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  • Friday, Aug. 21, 2020
United Nations, Producers Guild launch workshop series on social impact entertainment
LOS ANGELES -- 

The United Nations (UN) and the Producers Guild of America (PGA) are launching a series of virtual workshops that detail how producers and members of the creative community can collaborate with the UN on social impact entertainment projects.  

In the first workshop, being hosted this Saturday (8/22), creators will learn what social impact entertainment is, the benefits of working with the UN, and the resources available to content creators. Additionally, participants will learn about how the UN works and the most pressing challenges currently on its agenda, before taking a deep dive into previous successful partnerships with the film and television industry. 

Speakers for the first session include United Nations Under-Secretary-General For Global Communication Melissa Fleming; Lori McCreary, executive producer of Madam Secretary; Trey Callaway, co-executive producer and writer of Revolution, and Joanne Gunsberg, director of sustainability More

  • Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020
After 5 months, AMC Theaters reopens its doors, cautiously
Emely Frahis, 5, chases three-year-old Lilly Stevenson around the lobby as they wait to go into the theatre to see "Beauty and the Beast", of the first showings at the AMC theatre when it re-opened for the first time since shutting down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in West Homestead, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
WEST HOMESTEAD, Pa. (AP) -- 

The doors to the AMC Waterfront 22 were locked. They had been for five months, along with most indoor theaters in the U.S. because of COVID-19. But in 20 minutes that was about to change and four people in masks were already gathered outside the theater 8 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in eager anticipation. They were there to see the Vin Diesel movie "Bloodshot" for 15 cents a ticket. After so many months, 20 extra minutes didn't seem like all that long to wait.

The lights started slowing coming back on in theaters nationwide Thursday with AMC Theaters, the country's largest chain, leading the charge. 

AMC opened some 113 locations across the U.S., advertising retro pricing and retro screenings to entice audiences back to the movies. Regal, the second largest exhibitor, is following suit Friday. It's been a long-time coming for the beleaguered businesses, which had several false starts due to coronavirus spikes.

When the doors at More

  • Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020
Venice Film Festival to require face masks during screenings
In this March 2, 2020, file photo, tourists pull their trolleys as they walk through a nearly empty St. Mark's Square on a rainy day in Venice. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)
By Nicole Winfield
ROME (AP) -- 

The Venice Film Festival, the first major in-person cinema showcase of the COVID-19 era, is requiring participants to wear face masks during screenings and take a coronavirus test if they are arriving from outside Europe.

According to guidelines published Thursday, fans and the general public will be kept away from the red carpet during the Sept. 2-12 festival, and movie-goers will have to buy tickets and reserve seats online to ensure every other seat is left vacant. 

Nine gates set up at various points around the Venice Lido will take temperatures of movie-goers and media, and stars will have transport and red carpet arrivals arranged by festival organizers to prevent crowds from forming even within official delegations.

Festival-goers attending indoor events will be tracked to guarantee contact tracing if necessary.

The film festival will be the first in-person movie event since the pandemic began and it is one of the More

  • Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020
Film academy to host virtual panels about inclusion, equity
This combination of photos shows actress Taraji P. Henson (l) and filmmaker Lulu Wang, who are among the talent participating in a series of virtual panels about inclusion and equity in Hollywood hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organization that puts on the Oscars said Thursday that the panels rolling out through September and October will be available to the public. (AP Photo)
By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer

Lee Daniels, Lulu Wang and Taraji P. Henson are among the talent participating in a series of virtual panels about inclusion and equity in Hollywood hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organization that puts on the Oscars said Thursday that the panels rolling out through September and October will be available to the public. 

Topics will include navigating Hollywood as a Black gay man, with Daniels and "Moonlight" screenwriter Tarrell Alvin McCraney, Latino erasure in Hollywood, with Marvel executive Victoria Alonso, documentaries, color-conscious casting and gender parity. There will also be a town hall focused on the organization's Black membership. 

Entitled "Academy Dialogues: It Starts with Us," the series is part of the film academy's push to further equity and inclusion in its ranks and in the entertainment industry. 

"These conversations may be uncomfortable for some, but they are necessary to More

  • Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020
"Love in the Time of Corona" is "time capsule" of the times
This image released by Freeform shows Nicolette Robinson, left, and Leslie Odom Jr. in a scene from "Love in the Time of Corona," a two-part series airing Aug.22-23 on Freeform. (Freeform via AP)
By Alicia Rancilio
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

From grappling with big life decisions to a marriage on the brink, a new four-part miniseries tackles relationship struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson, who are married in real life, co-star and executive produce "Love in the Time of Corona," which airs this weekend. The title is a take on the 1986 novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "Love in the Time of Cholera."

Filming took place in the actors' actual homes, and co-stars are either related or close friends. Cameras were operated remotely, and the cast did their own hair and makeup.

The safety precautions alone weren't enough for Odom and Robinson to want to take the project on. They have a toddler so turning their home into a set needed to be worth it. 

"What we didn't want to do is just tell a story about a couple that was trying to have a baby. It's they're trying to have a baby in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of the More

  • Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020
Havas Group forms North America Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee
Patti Clarke
NEW YORK -- 

As part of its commitment to building a more diverse business and stronger culture, Havas Group has set its inaugural North America Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Advisory Committee. Alongside global chief talent officer Patti Clarke, the nine-member committee comprised of senior leaders from the Media, Creative, and Health networks representing the Black, Asian, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ communities, will oversee NA DE&I strategy and initiatives that will drive impact and change in a cohesive approach across the region, as well as, ensure that the seven commitments in Havas’ NA Commit to Change plan are met.

The inaugural committee members are:

  • Julianna Akuamoah, chief talent officer, Arnold & Havas Media Boston
  • Elena Grasmann, managing director, Havas New York
  • Lina Kim, VP planning and innovation, Havas Canada
  • Cris Morton, group president, Havas Health & You (Havas Health +, Hematology More
  • Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020
Scorsese joins Mundruczó's "Pieces of a Woman" as exec producer
A scene from "Pieces of a Woman" (courtesy of BRON)
LOS ANGELES -- 

Academy Award ® winning director Martin Scorsese has joined the film team of Pieces of a Woman as an executive producer. It is the first English language film directed by Kornél Mundruczó who has been a Cannes regular with films that include the Cannes Un Certain Regard Prix winner White God. The deeply personal Pieces of a Woman is written by Kata Wéber based on a shared personal experience with Mundruczó. It stars Vanessa Kirby in the lead role along with Shia LaBeouf, Molly Parker, Sarah Snook, Iliza Schlesinger, Benny Safdie, Jimmy Fails and Ellen Burstyn. It will have its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival in September followed by a Gala Screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.
 
Scorsese commented, “It’s lucky to see a movie that takes you by surprise. It’s a privilege to help it find the wide audience it deserves. Pieces of a Woman for me was a deep and uniquely More

  • Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020
Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" to screen early at theaters in some U.S. cities 
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Elizabeth Debicki, left, and John David Washington in a scene from "Tenet." Some U.S. moviegoers will be able to see Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” a few days early. Warner Bros. on Tuesday said that it would be offering early access screenings starting Aug. 31 as a gesture of support to the domestic theaters that are reopening after five months of being closed because of COVID-19. (Melinda Sue Gordon/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP)
By Lindsey Bahr, AP Film Writer

Some U.S. moviegoers will be able to see Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" a few days early. Warner Bros. on Tuesday said that it would be offering early access screenings starting Aug. 31 as a gesture of support to the domestic theaters that are reopening after five months of being closed because of COVID-19. 

The $200 million spy thriller starring John David Washington will open more widely in the U.S. on Sept. 3. 

"Tenet" is the first major new Hollywood movie to be released in theaters since most locations shuttered in mid-March. It's arrival could not come soon enough for the ailing theaters, many of which are opening this week without any significant new movies and instead programming popular back catalog films like "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Back to the Future" to entice audiences. The nation's largest exhibitor, AMC, will open some of its doors Thursday, with Regal following on Friday.

"Warner Bros. is proud to support our More

  • Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020
Top NBCUniversal exec Ron Meyer leaving after settlement with woman
NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer arrives at the premiere of "Good Boys" in Los Angeles Aug. 14, 2019. Meyer, a Hollywood power player, is leaving the entertainment company. NBC says he acted in a manner which the company believes is not consistent with its policies or values. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
By Tali Arbel, Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer, a Hollywood power player, is leaving the entertainment company after revealing he received threats of extortion following a settlement with a woman with whom he had an affair.

Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal, said in a statement Tuesday that Meyer "acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values." NBC declined to elaborate.

Meyer, in a statement provided by Comcast's NBCUniversal, said he "made a settlement, under threat, with a woman outside the company who had made false accusations against me." He said he had a "very brief and consensual affair" a long time ago with the woman, whom he did not name.

He said other people, whom he also did not name, tried to extort him after they learned of the settlement. The extortion included threats to "falsely implicate NBCUniversal, which had nothing to do with this matter."

Shell's statement said that Meyer More

  • Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020
Tyler Perry's work honored with TV Academy's 2020 Governors Award
Actor-filmmaker and author Tyler Perry poses for a portrait in New York on Nov. 16, 2017. Perry has won awards from the NAACP and BET. Now he's getting a big one from the Television Academy. He and his foundation are the recipients of the 2020 Governors Award. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP, File)
By Mark Kennedy, Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

Tyler Perry has won awards from the NAACP and BET. Now he's getting a big one from the Television Academy: He and his foundation are the recipients of the 2020 Governors Award.

The prize, picked by the academy board of governors, honors Perry "for his unprecedented achievements in television and his commitment to offering opportunities to marginalized communities." 

Perry has so far created 22 feature films, over 20 stage plays, 13 television shows and two bestselling books. The Atlanta-based producer was one of the first major filmmakers to power back up production in the wake of the coronavirus health crisis.

"Tyler Perry has changed the face of television and inspired a new generation of content creators. He pioneered a new brand of storytelling that engages people of color both in front of and behind the camera, and his shows have resonated with a global audience," said Governors Award selection committee Chair Eva Basler in a More

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