Hollywood Week: Hollywood Union Strike Continues, Venice Film Festival, Box Office, Danny Masterson
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- Category: Entertainment News
- Published on Saturday, 09 September 2023 13:48
- Written by Janet Walker
Talks between The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the striking Hollywood unions have appeared to have stalled with each side hopeful but realistic as an expectation of starving the rank and file into submission is predicted.
The SAG/AFTRA membership has reelected President Fran Drescher and Secretary Treasurer Joely Fisher to another two-year term. Both released statements that can be read here.
Hollywood Week: Hollywood Strike News, SAG/AFTRA, WGA, Venice Film Festival, Box Office, Jimmy Buffett
The Writer's Guild appear to be slowly moving toward some common ground as, the negotiating committee stated "Those same executives — and others — have said they are willing to negotiate on proposals that the AMPTP has presented to the public as deal breakers. On every single issue we are asking for we have had at least one legacy studio executive tell us they could accommodate us," reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Venice Film Festival
The 80th Venice International Film Festival announced winners with Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things taking The Golden Lion for Best Film in the Main Competition. The Searchlight film has been heralded as a possible Oscar winning performance for the film's lead, Emma Stone.
The Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize went to Evil Does Not Exist, directed by Japan's Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Best Director honors went to Matteo Garrone for Io Capitano; Best Actress, Cailee Spaeny for her role in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, and Best Actor honors to Peter Sarsgaard for Michael Franco's Memory.
The Special Jury Prize went to Green Border, from Agnieszka Holland; Best Screenplay Guillermo Calderon and Pablo Larrain, for the film El Conde by Pablo Larrain, and Best Young Actor went to Seydou Sarr, for Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone of Italy.
A complete list of winners can be found here Venice Film Festival
Hollywood Week: Contentious SAG/AFTRA, WGA/AMPTP Week, Box Office, Early Oscar Buzz, Bob Barker
Summer Box Office Continues to Surprise
The summer box office boon continues to carry over into the tween season of late summer and early fall, with just a bit of a slowdown. Newcomers at the Box Office, Horror film The Nun II, and destination feature My Big Fat Greek Wedding have arrived at the first and second weekend winners.
The gripping suspense thriller, The Equalizer 3, starring Denzel Washington, broke records for the best franchise opening and is solid at the number three spot.
The Greta Gerwig helmed fantasy escape tale Barbie, at 50 days in release has become the top grossing film of the year for Warner Bros. and has climbed to 15th on the all-time highest grossing films in history.
In fifth place for Warner Bros., Professional auto racing flick Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, Blue Beetle, the newest DC Comics Superhero from Warner Bros., is at number 6, with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, at number seven.
The summer box office has continued to outperform expectations, and for the first time since 2019, the summer box office has passed the 4 billion mark.
Janet Walker, Screenwriter and Haute-Lifestyle.com Publisher, Featured in Wild Filmmaker Magazine
Danny Masterson, Convicted Serial Rapist, Sentenced to 30 Years
Danny Masterson, "That 70's Show" actor and Church of Scientology member, after the graphic emotional impact statements of his victims, was sentenced to 30 years in prison at the sentencing phase of his trial.
Masterson, who was once considered an elite member of the widely considered Scientology cult, was found guilt in May of two counts of forcible rape, after seven days of deliberations, and were deadlocked on a third count.
During the sentencing hearing, the victims described in graphic detail how Masterson "drugged and raped" them between 2001 and 2003 at his Hollywood Hills home. They also described the fallout they suffered after they accused an "untouchable" member of the Church of Scientology of being a rapist," NBCnews.com reported.
Hollywood Week: SAG/AFTRA, WGA/AMPTP Continue Talks, Box Office, MJ Estate Action Revived
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo received more than fifty letters of support of leniency, including from both Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, both of whom starred with the convicted rapist in "That 70's Show," in July 2023, after his conviction calling Masterson, "a man of extraordinary integrity and well-intentioned."
After the sentencing was announced the Church of Scientology issued a statement indicating the church was not a part of the case.
Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson deserves accommodation for taking on the case and setting precedent that no one is above the law. She said, when addressing the seven man and five-woman jury in May, "The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims' ability to consent. You don't want to have sex? You don't have a choice. The defendant makes that choice for these victims. And he does it over and over and over again," reported NBCboston.com.
It's time other jurisdictions agree.
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