"A person with knowledge of the project who was granted anonymity ... said that as of Thursday, the movie was still on track to be completed with Mr. Baldwin in the lead role and Joel Souza, who was wounded in the shooting, returning as director." - The New York Times
Basically, what referrals Twitter provided - and the percentage wasn't large for most publishers - has dropped to near nothing after Musk's recent decisions. "Only two publishers in the sample set — The New York Post and Fox News — saw their traffic increase." - Digiday
Maybe the reason is that blockbusters churned out in the U.S. have been hit with a similarity stick, or with a cynicism audiences can sense - so "a film that's as sincere and well-crafted as RRR was bound to break in eventually." - BBC
The problem illustrated a much larger issue: "According to multiple sources, the jury has repeatedly expressed concerns to both Sundance and filmmakers that movies playing at this year’s festival should come with open captions" - but many do not. - Variety
For instance: "It is not often that a movie featuring alternate universes, kung fu and a Chinese-American owned laundromat is in the running for best picture, best actress (Michelle Yeoh), best supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan) and best director." - The Guardian (UK)
The plan is to reject the nearly 40 theatres' leases after a bankruptcy filing. "The Chapter 11 process makes it easier for companies to walk away from leases without incurring major penalties and to press landlords for better terms." - Insider
"Producers and Hutchins’ family members have been eager for the film production to resume," but that was before the charges were revealed. - Los Angeles Times
Subscriber numbers are "providing an early sign that its shift to include ads in a cheaper version of its video streaming service is helping to combat tougher competition and attract cost-conscious customers grappling with inflation." - CBC (AP)
American expatriates know the French don't like Emily in Paris. Nor do they: They "complain that they have spent years perfecting understated elegance and the rolling of their R’s, only to have a brash Chicagoan ... swoop in and ruin their image." - The New York Times
Those voters can never quite decide how much heed to pay to a movie’s popularity or accessibility. That’s how you wind up with absurd best picture races like the one in 2010 between “The Hurt Locker” and “Avatar.” (“The Hurt Locker” won.) - The New York Times
"For many in the indie film world, the drama surrounding Jihad Rehab (now titled The UnRedacted) marks a new status quo. ... (There's) a new, unspoken modus operandi in which festivals — once the bastion of provocative, button-pushing fare — are desperate to avoid controversy and the wrath of any identity-focused Twitter mob." - Variety
Some tech experts argue that the sudden explosion of the bans, coupled with doubts over TikTok’s actual harm, is more a reflection of government groupthink — and an overreaction to an app they don’t entirely understand. - Washington Post
WNET, one of the flagships of the entire PBS system, will pay $100,000 for WEER, an FM station in Montauk on the eastern tip of Long Island. The WNET Group already owns WLIW television and radio, the established PBS and NPR affiliates on Long Island. (sixth item) - Inside Radio
"Actor Alec Baldwin, who fatally shot a cinematographer on the set of the Western movie Rust in 2021, and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez Reed, will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors said Thursday." - CNN
"The number of new shows created dropped by nearly 80 percent between 2020 and 2022. Some of that can be attributed to the pandemic — podcast creation peaked in 2020, when people truly had nothing better to do. But the number of new shows in 2022 was lower than pre-pandemic levels." - The Verge
