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Streaming Sites May See Boosts as Theaters Close, but New Projects Could Suffer

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  • Universal is taking four of its in-theater pictures and putting them on video on demand. The Hunt, Emma, and The Invisible Man will be available Friday, and Trolls World Tour will be available on April 10, the same day it hits theaters.
  • The box office saw a two-decade low over the weekend as people stay home because of the coronavirus. Big chains like AMC and Regal have also announced temporary nationwide closures.
  • While theaters are taking the hit right now, streaming could see a 60% boost, according to data tracking firm Neilson.
  • But, in the long-term, more remains uncertain as productions are shutting down and financial losses overall for Hollywood are predicted to be incredibly high.

Studios Pick VOD as Theaters Close

As major movie theater chains temporarily shut down nationwide, streaming and video on demand services have the opportunity to see a big boost from quarantine binge-watching. 

On Tuesday, AMC and Regal announced they would be temporarily closing their locations as movie theaters see empty seats during the coronavirus pandemic. This comes just a day after Universal opted to take some of its current releases, The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma, and put them on video on demand by the end of the week. 

“Given the rapidly evolving and unprecedented changes to consumers’ daily lives during this difficult time, the company felt that now was the right time to provide this option in the home as well as in theaters.,” Universal said in a statement. The pictures will be available on Friday for a $19.99 48-hour rental. Trolls World Tour will also get to VOD treatment on April 10, the same day it is set to hit big screens. 

Audiences Respond

Trolls Star Anna Kendrick praised the move online, saying she was “happy we can spread the joy while everyone stays safe.”

Many others were also excited that these selections would be made available at home. 

Some, on the other hand, were surprised by the price tag.

Universal is not alone in this strategy. Warner Brothers also announced plans to make Birds of Prey available on VOD early as well. Disney+ decided to release family hits like Frozen II and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on the platform sooner than scheduled. Fans are also calling for Onward, Disney-Pixar’s current release, to hit streaming or VOD early so viewers can get the chance to see it. 

Box Office Lows

These choices come as Hollywood has been shaken up by the coronavirus outbreak. It started with big pictures like Mulan and No Time to Die getting delayed, but was quickly followed by a blow to the box office. Last weekend was the worst in two decades, with the box office raking in only roughly $55 million. 

Usually, just one movie could probably pull that kind of cash in on its own. For comparison, in mid-March of last year, the highest grossing movie was Captain Marvel, and it made almost $68 million during one weekend. The top five highest grossing movies in mid-March made $113.8 million in one weekend. But theater closures and the practice of social distancing now make those kinds of numbers unattainable. 

Streaming Boost

While all of this means doomsday for theaters and the box office, it does give the upper hand to streaming. According to information from Nielsen, a data measurement firm, staying at home can lead to a 60% increase in media consumption, a figure that directly translates to streaming and television. 

Nielsen also says that people who work from home consume, on average, three more hours of television than someone in-office. So, with more employees being told to work remotely, this could create more TV consumption. 

Disney+ alone has a lot to gain from this situation, as reports indicate that half of the home in the United States with children under the age of 10 have already subscribed to the service. Not only is this number expected to go up because of quarantines, but the amount children will be consuming because they are home from school is likely to increase as well.

Industry’s Future in Limbo

In the long run, the outbreak could lead to bad news for most facets of the industry. Streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon, and other TV and film giants like HBO, Disney and more have halted the productions of their upcoming content. This leaves uncertainty for their slates of new programming and could lead to further delays. 

The full impact of this right now is unknown, but according to Wired, Hollywood is on track to lose $20 billion. This number is likely to get even higher the longer this lasts.  

See what others are saying: (Wired) (Variety) (Deadline)

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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