The confusion began in early August when the Greek Ministry of Culture, as is customary, invited a committee of Greek film professionals to select the country’s submission to the international Oscar race. - Deadline
The beverage-heir-turned-entertainment-mogul's purchase offer ($4.3 billion, since raised to $6 billion) is lower than Skydance's $8 billion deal, but Bronfman says his plan to make Paramount a standalone company would avoid the complications of a merger, increase the stock price and be a better deal for second-tier investors. - TheWrap (MSN)
"The latest twist in the chaotic auction came late Wednesday as Paramount's independent board members were mulling whether to keep the door open for Bronfman's bid for the struggling company that owns CBS, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Showtime and the namesake Hollywood movie studio." - Los Angeles Times (MSN)
Lionsgate's trailer featured clips from The Godfather and Apocalypse Now along with unflattering quotes about those movies from famous critics — the idea being that reviewers were wrong about those Coppola films and they'll be wrong about this one, too. But the quotes are invented and most of those critics are dead. - Vulture (MSN)
"The 1979 creature feature … begot not only the unlikeliest and most malleable of franchises but also an astonishing array of cinematic careers — a fact reflected not just in the protracted intervals between installments but also in the huge stylistic variation among them." - The Washington Post (MSN)
"Warner Bros. Studios COO Simon Robinson on Tuesday promised that the company would commit to a minimum of $500 million in annual content spending during the next 17 years — the length of time proposed by one of the legislative efforts to expand the state’s tax credit — totaling $8.5 billion." - The Nevada Independent
The existential threat to the radio business model comes as listeners abandon terrestrial broadcasts in favor of on-demand podcasts and streaming services, part of a larger digital reckoning that has forced widespread layoffs across some of the nation’s largest media companies. - CNN
The shows have failed to take off. Since last year, roughly 20 episodes have been released. They collectively have less than 40,000 views on YouTube and are among the least watched content on the company’s accounts. - The Hollywood Reporter
The bid is the latest twist in a monthslong saga over control of Paramount, a once-mighty TV and film colossus. In July Skydance, the Hollywood studio founded by the technology scion David Ellison, agreed to buy out Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder. - The New York Times
"There was enough evidence to charge former WTVP president and CEO Lesley Matuszak with embezzlement of funds and forgery, had she not taken her own life. That was the probable cause determination of the Peoria County state's attorney's office after reviewing the Peoria Police Department's investigation." - WCBU (Peoria, IL)
An unredacted copy of the audit conducted by Sacramento State University (which owns the station's license) reveals that Jun Reina, general manager of the station from 2020 to 2023, is "Subject #1." Reina had previously been chief financial officer and COO. - Capital Public Radio (Sacramento)
Why spend precious time, in an age of nearly infinite media, plopped in front of a bad show to pick it apart? It’s like gorging yourself on a disgusting meal not because you’re hungry, but because you want to gripe about it later. - The New York Times
They argued that by signing up for a free 30-day trial of Disney+ in 2019, and again when purchasing the theme park tickets in 2023 through his Disney+ account, Piccolo agreed to the streamer’s terms of service, which includes that “all disputes” with “The Walt Disney Company be settled out of court via arbitration. - Deadline
The third-largest U.S. theater chain, often seen as a cautious little brother to AMC and Regal, has gained market share since lockdown and its stock is at its highest level since early 2020 after gaining more than 80 percent so far this year. - Washington Post
