Not only is it the biggest opening ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, unseating the record set by the first film’s $112 million launch, it’s also the second biggest debut of the year behind “A Minecraft Movie’s” $162 million. - APNews
When was the last time you saw incredible CGI or other visual effects? Probably a tougher question to answer. That’s because VFX, like any other filmmaking tool, is invisible when done well. - Washington Post
“By her own admission, Zhao isn’t much of a Shakespeare connoisseur,” but she has thoughts on Hamlet, and Hamnet. “Grief keeps you in the past, but time is pulling you forward.” - Washington Post (MSN)
“Pick a film from either current releases or a curated archive, select a drink package for an extra $50 each, choose a 12-13 course gourmet meal off a seasonal menu for another $100 a head, and you have a ritzy night at the movies.” - The Guardian (UK)
That’s a big jump. “Some customers are starting to get fed up with having to subscribe to multiple streaming platforms just to get all of their favorite shows and sports. That has driven some people back into the arms of pay-TV.” - Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
The issue: "To us, art exists for the purposes of communication, entertainment and self-expression, but those concepts don’t seem to align with the hivemind’s nature.” - Reactor
“Three in 10 advertisers relied on ideological appeals — emphasizing ‘pro-life,’ Christian, pro-gun, ‘America first,’ or pro-military themes, or attacking Democrats, gender identity or policies they described as liberal. Roughly a quarter promoted the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda.” - Bloomberg (Archive Today)
“Love and affection run past the margins, brushing up against shame and fear for a conclusion that’s akin to lingering a bit longer after a holiday dinner.” (Alert: This article contains many spoilers for Sentimental Value.) - Salon
No Muppets will be on sale - thanks to their purchase by HBO - but among the hundreds of items up for auction as the company’s Los Angeles studio closes (the company will continue elsewhere) are some Great Muppet Caper props. And then, there are the Fraggles. - The New York Times
“The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium has revealed that United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed the governing body for ‘the king of cheeses’ to get the supermarket staple placement in films, TV shows and streaming projects around the globe.” - The Hollywood Reporter
The BBC is now losing more than £1bn a year from households either evading the licence fee or deciding they do not need one, according to a cross-party group of MPs who warned the corporation is under “severe pressure”. - The Guardian
Netflix, Paramount and Comcast submitted bids to acquire the Hollywood colossus, which owns the Warner Bros. movie studio, HBO, and cable networks like CNN and TNT, four people with knowledge of the proposals said. - The New York Times
“The Nevada Senate has again rejected a $120 million annual subsidy for film and TV production, which would have enabled construction of a new soundstage facility in Las Vegas. The bill, AB 5, fell one vote short of a majority during a special session on Wednesday night.” - Variety
Earlier this year, The Times spoke to a dozen current and former SIFF staff and board members, many of whom expressed profound concerns about both SIFF and the impact that the landmark acquisition had on the organization amid broader challenges in the industry. - Seattle Times
