to give evidence to a British parliamentary committee. A mainstay of ITV’s... More »
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudanese forces entered the site of a sit-in in central Khartoum early on Monday amid gunfire, witnesses and Arab television stations said, in what activists described as an attempt to disperse protesters demanding civilian rule. A medical... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Warner Bros. and Legendary’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” may be king of the box office, but it only managed a meek roar. The monster sequel brought in $49 million when it debuted in 4,108 locations, a disappointing start given ... More »
(Reuters) – The producer of the hit television series “The Walking Dead” and other major Hollywood film and TV studios said on Thursday they would reconsider locating productions in Georgia if a new state law restricting abortions takes effect. WarnerMedia, CB... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – MTV is flipping the script on dating, broadcasting what it says is the first reality dating competition show in which all the contestants identify as sexually fluid. “Are You The One?” will air in June featuring 16 men and women in thei... More »
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Reuters) – At a new “Star Wars” land at Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney Co will let visitors fly the Millennium Falcon and drink blue milk as it aims to satisfy a wide range of the space saga’s fans with its most ambitious expansi... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Disney’s live-action “Aladdin” is flying high with an estimated $105 million in North America during the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend. It’s the sixth-highest Memorial Day weekend total ever, topping the 2011 mark of $103.4 ... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s Tencent Video has delayed the broadcast of the “Game of Thrones” finale, according to an official message published by the online streaming site on Monday, prompting uproar among fans of the popular TV series in the country. Tencen... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Earth’s Mightiest Heroes put up a good fight, but John Wick put at end to the three-week box office reign of “Avengers: Endgame.” Propelled by positive reviews, “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” beat expectations with a debut of $... More »
(Reuters) – Some of the biggest, highest-profile U.S. hedge fund investors and money managers fell back in love with FAANGs in the first quarter, according to regulatory filings released on Wednesday. After dumping shares of Facebook Inc, Apple Inc, Amazon.com... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Disney and Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” remained victorious at the North American box office, collecting $65 million during its third weekend in theaters. “Avengers: Endgame” officially passed “Avengers: Infinity War” ($679 million)... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame” continues its unprecedented box office run, assembling another $145 million at the domestic box office during its second weekend in theaters. “Avengers: Endgame” now stands as the second-biggest movie of... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Warner Bros. and New Line’s “The Curse of La Llorona” ascended to the top of domestic box office charts, conjuring $26.5 million when it opened in 3,372 North American theaters. “La Llorona” is the latest horror movie to outperform ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The directors of “Avengers: Endgame” pleaded with fans on Tuesday not to spoil the movie by giving away storylines after reports that some scenes had leaked online. In an open letter posted on Twitter under the hashtag #DontSpoilTheEndg... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – From gossipy housewives to lovelorn bachelors and lip-syncing drag queens, reality television is getting its own fan event. Youth channel MTV on Tuesday announced it would host the first reality television convention, where fans and som... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – After months of grueling political perma-crisis, Brexit is taking its toll on the British political establishment – not least the small patch of grass opposite parliament that has become a makeshift home to the world’s media. Parliamentary a... More »
SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Apple Inc is expected to finally lift the curtain on Monday on a secretive, years-long effort to build a television and movie offering designed to compete with big media companies and boost digital services revenue as iPho... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Talk about scary good. Universal’s “Us,” the second directorial effort from Jordan Peele, pulled off a stunning debut, generating $70 million from 3,741 North American locations. That haul is enough to land it the second-best openin... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Newcomers were no match for Disney’s “Captain Marvel” at the domestic box office. The superhero blockbuster soared past the competition, bringing in $69 million in its second weekend of release. Marvel’s first comic-book tentpole to... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Brie Larson’s “Captain Marvel” is soaring to a heroic opening weekend of $153 million in North America at 4,310 sites, reviving what had been a slumbering 2019 box office. “Captain Marvel” took in $302 million internationally, givin... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – White House communications director Bill Shine has resigned as Donald Trump’s top White House communications aide and will move to work on the U.S. president’s 2020 re-election campaign, the White House said on Friday. Shine, a former Fo... More »
(Reuters) – The Chicago Police Department has started an internal investigation into how information about an alleged hate crime attack against actor Jussie Smollett was anonymously leaked to journalists, police officials said. Smollett, 36, a black, openly ga... More »
(Reuters) – An old episode of “The Simpsons” featuring the voice of Michael Jackson is being pulled from all future broadcasts, the show’s producer told a newspaper, following a documentary about alleged child abuse by the late pop star. “It feels clearly the ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – After a close race for the top spot in North America, Universal and DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” pulled ahead to secure the domestic box office crown. The final installment in the “Dragon” trilogy stayed ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – When the “Star Wars” galaxy is brought to life at Walt Disney Co’s U.S. theme parks later this year, fans will not step onto the iconic landscapes of Hoth or Tatooine. The 14-acre (6-hectare) Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge sections of the two... More »
ZURICH (Reuters) – Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt have paid a relatively modest 380 million Swiss francs ($379 million) for fifth-generation wireless frequencies that will tighten their grip on the Swiss mobile market. The three were able to secure an attractively... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Superhero film “Black Panther,” heralded for its mainly black cast and vibrant celebration of African culture, won the top Screen Actors Guild award on Sunday, boosting its stature ahead of next month’s Oscars ceremony. “Black Panther” ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – M. Night Shyamalan’s “Glass” easily maintained its reign in North America, adding $19 million during its second weekend of release for a domestic tally of $73.5 million. Despite a steep 53 percent decline, the weekend haul of “Glass... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Final Season is coming – and it’s all about Jon Snow, and (just for a change) it portends death. Or at least that’s the impression U.S. satellite network HBO chooses to give in the teaser for Game of Thrones that it unveiled on primetime TV ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In a surprise box office victory, STX’s “The Upside” doubled expectations with its $19.5 million debut, enough to defeat “Aquaman’s” three-week reign in North America. Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart co-star in “The Upside,” which mar... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – An attorney for R. Kelly on Friday called a new documentary series about the R&B singer a “for-profit hit piece,” and said the latest accusations of abuse by the Grammy-winning musician were a “complete fabrication.” The six-hour docume... More »
(This January 6 story fixes spelling of Olivia Colman’s surname in paragraph 17) By Jill Serjeant Key winners at the 2019 Golden Globes Golden Globe TV audience slightly lower, but bucks awards show trend LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Queen musical “Bohemian Rhapsod... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The U.S. television audience for the 2019 Golden Globe awards fell about 2 percent, but a slew of popular movies and celebrities among the nominees helped the ceremony buck a trend that has seen much steeper declines for big entertainme... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The final season of FX’s Cold War-era spy thriller “The Americans” and newcomer “The Kominsky Method” from Netflix Inc captured the top television honors at Hollywood’s Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday. FX, a unit of 21st Century Fox, a... More »
(Reuters) – The New York Yankees are in talks with Amazon.com Inc and Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc about a joint bid for the team’s regional sports network, Yes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The baseball t... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and John Legend will be among a host of singers to perform at a tribute concert for the late Aretha Franklin in January, the Recording Academy and other groups announced on Thursday. Alicia K... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Sister Wendy Beckett, a nun and art historian who became an unlikely television star in Britain in the 1990s, died at the age of 88 on Wednesday, the Carmelite monastery at Quidenham in Norfolk said on Wednesday. “I can confirm that Sr Wendy... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Jason Momoa’s “Aquaman” is the King of the Seven Seas — and now the box office. The DC adventure dominated in North America with a splashy $72 million debut, including previews. That’s a hefty start during a month that, aside from “... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” topped a quiet weekend at the domestic box office, marking the third straight win for the animated sequel. It earned $16.2 million in its third week of release, generating $140 million since it o... More »
(Reuters) – Comedian Kevin Hart stepped down on Thursday from hosting the 2019 Oscar ceremony after “insensitive words” about gays he tweeted in the past resurfaced online. The 39-year-old comedian and “Ride Along” actor had announced on Tuesday that he would ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Movies about race, politics and music dominated nominations for the Golden Globe awards on Thursday, setting the stage for a lively Hollywood awards season leading up to the Oscars in February. Dark comedy “Vice,” a scathing look at the... More »
(Reuters) – FuboTV, a sports-focused internet television streaming service, expanded into Spain on Monday in its first move outside North America. The private company, which is based in New York and has raised $150 million in funding to date, will offer 13 Spa... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” recharged for its second consecutive weekend atop the North American box office, generating a healthy $25.8 million. That marks a decline of just 53 percent, and pushes the animated sequel’s dome... More »
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India fired a rocket carrying 31 satellites into space on Thursday, including its own advanced earth observation satellite among the other smaller ones launched for eight countries. The rocket launched from the southern state of Andhra Pr... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Tom Cruise’s latest, “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” is on its way to a No. 1 debut at the North American box office with an estimated $59 million. Should predictions hold, Paramount’s sixth installment of the franchise will finish... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Carrie Fisher will be featured in the next “Star Wars” movie, using previously unseen footage she recorded before her death, Walt Disney Co. studio said on Friday. Actor Mark Hamill, whose Luke Skywalker character appeared to die in las... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration is working to develop consumer data privacy policies, and the Commerce Department is meeting with big companies like Facebook Inc, Comcast Corp and Alphabet Inc as it looks to eventually seeing the policies enshr... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – For years, Dumbo the Flying Elephant hung from his living room ceiling, a Mr. Toad Wild Ride car was parked in his library and Bashful’s cart from Snow White’s Scary Adventures sat on his front lawn in suburban California. Now collector... More »
MILAN (Reuters) – Fiat Chrysler’s (FCHA.MI) European boss has quit, adding to the problems facing new CEO Mike Manley who must deliver on promises to boost production of SUVs and catch up with rivals in electric cars. Jeep division head Manley was named on Sat... More »
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s anti-trust regulator said on Monday it had given its blessing for German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE and U.S. Discovery Inc to expand their joint video streaming platform. The expanded 7TV venture will include content fr... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Global sports broadcaster Eleven Sports has won the rights to show the 2018 PGA Championship in Britain and Ireland, showing the golf major for free across multiple platforms as a way to attract new viewers. Eleven Sports said earlier this m... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In a twist ending straight out of a movie, “The Equalizer 2” shot past “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ to steal the box office crown. Going into the weekend, it looked like “Mamma Mia! 2” would easily debut at No. 1. Final numbers won... More »
SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – Actor Chris Pine surprised superhero fans with an appearance alongside “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot on Saturday but offered no explanation for how he will return to the film franchise following his character’s fiery death in the last mov... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Ant-Man and the Wasp” squashed the competition at the domestic box office. The Marvel sequel — starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly — opened with $76 million from 4,206 North American locations. That start is significantly ahead... More »
(Reuters) – Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) premiered its first original series in India in a sheen of Bollywood glitter on Wednesday, upping the stakes in its battle with streaming rival Amazon Prime (AMZN.O) for a chunk of the country’s more than 1 billion potential vi... More »
FRANKFURT/LONDON (Reuters) – Several bidders, including Liberty Global, are preparing offers for TV production company Endemol Shine, maker of classic reality show ‘Big Brother’ and the dystopian ‘Black Mirror’ dramas, before an initial deadline next week. ITV... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Long before filming began, actress Evangeline Lilly had an idea of the fighting style she wanted to display with her Marvel superhero character, the Wasp. Lilly, known for her role on science-fiction television series “Lost,” said she w... More »
NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Netflix Inc, the streaming video pioneer that revolutionized television, is investing in one of the oldest forms of media to gain an edge in the raging battle for online viewers and top-notch talent. Known for acclaimed sho... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Though new entries “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Uncle Drew” scored higher debuts than expected, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” still reigns supreme at the domestic box office. “Fallen Kingdom” picked up $60 million from 4,48... More »
(Reuters) – Dish Network Corp’s Sling TV said on Thursday it would allow viewers to buy Showtime, sports events and other TV channels without a subscription to the No. 1 online streaming service, as it seeks new revenue sources to deal with growing competition... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – European shares made a modest bounce on Tuesday, recovering slightly after trade tensions sent stock markets into a spiral as investors shed risky assets. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.3 percent by 0837 GMT, but was far from making up ... More »
(Reuters) – CBS Corp (CBS.N) on Monday expanded its streaming agreement with National Football League to include mobile devices and extended the rights through the 2022 season, the media company said. The multi-year deal will help the NFL to reach consumers wh... More »
MUNICH (Reuters) – European broadcaster RTL said it was open to cooperation in TV streaming after competitor ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery Inc announced plans to build a joint German platform. “We are fundamentally open to cooperation and alliances if they fit ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Dinosaurs are ruling the box office again. “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” topped estimates to devour $150 million from 4,475 locations in North America this weekend. While it fell short of its predecessors’ record-shattering $208.... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Charlie Sheen’s “Two and a Half Men” character was run over by a bus and got a full-scale funeral. “Glee” actor Corey Monteith died in real life and had a tribute episode. “House of Cards” will return minus scandal-tainted Kevin Spacey,... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Solo: A Star Wars Story” continues to falter at the box office. Disney and Lucasfilm’s latest brought in $29.3 million from 4,381 locations over the three-day period. With a 65 percent decline from its $84 million three-day launch,... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Matt LeBlanc, former star of 1990s U.S. hit comedy “Friends”, said on Thursday he will step down as co-host of the BBC motoring program “Top Gear” after the next series. The American actor, who achieved global fame as Joey Tribbiani in the N... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Sony Corp’s (6758.T) new chief executive is embracing entertainment content, but for now appears to be steering clear of direct competition with tech giants such as Apple Inc (AAPL.O) and Netflix Inc (NFLX.O). The company last week announced ... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested an executive behind ABC’s cancellation of sitcom “Roseanne” was biased while the White House said it did not defend comedian Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet that sparked the decision. Barr... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Michael Jackson’s estate sued ABC on Wednesday, arguing that a special the network aired last week about the pop singer’s final days used his songs and music videos without permission. The copyright infringement lawsuit, which also names A... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The force was not with “Solo: A Star Wars Story” at the box office. The latest installment struggled over the Memorial Day weekend, securing $103 million in 4,381 North American locations over the four-days, according to Monday esti... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Estimates for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” are continuing to fly low. Disney and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars” prequel is now looking to make $101 million in North America during its four-day holiday weekend debut. The Han Solo origin film’s... More »
OSLO (Reuters) – Norway’s $1 trillion wealth fund voted against a motion at Shell’s annual meeting urging the energy giant to set climate targets, despite a push the fund is making for more firms to do so. Long-term investors with $10.4 trillion of assets unde... More »
(Reuters) – Celebrity chef Mario Batali, who already faces sexual harassment accusations from four women, is under criminal investigation by the New York Police Department for sexual misconduct, television program 60 Minutes said on Sunday. Batali “vehemently”... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Deadpool might not consider himself a superhero, but its latest installment is off to a powerful start. The Marvel Comics film from 20th Century Fox debuted in North American with $125 million in 4,349 locations. That wasn’t enough ... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Hollywood’s push for greater access to China’s booming film market – delayed since last year – has become tangled in broader trade talks between Washington and Beijing, a potentially thorny position amid whipsawing trade relations. Negotiat... More »
When Fox takes over broadcasts of Thursday night NFL games this season, it will have its No. 1 announcer team at the microphone. Joe Buck will be doing the play-by-play, and his partner for the last 16 years, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, will call all... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Avengers: Infinity War” has maintained its staying power at the domestic box office. The Disney and Marvel blockbuster earned a huge $61.8 million in its third weekend. Combined with its $200 million launch in China, “Infinity War”... More »
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Avengers: Infinity War” can check off yet another record: The second-highest second weekend of all time. Disney and Marvel’s latest collaboration earned $112.5 million from 4,474 locations in its second frame. The 56 percent declin... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Three women filed a sexual harassment lawsuit on Friday against former CBS News television anchor Charlie Rose, accusing the prominent journalist of touching them inappropriately and making offensive comments. The lawsuit in New York state... More »
