Hollywood’s potential misuse of artificial intelligence is a “deadly cocktail” and a “poison” that needs to be strictly regulated, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in the guild’s latest strike podcast.
15.07.2023 - 20:55 / variety.com
J. Kim Murphy Judy Solomon, a journalist who served as president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for six terms and helped shape the Golden Globes as it’s known today, died Friday morning. She was 91 years old. Solomon’s death was announced by current Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Helen Hoehne on Saturday morning. “We are incredibly saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Judy Solomon. The loss is profound, but we take this opportunity to celebrate her incredible achievements in helping evolve the Golden Globes into the world-spanning award it is today,” Hoehne wrote. “We are grateful for her support and leadership during her 67 years of membership with the HFPA.”
“Not only did Judy love the HFPA, but she also loved Hollywood,” Hoehne continued. “She loved the people she met, the executives she collaborated with and the rich tapestry of films and television that audiences around the world enjoyed.” After joining the HFPA in 1956, Solomon helped ink the organization’s deal with Dick Clark Productions to produce the long-running awards ceremony. She also helped organize the annual show’s move in venue from the Cocoanut Grove Club at the Ambassador Hotel to the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton. Solomon also helped expand the HFPA’s influence in the arts and education world, helping bring foreign journalists into the organization. Born in Romania, Solomon was raised in Israel before moving to the U.S. to pursue a career in journalism, writing entertainment features for various Israeli publications. Solomon is survived by her daughters, Donna Sloan and Deborah Solomon; son-in-law, Stephen Sloan; and her granddaughter, Ashley Sloan.
Hollywood’s potential misuse of artificial intelligence is a “deadly cocktail” and a “poison” that needs to be strictly regulated, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in the guild’s latest strike podcast.
Just like the rest of the internet, Lizzo’s ex-backup dancers aren’t thrilled with her response to their lawsuit!
Paul Reubens, the "Pee-wee Herman" actor, left a lasting legacy after he lost his battle with cancer Sunday. He was 70. While Reubens was remembered by many in Hollywood, he was paid special tribute by his longtime friend and former roommate, David Hasselhoff.
Defying logic, parenthood can be both the most universal of human experiences and the most individual.While every prospective parent charts a journey that's uniquely their own, the broad themes and emotional ride tied to caregiving, pregnancy and fertility are deeply relatable. It's a shared journey that’s ripe for connection, comparison, and, unfortunately, also judgment.It's this concept that drives a public fascination with celebrities, their children, and how they have those babies: Stars are just like us and nothing like us.Khloe Kardashian and Chrissy Teigenare no strangers to parenting in the public eye and, in just the last year, became two of a growing number of celebrities to openly welcome babies via surrogate.
Ellise Shafer Mark Edwin Seiler, the former president of RKO Pictures and Hemdale Films and CEO of Capella Films, died on July 7 of Parkinson’s disease. He was 75. While Seiler was at the helm of RKO, the company produced notable films including “Plenty” (1985) starring Meryl Streep, “Half Moon Street” (1986) with Sigourney Weaver and Michael Caine and “Campus Man” (1987), where he met his longtime fiancée Morgan Fairchild.
Betty Ann Bruno, who as a child played a munchkin in the 1939 classic The Wizard Of Oz and went on to become a TV producer and longtime reporter in the San Francisco Bay area, died Sunday in Sonoma, CA, her family said. She was 91. No cause of death was given.
“To survive in Hollywood, all you need is an occasional miracle.”
Fran Drescher became the "it girl" in Hollywood from the beginning of her career. From dancing with John Travolta in her first film, to creating and starring in her own, award-winning television sitcom, and then pivoting into becoming one of the most powerful people in the industry – Drescher kept her eye on the prize: success. The New York-native had big dreams as a kid, and wanted to be a writer, hairdresser, actor or politician.
Ted Sarandos is speaking out about the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in Hollywood.
It sounds as though Broadway may be joining the strike efforts.
The Golden Globe Awards, of which the HFPA serves as parent company, announced the news Saturday. They credited Solomon with overseeing the Globes’ growth and for innovating many of the awards ceremony’s best-known features.“We are incredibly saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Judy Solomon.
Judy Solomon, the former six-term president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, died Friday morning at 91 years old. No cause of death or location was given by the HFPA, which confirmed the death.
officially went on strike after they were unable to reach an agreement with major Hollywood studios and streamers by the July 12 deadline. Because of this, nearly all productions in Hollywood have been forced to shut down, which have already had an immediate impact in the industry with canceled premieres, axed publicity tours, delayed projects and abandoned sets.Actors like Jason Sudeikis, Susan Sarandon, Olivia Wilde, Allison Janney, Josh Gad, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Mandy Moore, Ben Schwartz and Sharon Lawrence were among those joining the writers — who have been on strike since May 2 — on the picket line beginning July 14.
The netherworld has arrived in Hollywood!
Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis and other top actors joined picket lines alongside screenwriters on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood's biggest labour fight in decades.
Well, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav already put his foot in his mouth responding to the WGA writers’ strike, so now it’s Bob Iger‘s turn.
Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer As the clock ticked toward midnight on July 12, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher addressed the group of negotiators from the major studios. “You’re sitting on the wrong side of history,” she told them. “Shame on you.” It had been clear for some time that Drescher’s union would go on strike. A final day of talks with two federal mediators had done nothing to bridge the gaps between the two sides. Drescher’s speech served as the exclamation point — a dramatic flourish from a born performer — casting the dispute over business models and residual formulas in Manichean terms.
Watch video of the press conference here.They were referring to a wave of sudden exits of executives that kicked off June 20 when Disney’s chief diversity officer and senior vice president Latondra Newton, left, according to Disney to pursue “other endeavors.” Then on June 28 Netflix announced that Vernā Myers, head of inclusion strategy, will leave the role in September after five years in the job in order to focus attention on her consulting company, The Vernā Myers Company.The next day, Warner Bros. Discovery laid off SVP of diversity, equity and inclusion Karen Horne, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science’s EVP of Impact and Inclusion Jeanell English stepped down.
Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor A group of state legislators representing the California Legislative Black Caucus are calling on film studios to meet with them regarding the sudden removal of Black female executives over the past few weeks. A mass exodus of Black women from senior leadership posts — Vernā Myers (Netflix), LaTondra Newton (Disney), Jeanell English (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) and Karen Horne and Terra Potts (Warner Bros. Discovery) — has raised questions about the depth of the film and television industry’s commitment to diversifying the top ranks of the entertainment industry. The CLBC held a press conference on Thursday, citing the executives’ resignations and removals after the State Legislature approved the $1.6 billion Film Tax Credit initiative to provide tax incentives for the film studios.
Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt left the London premiere of Oppenheimer today (July 13) as a Hollywood actors’ strike was called.According to director Christopher Nolan, the actors left the premiere as the strike began (via BBC), after the event was brought forward by an hour so the cast could walk the red carpet.The national board of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) – Hollywood’s largest union, which represents 160,000 actors and performers – voted unanimously today to strike, according to The Los Angeles Times.SAG-AFTRA was seeking better pay and working conditions in the age of streaming, while other negotiations related to safeguards against the unregulated use of artificial intelligence in the industry.Following a breakdown in negotiations between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), SAG-AFTRA members were told to be prepared to strike as they awaited the outcome of today’s vote.The Hollywood shutdown is first time in 63 years that actors and writers have gone on strike simultaneously. Actors will reportedly be on the picket line from Friday (July 14).“What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor,” said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher.