Category: media

‘Tenet’ Was Hollywood’s Great Hope To Revive American Moviegoing. It Didn’t.

It worked overseas: the Warner Bros. blockbuster has grossed $207 million altogether, but less than $30 million of that has been in the U.S. Worse, the much-touted $20 million first-weekend domestic gross turns out to have been heavily padded. These figures are scaring studios off their major release schedules. “Now the question isn’t whether theaters can return to normalcy,” writes David Sims, “but whether they can survive this pandemic at all.” – The Atlantic

YouTube Launches A Competitor To TikTok

“YouTube Shorts will provide a number of tools to allow creators to make [15-second] videos on their mobile devices. It will consist of a ‘multi-segment camera’ that can combine separate clips, as well as speed controls and a timer and countdown so you can create videos without needing to hold your phone. Its most TikTok-like feature? The library of music you can use to record with.” – Mashable

As Ever More Viewing Happens Online, Will The French Drift Away From Dubbed Films And TV?

“As streaming platforms take over more and more of the screen time in France, some fear the curtain will fall over the French dubbing industry as more people get used to watching subtitled versions of films rather than the VF (version française).” In fact, the voice-over/dubbing industry is growing, with demand for its services high. Here’s why. – The Local (France)

Incoming Director Of Chicago Public Radio Withdraws Over ‘Turmoil’ At Her Previous Station

“[Andi] McDaniel, 39, a [Chicago-area] native who spent the last five years as chief content officer at WAMU-FM, Washington’s NPR station, was set to take the helm at WBEZ Sept. 28. … During the interim, her former station was rocked by allegations of sexual harassment by a former reporter, and complaints about the station’s workplace culture.” – MSN (Chicago Tribune)

BBC Gets 15,000 Complaints After Dance Group’s BLM Performance

The dance group, who won the talent show in 2009, took to the stage with a politically charged performance during the ITV show’s semi-finals this month. It depicted a white police officer kneeling on the Diversity star and temporary BGT judge Ashley Banjo, echoing the killing of the unarmed black man George Floyd in the US. – The Guardian

First Hollywood Blockbuster “Tenet” Earns $2000M Worldwide, Only $6.6M In US

The time-bending sci-fi thriller Tenet generated $6.7 million in the U.S. and Canada during its second weekend of release, representing a 29% drop compared to opening weekend. Initially, Warner Bros., the studio behind “Tenet,” touted a $20 million debut. But a closer dissection of those numbers reveal they were heavily spun to include weekday preview screenings and the long holiday weekend. In reality, “Tenet” only made about $9 million between Friday and Sunday. – Variety

Debate About Oscars’ New Diversity Rules

Perhaps predictably, the announcement received backlash on social media, particularly from right-wing circles. Many, inside and out of these circles, accused the Academy of stifling creativity or promoting tokenization. However, many others say that the rules are far less onerous than they’re perceived to be—and that most films won’t have to change their approach at all. – Time