Gene Maddaus-Senior Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Scarlett Johansson and a group of other A-listers gave a proposal to SAG-AFTRA leadership on Tuesday, which they hoped would help end the 98-day actors strike. But the proposal was rejected on Wednesday by the union’s negotiating committee, which is sticking to the demands it has spelled out over many weeks of negotiations. To understand why, it might help to delve more deeply into the proposal.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Los Angeles production dropped 41% overall last quarter, led by the near total shutdown of scripted TV and film production due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. According to FilmLA, which handles L.A.-area location permits, production also declined in areas that are not affected by the strikes: reality TV and commercials. Reality TV production dropped 23% compared to the same quarter last year, while commercial production is down 26%.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer New Mexico prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will present a case against Alec Baldwin to a grand jury, saying that “additional facts have come to light” in the shooting death on the set of “Rust” two years ago. In a statement, special prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said they will bring the case to a grand jury within the next two months for consideration of criminal charges. “After extensive investigation over the past several months, additional facts have come to light that we believe show Mr.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Talks broke down last week between the major studios and SAG-AFTRA, with the studios saying that the gap between the two sides is “too great” to continue productive negotiations. Until they can bridge the gap, SAG-AFTRA will remain on strike and the entertainment industry will remain shut down. So how big is that gap? About $480 million a year.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA announced Monday that it will schedule more bargaining sessions on a new video game contract, in hopes of averting a second strike. The talks broke off last month without an agreement, but both sides indicated at the time that they would continue to negotiate. SAG-AFTRA members remain on strike against the major film and TV companies.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Hollywood unions issued a statement Friday calling on the major studios to resume bargaining with SAG-AFTRA, two days after talks with the actors union broke down. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said Wednesday that the gap between the two sides was “too great,” and that further negotiations would not be productive. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for 92 days.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The daughter of Stan Lee is launching a new legal fight against POW! Entertainment, the company that holds the rights to her father’s name, likeness and intellectual property. In a lawsuit filed in L.A. Superior Court on Tuesday, J.C.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer It’s been a few years since Bill Adams has worked as an extra. At 85, he doesn’t get called as much as he used to. But for the last three months, he has commuted to the picket lines from his home in Long Beach about once a week.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Bryan Fuller, the creator of shows including “Hannibal” and “American Gods,” was accused in a lawsuit on Wednesday of sexually harassing a fellow producer on an AMC docuseries about queer horror. Fuller is accused of making constant references to masturbation, engaging in casual bullying, and creating a hostile work environment. The plaintiff, Sam Wineman, alleges that Fuller also repeatedly held him from behind to “crack his back,” during which he would press his penis against Wineman’s buttocks.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Four Hollywood CEOs returned to the bargaining table Thursday for a second day of talks with the Writers Guild of America, as the industry looked for signs of progress toward a deal that would end the 143-day strike. Sources said the studios made moves in multiple areas that they hoped would be enough to break the logjam. But it remained unclear if WGA leaders would see the AMPTP’s latest proposals and modifications as sufficient to meet writers’ demands.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer What would it take to get a fair residual in streaming? That is the question at the heart of both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It’s also a deep question, with roots in the history of technology and its impact on labor going back nearly a century. Residuals are, now and always, the product of a struggle.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Meredith Stiehm has been reelected as president of WGA West, in a strong show of support as the union’s strike continues into its fifth month. Stiehm took 3,354 votes, easily defeating Rich Talarico, who took just 300 votes. Two other officers were also reelected: Michele Mulroney, as vice president, and Betsy Thomas, as secretary-treasurer.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A meeting that had been scheduled for today between the leaders of the Writers Guild of America and a group of concerned showrunners has been postponed as the guild prepares to resume contract bargaining talks with Hollywood’s major studios next week. The meeting was set to take place on Friday. Kenya Barris, Noah Hawley and Sam Esmail have been among the showrunners seeking insight from WGA leadership to restart talks and bring an end the strike, which is now in its 137th day.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA held a massive march and rally outside the Paramount studio on Wednesday, as the union marked 62 days on strike. Union leaders argued that the strike has resonated across industries, as workers stand up to “unchecked corporate greed.” “What’s at stake is bigger than just the entertainment industry,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director. “It’s about the livelihoods of everyone who needs a job to earn a living.” He urged actors to use their voices and authenticity to speak for the broader labor movement.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Chris Keyser, a tuxedoed 23-year-old, stood at a lectern at the Oxford Union to defend the moral superiority of the United States over the Soviet Union. It was 1984. Keyser, now a leader of the Writers Guild of America strike, was then a Harvard Law student.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Fran Drescher has been elected to a second term as president of SAG-AFTRA, as the union’s first studio strike in 43 years nears the two-month mark. Drescher was elected with 81.4% of the vote, defeating Maya Gilbert-Dunbar, who took 18.6%. Joely Fisher took 70.3% in her race for a second term as secretary-treasurer.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Quentin Tarantino’s reputed “final” film will get a $20.2 million subsidy from the state of California, the state’s film commission announced Friday. The film has been rumored to center on the life of Pauline Kael, with a working title of “The Movie Critic.” It is among 16 films to be awarded state tax credits in the latest allocation. California awards $330 million per year in state subsidies for film and TV shows in order to keep production in the state.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Two challengers in the SAG-AFTRA election are urging the union to bring in an outside mediator to help resolve the actors strike, which has gone on for nearly two months. Maya Gilbert-Dunbar, who is running against Fran Drescher for president of the union, argued that guild leadership has been too passive, and needs to show more urgency in restarting talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. “Chain your asses up to the damn door of the Sherman Oaks building to show how serious you are,” Gilbert-Dunbar said.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer With one strike already underway, SAG-AFTRA announced Friday that it will seek authorization for a second strike against the major video game companies. The union said that talks on a new video game contract have reached a “stalemate,” and that the strike authorization vote is needed as leverage to win wage increases and protection from artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA declared a strike on July 13 against the major TV and film companies, shutting down productions around the globe.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA has granted approval for three AMC Networks shows to restart production, under its controversial provision allowing “independent” projects to continue despite the strike. The shows include “Interview With the Vampire,” which was shooting in Prague when the strike started, and two “Walking Dead” spinoffs: “The Ones Who Live” and “Daryl Dixon.” The latter project was on hiatus and can resume shooting in France. SAG-AFTRA has granted “interim agreements” to more than 300 projects since the strike began in mid-July.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Remington Chase, a former film producer who was accused of swindling investors out of at least $234 million, has been reported dead in the United Kingdom. Chase, 65, died of liver failure on July 31 at Victoria Hospital in Blackpool, according to a death certificate provided to Variety by the Blackpool Registration Service. His death was also confirmed by his wife, Linda Biron of Marina del Rey, Calif., who said he was a “good person.” “He got mixed up with some wrong people,” she said in an interview.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer IATSE Local 80 closed its offices Friday after receiving a threatening letter that purported to be from an out-of-work grip. The letter, which was postmarked on Wednesday, appeared to be related to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, said Dejon Ellis, Jr., the business manager of the union. “He said some very scary things,” Ellis said.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The 2023 writers strike has focused attention on recent developments like artificial intelligence and the transition to streaming. But for film writers, the key issue in the strike has been a constant battle for more than a generation: How do you get paid for a script once it’s finished? Screenwriters have long been asked to do free revisions before turning in a “first draft” to the studio, which triggers payment. Typically they agree, even though the Writers Guild of America contract sets out minimum rates for revisions and polishes.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A large majority of Americans support the writers and actors strikes, and a plurality hold an unfavorable view of the Hollywood studios, according to a new poll by Data for Progress. The poll found 67% support among likely voters for the strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, while just 18% oppose them. The poll also found that 48% have an unfavorable view of the major studios, and just 31% support the studios.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer TSG Entertainment, which has invested more than $3 billion in 140 Fox films including “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “The Shape of Water,” accused Disney in a lawsuit on Tuesday of using Hollywood accounting tricks to cheat it out of hundreds of millions of dollars. The slate financier alleged that Disney had engaged in “self-dealing” by diverting Fox films from a lucrative HBO license to its own Disney+ and Hulu platforms. The lawsuit also alleges that Fox engaged in “sweetheart” deals when it licensed its films to the FX cable channel.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Alec Baldwin could once again face manslaughter charges, after a forensic report released Tuesday found that his Colt .45 revolver would only fire if the trigger was pulled. Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the October 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. But the charge was dropped after the defense noted that the gun had been modified, which raised doubts about whether it was working properly at the time of the shooting.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA announced Monday that it will no longer grant interim agreements to independent projects that were written under a Writers Guild of America contract. The union has already given permission for 207 independent projects to continue to film during the strike, including ones with stars like Jason Bateman, Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey. SAG-AFTRA argued that the agreements supported the strike because they involved independent producers who agreed to all of the union’s demands.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A New Mexico judge has scheduled the manslaughter trial in the “Rust” shooting to begin on Dec. 6. Hannah Gutierrez Reed, 26, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in connection with the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In her most forceful comments to date about the Hollywood strikes, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass called Friday on the unions and studios to reach a deal “immediately” to get the industry back to work. Bass, who has largely remained on the sidelines thus far, said she is willing to get personally involved to help bring the strikes to an end.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The armorer on “Rust” waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Friday, clearing the path to take her to a trial on manslaughter charges. Hannah Gutierrez Reed is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. Prosecutors allege she displayed criminal negligence when she accidentally loaded a live round into Alec Baldwin’s gun.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer A Santa Fe judge on Tuesday denied a defense motion to throw out the “Rust” prosecution, keeping the case on track for a key hearing that begins next week. Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the film’s armorer, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. She is accused of loading a live round into Alec Baldwin’s gun on Oct.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Film workers who have been unemployed during the strike will get some help in maintaining their health insurance, the industry plan announced Monday. The Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans will extend eligibility to certain participants who otherwise would not have enough hours to qualify for benefits. The MPIPHP also announced that members will be able to take a one-time “hardship withdrawal” from their defined-contributed retirement plans.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA has found itself defending its decision to give the green light to more than 100 independent productions to film during the strike. Many members, including Sarah Silverman and Viola Davis, have publicly suggested that working under an interim agreement would undermine the strike. Silverman went so far as to call it “scabbing,” though she walked back her criticism after speaking to union leadership.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Disney lost a bid on Friday to throw out a state court lawsuit that seeks to assert state control over future development of its Orlando theme parks. The ruling is the latest twist in the struggle between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over governance of the 40-square-mile area around Disney World.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Two unions are on strike and there are no plans to restart negotiations with either of them, leaving Hollywood in limbo for the foreseeable future. The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA have both said they are open to talking, but that the studios refuse to engage on their core issues. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, meanwhile, has said that the unions have been unwilling to drop items that are non-starters, like a demand for a share of streaming revenue and a minimum staffing level for TV writers.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Prince Royal, an actor in Los Angeles, was working as an extra on “The Flash” when he was directed to a tractor trailer to “take pictures.” Inside were hundreds of cameras. He stood with his arms up as the operators took a 3-D scan, which he was told would be used for continuity and special effects. “We were told if we didn’t do it, we’d be sent home without pay,” he said.