Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The question is no longer just what Bob Dylan will have to say about Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” or the Clash’s “London Calling” when he writes about them in his new book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song.” Now we can wonder how Helen Mirren or Renée Zellweger will sound giving voice to Dylan’s prose as they read those chapters, respectively, in the audiobook version, which, like the hardback, arrives Nov. 1. Variety previously reported the titles of the historical songs Dylan has written essays about for the tome, followed by the the names of the actors enlisted to read individual chapters for the audiobook, but those two lists hadn’t been paired up till now. A look at the list below, being revealed for the first time today, shows that all of the stars involved have been given multiple assignments, including Jeff Bridges, Oscar Isaac, Rita Moreno, Jeffrey Wright, Sissy Spacek, John Goodman, Alfre Woodard and Steve Buscemi as well as Mirren and Zellweger.
Bob Chapek On Turning Disney+ Into “A Platform For Consumer Engagement” Across Walt Disney Company
15.09.2022 - 03:07 / deadline.com
Walt Disney’s CEO today further articulated an evolving strategy — over the next three or four years — of Disney+ becoming a platform for consumer engagement beyond the streaming service.
He’d discussed the move in an interview with Deadline at the company’s D23 event. At media conference Wednesday, he described Disney’s business units working together to target consumers more precisely than he thinks any other company can, giving it a big competitive advantage.
Disney has two divisions, Media and Entertainment Distribution, and Parks, Experiences and Products (Chapek called them “media” and “physical”), which were pared down from five in a big corporate restructuring in 2020. But consumers see “one entity,” he noted, and the idea is to loop together their data gathered from streaming viewing and from theme park visits.
“If we can have a universal guest experience, recognize that a person who spends seven days in the park, 24 hours a day, and we know all that information about them, is the exact same person who watches XYZ on Disney+, and we can identify that person as the same one… We can now customize and personalize that experience way beyond anything we’ve ever been able to do before, bringing the two pieces of the Walt Disney company into one, for one common guest experience,” Chapek said during a Q&A at the confab put on by Goldman Sachs.
“Who else has got the physical data you get on someone if they spend seven days with you and essentially live with you for a week, and then, how does that affect what they see on Disney+?”
The streamer will know “what you do in a park, and will then feed you information — not on people that look like you in terms of viewing habits, people that watch this, watch that, therefore we will
National 'route map' strategy to boost beaver numbers in Perth and Kinross and beyond is published
A national strategy has been published setting out what has been described as a “route map” for beavers Perth and Kinross and beyond over the coming decades.
John Stamos opens up about struggle with sobriety, longtime costar Bob Saget's death
"Full House" star John Stamos revealed in a new interview that during a dark period of his life, he didn't care if he lived or died. Known best for his role as Uncle Jesse Katsopolis on the family sitcom, Stamos is now a sober 59-year-old. "I had Peter Pan syndrome, which is dangerous, you know," Stamos claimed in a new interview with "CBS Sunday Morning." The actor candidly stated, "For the longest time when I was not sober, or I was fuzzy, I thought ‘I've done it all.’ I don't — I wouldn't — I don't want to kill myself, but I didn't care if I died." John Stamos, who was charged with a DUI in 2015 and went to rehab, spoke candidly about his life after getting sober in a new interview with "CBS Sunday Morning." (Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb) He continued, "If I was dead tomorrow, it's OK." But with hindsight, Stamos realized his mindset was faulty.
BFI London Film Festival Director Tricia Tuttle to Step Down After 2022 Edition
Manori Ravindran International Editor BFI festivals director Tricia Tuttle is stepping down from the role after 10 years. This month’s edition of the London Film Festival will be her last in the post. Tuttle has, for the last five years, led as director the BFI London Film Festival as well as BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. She was previously deputy head of festivals from 2013 to 2017. She will remain in the role through to early 2023, while the BFI recruits for a new festivals leader. Tuttle leaves the festival during what’s shaping up to be one of its strongest editions yet: the festival has more world premieres than ever this year, with headline films including Matthew Warchus’ “Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” and Asif Kapadia’s “Creature.”
Gardener who turned 10ft hedge into giant middle finger now wants to 'burn it down'
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John Stamos Says Bob Saget Didn’t Know ‘How Loved He Was’ Before His Death
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Marvel’s Don Cheadle Series ‘Armor Wars’ To Be Turned Into Feature Film
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Bob Odenkirk Reteams With ‘Better Call Saul’ Actors Andrew Friedman & Michael Naughton For Comedy ‘The Making Of Jesus Diabetes’
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'Bob Hearts Abishola' Star Billy Gardell Opens Up About His Weight Loss Journey
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Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Sissy Spacek and more to narrate Bob Dylan’s new audiobook
The list of narrators for the audio version of Bob Dylan’s new book has been revealed. Because, after spending twelve years writing his examination of modern songwriting, he’s fucked if he’s going to spend hours in a studio reading it himself.So, instead, the 66 essays that make up ‘The Philosophy Of Modern Song’ will be read aloud by the likes of Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Sissy Spacek, John Goodman, Renée Zellweger and Jeff Bridges.Dylan – who won the Nobel Prize For Literature for his own lyrics in 2016 – started work on the book in 2010, giving his own critiques of a wide range of songs and culminating in what publisher Simon & Schuster calls “his extraordinary insight into the nature of popular music”.Before you get all excited about getting insight into what Bob Dylan thinks of modern musicians like Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran (which I know you were), you should probably know that his definition of ‘modern’ pop music is a bit different to yours.
BFI Sets Shift To Investment Beyond Cinema & Digital-First Approach In New Ten-Year Strategy ‘Screen Culture 2033’
After 13 months of extensive consultations with the UK film industry, government, and public, the British Film Institute has unveiled a new three-year funding plan alongside a ten-year strategy that will shape the organization’s future investments and priorities.
John Mayer Honors Late Friend Bob Saget, Says Bob 'Really Appreciated the Meaning of Life'
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Charlie Collier Exits Fox Corp. to Join Roku as Streaming Platform Seeks to Evolve Into ‘Next Generation Media Company’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Cynthia Littleton Business Editor In a sign of big moves to come for Roku, veteran TV executive Charlie Collier is exiting his post as chairman of Fox Entertainment to join the digital distribution platform as president of Roku Media. Collier will oversee advertising sales and content for Roku’s owned-and-operated channels featured on the streaming platform that hosts the fast-growing number of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels as well as serving as a key funnel for Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Paramount+ and other subscription streamers. Collier is set to shift to his new post at Roku in late October and will be based in New York.
‘The Enforcer’ Review: Antonio Banderas Plays a Hitman-Turned-Hero in This Routine Crime Meller
Dennis Harvey Film Critic “Tough guy with heart of gold” is the cliché that provides the gist to “The Enforcer,” and nothing much turns up to refresh or complicate that hoary hook. This criminal-underworld thriller benefits from Antonio Banderas’ star charisma as a veteran mob strong-arm who turns against his own organization in order to rescue an imperiled teen. Richard Hughes’ feature directorial debut also elevates matters somewhat with a slick and stylish presentation. But the results remain too hogtied by original “Point Break” scribe W. Peter Iliff’s routine, elemental screenplay to rise above the level of disposable genre fodder. Cuda (Banderas) is just out of prison, having dutifully taken the heat for deeds done in service to Miami syndicate boss Estelle (Kate Bosworth). He hopes to restore relations with his 15-year-old daughter, but she’s wary after his long absence, his ex-wife outright hostile. Perhaps as a regretful result, he takes a fatherly interest in Billie (Zolee Griggs), a foster-home runaway who’s also 15. He prevents her getting in trouble for shoplifting, securing a motel room so she’ll be off the streets he’s all too aware are unsafe. Yet Billie is soon abducted from that short-term haven, presumably by sex traffickers, and it doesn’t take Cuda long to figure out that the perps are very likely tied to his own employer.
BFI London Film Festival Reveals Annual Works-In-Progress Lineup
The BFI London Film Festival will present nine new feature films and documentaries by UK-based filmmakers at its third annual Works-in-Progress showcase. Scroll down for the lineup.
Former Anonymous Content Partner Joy Gorman Wettels Launches Production Company Joy Coalition & Strikes First-Look Deal With Fifth Season
EXCLUSIVE: Joy Gorman Wettels is launching her own production venture and has struck a deal with Fifth Season.
As Hulu Haggle Continues, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Takes “Great Exception” To Disney Chief Bob Chapek’s View That Streaming Valuations Have Cooled
With a bit more than a year left before Disney can buy out Comcast’s financial stake in Hulu, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts pushed back on Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s suggestion that Hulu’s value has declined amid public market skepticism about streaming.
Disney Chief Bob Chapek Sees Clear Path For Hulu To Merge With Disney+ Once Comcast Buyout Is Complete
Disney CEO Bob Chapek, coming off a promotional blitz at the company’s D23 conference last weekend, reiterated many of those messages for a Wall Street audience but struck a more confident tone than ever before in outlining the future of Hulu.
Even With Disney+’s Looming Price Hike, Streamer Is ‘Way Underpriced,’ Says CEO Bob Chapek
Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney+ was first launched three years ago with the “pretty absurd” low price point of $6.99 per month, CEO Bob Chapek admitted. Now the company is gearing up to raise prices again on the flagship streamer — but Disney+ still offers a better price/value equation than competitors, he said. “I think we’re way underpriced relative to the value we provide,” Chapek said, noting that the core Disney+ service without ads will continue to be priced below several competitors. The CEO was speaking Wednesday at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia + Technology Conference 2022. Amid rising inflation, Disney has announced price increases coming in the fourth quarter of 2022 for Disney+ and Hulu, as well as a December launch for the ad-supported Disney+ tier in the U.S. Disney+ Basic, the name of the plan with ads, will launch Dec. 8 in the U.S. for $7.99/month. That’s the price of the current ad-free version of Disney+, which at that time will bump up to $10.99/month, a 38% increase, and will be known as Disney+ Premium.