NYC Filming Permits Fall More Than 65% in July Amid Dual Strike

The Entertainment Community Fund has raised more than $7 million and distributed $4.7 million-plus to more than 2,300 film and TV workers as of Friday during the strikes by the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA. The WGA’s strike began May 2 and SAG-AFTRA’s started July 14.

Now that the world is recovering from the initial shock of the lawsuit Michael Oher filed this week against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, old words are being dug up that might shed light on the situation.

Jeopardy!’s showrunner, Michael Davies, revealed that the game show will move forward with season 40 by reusing old questions and former contestants amid the ongoing writers’ strike.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Paramount Global hosted its second-quarter earnings call Tuesday amid the ongoing writers and actors strikes in Hollywood. Just like every other major media company that has reported its Q2 results already, the CBS parent company’s execs addressed the work stoppages with hopes for a timely resolution and comments on how it will affect their business operations. “We anticipate continued delays in production for the duration of the strikes, and as such, we estimate free cash flow in the back half of the year will be significantly higher than previously expected,” Paramount CFO Naveen Chopra said.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery reported the Hollywood writers and actors’ ongoing work stoppage had brought the company savings in the “low$100 million range” during its Q2 earnings results call Thursday. “We’re in the business of storytelling.

The total number of permits issued by New York City for shooting in July fell to 260 for 125 projects, according to the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment.

Several California politicians have called on Taylor Swift to reschedule her Los Angeles concerts amid the ongoing hotel worker strike.

Several of Hollywood’s highest paid stars have donated money to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Emergency Financial Assistance Program for actors who may be struggling to make ends-meat right now due to the actors’ strike.

Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Not this again. After the two years of havoc that COVID inflicted on their business, movie theater owners thought they were past the days of blank marquees. Studios, miraculously, have been releasing films at a regular rate.

When Joe Biden made a fundraising swing through Democratic donor strongholds in San Francisco, Chicago and New York last month, one city was noticeably absent from the list: Los Angeles.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Traditionally a strong performer in the fall and holiday TV season, Food Network is sizzling this summer, too. From Memorial Day on May 27 through July 20, Food Network content has drawn more than 50.6 million total viewers across the linear TV channel, as well as Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamers Max and Discovery+.

, the long-running trivia-based game show, may be in real jeopardy this coming season. Several champions who were expected to participate in the annual Tournament of Champions have announced that they will not cross the picket line if the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike continues into the fall.

The iconic Tournament of Champions on Jeopardy! is officially postponed.

The dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes resulted in almost every production pressing pause — not including the movies that have received approval to keep filming.

Selome Hailu “Jeopardy!’s” Tournament of Champions has a bigger problem on its hands than trivia this year. Starting with a Reddit post made on Friday by 13-time “Jeopardy!” winner Ray Lalonde, several prominent contestants have pledged not to return to the series to compete in the Tournament of Champions in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America, as the series employs WGA members.

George R.R. Martin gave fans an update on where his numerous projects stand amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes — and there’s still some reason to be hopeful.

Barbie was more than it actually cost to make the film itself, it has been reported.Greta Gerwig‘s film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, came to cinemas on Friday (July 21).Ahead of its box office opening, the film hosted a host of marketing activities from making a real-life Barbie dreamhouse to pink burgers and beyond, as well as a social media-led meme trend pitting the film against Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer.Now, it has been reported by Variety that the marketing budget for the film was a staggering $150million (£117m), eclipsing the $145m (£113m) it cost to actually make the film itself.Barbie is currently set to outpace Oppenheimer at the box office over the two films’ shared opening weekend.As things stand, Gerwig’s comedy is set to bring in $110million (£86.6million) at the US box office this weekend, over twice the expected takings of Nolan’s biopic about the creator of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is expected to gross $50million (£38.8million).Barbie’s current takings mean it will break the record for the highest-opening film in the US by a female director. Wonder Woman previously held the title, bringing in £103million (£89.1million) in 2017.Warner Bros confirmed that Barbie had earned $22.3million (£17.3million) in box office previews – the highest figure of any film this year.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate is pushing the theatrical releases of this August’s White Bird: A Wonder Story and next year’s Dirty Dancing sequel from director Jonathan Levine due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, we hear.

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.