Tag: arts and entertainment

How Barbie made a surprising comeback | CNN Business

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The name “Barbara Millicent Roberts” may not ring a bell, but say her nickname — Barbie — and people of all ages know her. Created by Mattel in 1959, Barbie doesn’t look a day over 19.

And now she is getting new life in “Barbie” the movie, distributed by CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. The movie, out next Friday starring Margot Robbie, allows Barbie to question her own reality. Something consumers have been doing for decades.

“Back in 2014 and 2015, we hit a low and it was a moment to reflect in the context of, ‘Why did Barbie lose relevance?’” said Ricard Dickson, president and chief operating officer of Mattel. “She didn’t reflect the physicality, the look, if you will, of the world around us. And so we then set a course to truly transform the brand with a playbook around reigniting our purpose.”

Mattel was slow to diversify Barbie and friends. As a result, sales at Mattel started to slump in 2014. But during the pandemic Barbie saw a resurgence as parents looked for ways to keep kids busy at home. In the first quarter of this year, Mattel’s sales fell 22% from last year’s first quarter, primarily due to declines in Barbie and Enchantimals dolls and merchandise.

“There’s been a lot of decline in that differentiation and that relevance that keep a brand fresh and top of mind from a purchase perspective. And when that happens, brands go into a place of fatigue,” said Katie Mancini, general manager of Landor & Fitch — a branding, strategy and design agency.

Now Barbie and friends have many different skin tones and shapes. Mattel produces Barbies in wheelchairs and Ken dolls with the skin condition vitiligo.

Mattel hopes the new movie, which was 4 ½ years in the making, will give the brand and Barbie the boost they’re looking for.

That may already be happening. AMC Theatres reports they’ve sold more than 20,000 pre-sale tickets to Barbie and the new movie Oppenheimer. And at HomBom Toys in New York City, ‘movie Barbie’ is sold out.

“I think I had 24,” said Ilene Gayer, owner of HomBom Toys. “They were gone within 48 hours.”

But even a new movie may not be enough to draw up enough nostalgia for Barbie.

“I wouldn’t want my granddaughters to grow up and be like Barbie,” said Patty Steffen from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who played with Barbies as a child. “I don’t know how much she has evolved – does she have a college degree now?”

Carol Spencer is too old to have played with Barbie as a child, but she’s arguably spent more time with Barbie than anyone.

Spencer became a clothing designer for Barbie in 1963. She spent 53 years transforming Barbie’s looks throughout the years.

“I grew to think of her as my muse. I thought of every child who played with a Barbie doll as my child. So let me tell you, I have a big family. And I love it!,” said 90-year-old Spencer, surrounded by Barbies in her Los Angeles home.

Spencer says Barbie was more successful in some years than others and it was often hard to keep up with the times. But she says Barbie has always been a steady brand.

“Barbie really carried Mattel for great many years,” she said.

Spencer was so influential at Mattel the company made a Barbie in her honor. And she still has “Barbie #1” in her dining room. She says plans to see the new movie with her Barbie Club — wearing pink, of course. She’s thrilled to see Barbie break out of Barbie Land and out of her heels, a sign Barbie may be keeping up with the times.

“The new audience is Barbiecore pink. And that introduced a lot of fun and introduced I think people into the world of Barbie that hadn’t been there before,” she said.

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July 15, 2023
‘Cruel Summer’ for Taylor Swift fans in Asia as Singapore shows sell out | CNN Business

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CNN
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It’s been a Cruel Summer for Taylor Swift fans in Asia.

The heat was on last week as millions across the continent competed for just 300,000 tickets to see her in Singapore, which will host the only stop in Southeast Asia for the singer’s Eras Tour, which kicked off in March and will run until August 2024.

Swift will perform at the city state’s National Stadium next March. With other regional hubs like Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta having seemingly missed out on the chance to host the singer, demand for tickets to one of her six nights in Singapore has been skyrocketing.

Her fans elsewhere in the region blamed politics and a lack of infrastructure for failing to attract any highly coveted tour stops.

Organizers in Singapore said more than 22 million people registered for pre-sale tickets while online queues passed the one million mark.

When tickets went on sale Friday, they sold out within hours, leaving legions of “Swifties,” as the singer’s fans are known, disappointed and empty-handed.

So fierce has the competition been that fans have taken to calling it the “Great War” for tickets.

Among them was Jordan Lee, a die hard Swiftie from Jakarta who told CNN that he had come “close to snagging” a ticket, priced $80 and up.

“Friends and me joined the ‘Great War’ online and we had queue numbers from 900,000 to 300,000. We managed to get into ticket selection (on the Ticketmaster website) but were not able to check out. It was too sad.”

Lee is just one of countless Swift fans worldwide who has struggled to get a ticket for a tour that is reportedly on track to make a record $1 billion in sales.

The Eras Tour features more than 100 concerts in the United States, South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Apart from Singapore, Swift will play just one other country in Asia, Japan, and the resulting fan frenzy has captivated the region’s media outlets with stories about how far people will go to get a ticket.

While Swift mania looks set to give Singapore’s economy a massive boost, it has sparked a debate in other places in the region about why they missed out on such a lucrative event.

As Nur Hazlina, a disgruntled Swiftie from Kuala Lumpur told CNN: “If Taylor Swift doesn’t come to your country, it says something about the local tourism industry and economy.”

CNN has reached out to the concert organizer Ticketmaster and its subsidiary Live Nation for comment.

In Thailand, Pita Limjaroenrat, who is vying to become the country’s next prime minister, declared himself a Swiftie and urged her to visit.

“Thailand is back on track to be fully democratic after you had to cancel last time due to the coup,” the head of the progressive Move Forward Party said in a tweet that went viral. “The Thai people have spoken … and we all look forward to welcoming you to this beautiful nation of ours!”

In 2014, Swift was forced to cancel a sold out show in Bangkok following a military coup.

Move Forward has a huge following among young Thais for its reformist platform and won the most seats and largest share of the popular vote in the May election, though questions remain over whether the military elite will let them rule.

In the Philippines, home to one of the largest and most vocal Swift fanbases, introspection by the local media centered on whether the country had been overlooked due to its notorious traffic jams and poor public transportation.

Swift fans in the United States are known for championing public transport, sometimes overwhelming bus systems and subways when one of her shows is on.

An editorial in the Inquirer newspaper lamented that the famed Philippine Arena, the world’s largest indoor arena, might otherwise have been an ideal site.

“Getting to the Philippine Arena is a test of determination,” the paper said. “It is not enough to build sophisticated structures, it is also paramount to ensure that equally necessary features including road networks, parking lots, public bathrooms and most importantly, an efficient transport system, are available and accessible.”

In Malaysia and Indonesia, both Muslim majority nations, some wondered whether conservative laws and the influence of hardline Islamic groups might have put off tour organizers.

Swift is known for flashy and sometimes revealing costumes on stage. Western acts in the two countries have occasionally caused controversy in the past.

British band Coldplay recently came under pressure from a Malaysian Islamic party to cancel an upcoming show in Kuala Lumpur due to the band’s acceptance of gay rights.

Among those trying to snag online tickets to see Swift in Singapore was Malaysian politician Syed Saddiq, who once served as the country’s minister of youth and sports.

“Imagine the amount of money and visitors those six nights would bring [to Singapore] in such a short period of time,” he told CNN, while recalling how religious protesters had gathered outside a Selena Gomez concert he attended in Kuala Lumpur back in 2015.

“They weren’t violent but they made their views very clear, the same would happen with Taylor Swift if she came to Malaysia,” he said.

“Malaysia might have hosted some of the best events and concerts but that is no longer the case today. This is not how countries should market themselves.”

In Indonesia, hardline Islamic groups have in the past threatened violence in response to foreign music acts they deem inappropriate.

In 2012, Lady Gaga called off a sold out show in Jakarta, meant to be her biggest stop in Asia, after religious protesters threatened violence. The public uproar also resulted in Indonesian police refusing to issue permits for the star to perform.

Outside Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, often seen as a rival to Singapore, has also been debating why it might have lost out.

One event planner in the city told CNN that most venues were often “too small” and “difficult to secure.”

“Many big stars tend to skip Hong Kong. Venues can only hold about 20,000 people, which is too few for Taylor Swift and her Eras Tour, which will be a big production. Black Pink [in comparison] was a lot easier, and cheaper, to stage,” the person said, referring to the K-pop group.

Singapore, with a population of just six million has been “strategic and aggressive” when it comes to business and promoting itself, experts told CNN, in a quest spearheaded by the government that has been years in the making.

“Singapore isn’t the cheapest place to do business but it has many other things going for it: well connected with efficient infrastructure already in place, public safety… all great incentives for event organizers who don’t want risks,” said economist Song Seng Wun.

“Swift is an extremely talented and savvy businesswoman. Every decision she makes about her tour would be strategic,” added Song, who lives in the city state.

In a statement to CNN, Kallang Alive Sport Management, a corporate entity established by Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Sport, celebrated its big win.

A spokesperson said the group “led discussions” around the concerts and took their planning to the finish line.

“Live performances draw larger crowds, and we responded by working with promoters to bring in more large-scale multiple-day concerts for our audiences. Today we are seeing significantly higher numbers of high quality concerts… with leading artistes choosing to perform in Singapore,” the spokesperson said.

“Many of these concerts sell out within hours of tickets going on sale and this … signals to the world that Singapore is the leading destination in Asia for live events.”

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July 14, 2023
As SAG strike brings Hollywood to a standstill, which favorite UK-filmed shows could still go ahead? | CNN

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London
CNN
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As a host of Hollywood actors join film and TV writers in a strike against major studios and streaming services, filming and production of some popular shows – including “House of the Dragon” and “Industry” – could continue, due to UK strike laws.

Though British acting union Equity said it would “stand in unwavering solidarity” with Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), it advised “SAG-AFTRA members currently working under an Equity UK collective bargaining agreement should continue to report to work.”

This, the 47,000-member union noted, was due to the UK’s “draconian” industrial relations legislation, which it called “a national disgrace” in need of reform.

A large portion of filming for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon” took place in England, with the show’s base being Leavesden Studios in Watford, near London. HBO announced in April that production had begun on season 2, which is slated for next year.

Another HBO show, “Industry,” which was renewed for a third season last year, was filmed in London and Cardiff, Wales. In March, Joseph Charlton, writer and consulting producer on “Industry” season 3, told Digital Spy that casting had begun for the season.

A source with knowledge of the productions confirmed to CNN that both are Equity contract shows.

HBO, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Paul Fleming, General Secretary of Equity, said in a statement: “The regrettable consequence of this framework is that what artists working in the United Kingdom – whether SAG-AFTRA and/or Equity members (or both) – can do, may be different from their comrades in the United States and other parts of the world.”

SAG-AFTRA, which represents about 160,000 actors, began a strike at midnight Pacific time Friday morning after talks with major studios and streaming services failed. It is the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations on Wednesday did not produce an agreement.

Actors are calling for increased pay as well as progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services. They join 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike for two months.

Production of many movies and television shows has already been shut down by the current writers’ strike, and the actors’ strike threatens to bring most remaining productions to a halt, other than on some independent films not associated with studios.

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July 14, 2023
Movie and TV stars join picket lines in fight over the future of Hollywood

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Ted Lasso” star Jason Sudeikis, Rosario Dawson and other top movie and TV actors joined picket lines alongside screenwriters Friday on the first full day of a walkout that has become Hollywood’s biggest labor fight in decades.

A day after the dispute brought production to a standstill across the entertainment industry, Sudeikis was among the picketers outside NBC in New York pressing for progress following the breakdown of contract talks with studios and streaming services. Dawson, star of the film “Rent” and the “Star Wars” TV series “Ahsoka,” joined picketers outside Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California.

“Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin marched with chanting protesters outside Netflix’s offices in Hollywood. Also present at Netflix were “Titanic” and “Unforgiven” actor Frances Fisher and “The Nanny” star Fran Drescher, who is president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

The actors’ arrival energized the picket lines outside Netflix, where music blared and the sidewalks were packed with demonstrators.

Hollywood productions and promotional tours around the world have been put on indefinite hold as actors join writers on the picket lines.

Hollywood actors are joining screenwriters in the first dual strike from the two unions in more than six decades, with huge consequences for the film and television industry.

A rocket being developed by the Japanese space agency has exploded during testing but there were no reports of injuries.

A sprawling, mighty galaxy was created in season one of “Foundation.” Now it’s time to rip it down. Season two of the ambitious Apple TV+ sci-fi series flashes forward some 140 years and it’s quickly clear that the clones who form the story’s authoritarian order are losing their grip.

Elsewhere, “Once Upon a Time” actor Ginnifer Goodwin stood with protesters at Paramount Pictures.

The famous faces of Oscar and Emmy winners will likely be seen with some regularity on picket lines in New York and Los Angeles, adding star power to the demonstrations outside studios and corporate offices.

The walkout is the first double-barreled strike by actors and screenwriters in more than six decades.

In recent weeks, many actors made a show of solidarity with the 11,500 writers, who walked out in May. On Thursday, 65,000 members of the actors’ union formally joined them on strike.

The two guilds have similar issues with studios and streaming services. They are concerned about contracts keeping up with inflation and about residual payments, which compensate creators and actors for use of their material beyond the original airing, such as in reruns or on streaming services. The unions also want to put up guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence mimicking their work on film and television.

Many on the picket lines took aim at Disney chief executive Bob Iger, who said Wednesday that the damage the strikes will do to the entertainment economy is “a shame.”

Justine Bateman, right, speaks outside Netflix during a Writers Guild rally as a strike by The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is announced in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“I think that when Bob Iger talks about what a shame it is, he needs to remember that in 1980, CEOs like him made 30 times what their lowest worker was making,” actor Sean Gunn, who starred in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” said outside Netflix.

Now Iger “makes 400 times what his lowest worker is. And I think that’s a shame, Bob. And maybe you should take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Why is that?’”

No talks are planned, and no end is in sight for the work stoppage. It is the first time both guilds have walked off sets since 1960, when then-actor Ronald Reagan was SAG’s leader.

“What we won in 1960 was our health and pension plans and the existence of residuals. That was the most important strike in LA union history, and now we’re on strike together again, and honestly, this strike is even bigger,” Adam Conover, host of the TV series “Adam Ruins Everything” and member of the Writers Guild negotiating committee, said outside Netflix. “We’re going to win. If you are gaining momentum like we are, 70-odd days into a strike, you are going to win.”

Conover was one of many picketers, including Sudeikis, who are members of both unions.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others, has lamented the walkout, saying it will hurt thousands of workers in industries that support film and television production.

The actors’ strike will affect more than filming. Stars will no longer be allowed to promote their work through red carpet premieres or personal appearances. They cannot campaign for Emmy awards or take part in auditions or rehearsals.

The strike triggered cancellations of red carpet events scheduled for next week for “Special Ops: Lioness,” starring Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman, and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

A “Haunted Mansion” premiere event at Disneyland on Saturday was set to go on as planned, but with no actors in attendance to promote the film.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said it was clear that the entertainment industry “is at a historic inflection point.” She urged all parties to work around the clock until an agreement is reached.

“This affects all of us and is essential to our overall economy,” Bass said in a statement.

The writers’ strike had already stopped much of television production, and the actors joining them immediately led to a shooting shutdown for many major films, including “Deadpool 3,” “Gladiator 2” and the eighth installment of Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible” series. All are scheduled for release next year.

The writers’ strike also shut down late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live,” as well as several scripted shows that have either had their writers’ rooms or production paused, including “Stranger Things” on Netflix, “Hacks” on Max and “Family Guy” on Fox. Many more are sure to follow them now that performers also have been pulled.

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This story has been corrected to fix the misspelling of Jason Sudeikis’ last name and Ginnifer Goodwin’s first name.

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Associated Press Writer Krysta Fauria contributed.

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For more on the Hollywood strikes, visit https://apnews.com/hub/hollywood-strikes/

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July 14, 2023
Lea Salonga heads the first all-Filipino cast of a Broadway show in ‘Here Lies Love’

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Lea Salonga is back on the stage where her Broadway journey first began. But she isn’t playing someone Vietnamese or Chinese or Japanese at the Broadway Theatre.

For the first time in her storied career, the Filipino musical legend is actually playing a Filipino. What’s more, she is surrounded by an all-Filipino cast and she is part of a team of mostly Filipino producers that includes singer H.E.R., comedian Jo Koy and Black Eyed Peas’ Apl.de.Ap.

Even when she was the lead at the same theater in “Miss Saigon” in 1991 and acted her way to a Tony Award, Salonga never imagined a Filipino-dominated production would become reality. She’s topped other all-Asian Broadway casts (“Flower Drum Song,” “Allegiance” ) but Filipino culture was never the one spotlighted.

Thousands of poor Filipinos risk their lives by living and working in villages inside a permanent danger zone around Mayon volcano.

The national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines have held their first joint talks and agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation.

Nearly 20,000 people have fled from an erupting volcano in the Philippines and are sheltering in schools, disrupting the education of thousands of students.

A Chinese navy training ship with hundreds of cadets has made a port call in the Philippines, its final stop on a goodwill tour of four countries as Beijing looks to mend fences in the region.

“There’s absolutely no ‘effing way that I would have seen this happening. Ever,” Salonga told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this month. “So, for it to be happening while I’m still actually strong enough to be on my feet and be a part of it, I’m just incredibly grateful.”

The anticipation of getting to play a Filipino character for the first time is something shared by the entire company of “Here Lies Love.” The first Broadway show with an all-Filipino ensemble opens July 20, a decade after it played off-Broadway.

But this isn’t some light and airy musical. It chronicles the dictatorship of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s and ‘80s and the pro-democracy People Power Revolution movement. Jose Llana, who was in the original iteration, and Arielle Jacobs play the dictator and first lady Imelda Marcos.

Musicians David Byrne and Fatboy Slim provide the soundtrack. The theater is laid out like a nightclub complete with disco ball. Audiences can choose to join or be in a standing-only area, making them feel a part of the party.

The praise for the groundbreaking representation has nearly been eclipsed by criticism, a lot of it from other Filipinos, arguing that the Marcos regime should not be musical fodder. This comes over a year after Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was proclaimed president in the Philippines. He has ignored his father’s massive human rights violations.

Salonga has vivid memories of watching news reports with her parents at home in the Philippines as the anti-Marcos People Power Revolution instigated a government overthrow. She also had friends who were out there in the chaos. So she understands why some people may have reservations about the show.

But “Here Lies Love” is more about the sacrifices made by anti-Marcos leaders like Ninoy Aquino (played by “How to Get Away with Murder” star Conrad Ricamora), she argues. August will mark 40 years since Aquino was assassinated at the airport in Manila, creating a flashpoint in the movement.

“It seems to be more of him and how his death sparked this anger and rage in a country and how it led to the People Power Revolution and how that led to the ousting of the Marcoses,” said Salonga, who plays Aquino’s mother, Aurora. “I come away with feeling hopeful when the show comes down. Because I saw in real time what was happening.”

Llana, who was born in Manila but raised in the U.S., is playing the man who drove his family to flee their country. When he told his parents 10 years ago he’d be portraying Marcos off-Broadway, they watched the show without hesitation and liked it enough to make repeat visits. A decade later, they’ll be there for opening night on Broadway.

“They know that I would never be a part of the show that glorified the Marcoses,” Llana said. “Telling the history of the Philippines, sometimes it’s not easy… When history repeats itself is when you don’t talk about it and when you don’t remember the bad things that happened. And that’s really what our show is about.”

In fact, after all these years, Llana’s confidence in the show has only grown.

“There’s less fear of whether it’s going to work,” said Llana, who was Salonga’s love interest in “Flower Drum Song” over 20 years ago. “Now, it’s just about polishing it and really fine-tuning the story and really resting into the new elements, which are our Filipino producers, Clint Ramos and Jose Antonio Vargas.”

Arielle Jacobs, known for lead Broadway roles in “Aladdin” and “In the Heights,” recently unearthed old emails from when she auditioned for the off-Broadway production.

“The feedback my agent was told from the casting director was they loved my audition, it’s not going to work out right now but maybe potentially for future productions,” Jacobs said. “That’s so funny because at the time they didn’t even know when or if it might come to Broadway.”

Being in the show has helped Jacobs not be as “naive about the history.” She has been doing research on her own to try and not make her Imelda one-dimensional. Born in San Francisco, Jacobs said her Filipino mother didn’t really talk about the Marcos’ era. But, nobody cried more happy tears than her mom when Jacobs landed this role.

Her mother was “just so proud that I’m getting to tell the story and lead this company and play a Filipino and a Filipino story.” Since childhood, Jacobs and her brother, Adam (also a Broadway actor), always got so-called “ethnic” theater parts from Puerto Rican to Middle Eastern because of their half-white, half-Asian makeup.

“It has been a blessing in terms of our career growth. At the same time, we’ve always felt that, because nobody knows we’re Filipino, there’s also this feeling that nobody ever really knows who we are,” Jacobs said.

Working with Salonga has added to the joy for Jacobs and other cast members. Salonga is pretty much considered a first lady of pop culture in the Philippines and a Broadway icon. But in “Here Lies Love,” she is venturing into a whole new world of producer.

Just entering the stage door where she was once the young ingenue and is now a boss has been “magic,” she said.

“How is this happening? And how fortunate am I that I get to see all of this happening in real time,” said Salonga, also known for singing in Disney’s “Aladdin” and “Mulan” films. “Maybe I’ll get behind more shows and put my name behind something else that I really, really believe in, see where my career goes as a Broadway producer.”

The show is adding to several Filipino American entertainment “firsts” that have made a splash in the past year. Koy starred in “Easter Sunday,” the first all-Filipino major studio movie. “Sesame Street” introduced TJ, the first Filipino Muppet. Several Filipino American chefs were recognized last month at the James Beard Awards. All of this happening now seems simultaneously “synergistic and serendipitous,” Salonga said. It’s heartening for a country that has been colonized by Spain, Japan and the U.S.

“It’s like one thing is supporting this other thing and that thing is supporting the first thing, and it’s fantastic,” Salonga said. “It’s like the universe giving us permission to just be who we always knew we were.”

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Tang, who reported from Phoenix, is a member of The Associated Press’ Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at @ttangAP.

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July 14, 2023
Cillian Murphy, playing Oppenheimer, finally gets to lead a Christopher Nolan film

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The day Christopher Nolan called Cillian Murphy about his new film, “Oppenheimer,” Murphy hung up the phone in disbelief.

The Irish actor, though a regular presence in Nolan films going back almost two decades, had always been a supporting player. This time, Nolan wanted him to lead.

“He’s so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, ‘Listen, I’ve written this script, it’s about Oppenheimer. I’d like you to be my Oppenheimer,’” Murphy, 47, told The Associated Press earlier this year. “It was a great day.”

Three years after the pandemic brought Hollywood to a standstill, the film and TV industry has again ground to a halt.

After a globe-trotting publicity blitz by star Tom Cruise, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” launched with a franchise-best $80 million over five days, though it came in shy of industry expectations with a $56.2 million haul over the three-day weekend.

The sidewalks of Hollywood and midtown Manhattan teemed with actors joining Hollywood’s writers in protest outside the corporate offices of studios, streamers, and production companies.

This week’s new entertainment releases include a documentary on Apple TV+ that chronicles the atypical path Stephen Curry took to becoming a basketball legend, new tunes from the rock band Greta Van Fleet and a “Justified” limited series starring Timothy Olyphant.

For Murphy, it is never not exciting to get a call from Nolan. It’s just hard to predict if he’s going to. He knows there are some movies he’s right for and some movies he isn’t.

“I have always said publicly and privately, to Chris, that if I’m available and you want me to be in a movie, I’m there. I don’t really care about the size of the part,” he said. “But deep down, secretly, I was desperate to play a lead for him.”

Murphy first met Nolan in 2003. He was brought in to screen test for Batman — not just the movie, the character. Murphy knew he wasn’t right for the Dark Knight, but he wanted to meet the man who’d directed “Insomnia” and “Memento.” They hit it off and Murphy got to tap into a sinister intensity to play the corrupt psychiatrist Dr. Crane/Scarecrow, who would go on to appear in all three films. Nolan would also call on Murphy to be the conflicted heir to a business empire in “Inception” and a traumatized soldier in “Dunkirk.”

“We have this long-standing understanding and trust and shorthand and respect,” Murphy said. “It felt like the right time to take on a bigger responsibility. And it just so happened that it was a f—ing huge one.”

Soon after the phone call, Nolan flew to Dublin to meet Murphy and hand him a physical copy of the script, which he devoured right there in Nolan’s hotel room. It was, he said, the best he’d ever read.

Then the scale of it started to sink in.

This would be a film about the charismatic and controversial theoretical physicist who helped create the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer and his peers at Los Alamos would test it on July 16, 1945, not knowing what was going to happen. There was a non-zero chance that the heat from the explosion could set off a chain reaction that would ignite the atmosphere and literally set the world on fire.

It didn’t, but several weeks later the United States would drop those bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving many with lifelong injuries. Soon, the United States was at work to strengthen its nuclear arsenal, developing plans to work on an even more catastrophic weapon: the hydrogen bomb.

As Nolan has said, “Like it or not J. Robert Oppenheimer is the most important person who ever lived.”

“Oppenheimer,” which opens in theaters on July 21, features a starry cast including Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty, Matt Damon as the man who hired Oppenheimer for the job at Los Alamos, Robert Downey Jr. as a founder of the Atomic Energy Commission and many more rounding out the pivotal players in and around this tense moment in history.

“You realize this is a huge responsibility. He was complicated and contradictory and so iconic,” Murphy said. “But you know you’re with one of the great directors of all time. I felt confident going into it with Chris. He’s had a profound impact on my life, creatively and professionally. He’s offered me very interesting roles over and I’ve found all of them really challenging. And I just love being on his sets.”

Murphy continued: “Any actor would want to be on a Chris Nolan set, just to see how it works and to witness his command of the language of film and the mechanics of film and how he’s able to use that broad canvas within the mainstream studio system to make these very challenging human stories.”

Over the years, Murphy has come to appreciate that with Nolan there’s always something deeper to discover than what’s literally on the page. “Dunkirk,” he recalled, was only 70 pages and there wasn’t much to his character, not even a name.

“He said, ‘Look, let’s figure it out together and you and me can find an emotional journey for the character.’ And we did it. We did it out in the water on that boat. That comes from trust and respect,” Murphy said. “I’m really proud of that performance.”

As with all Nolan endeavors, secrecy around “Oppenheimer” is vitally important. Murphy loves the “old-fashioned approach” that builds interest and anticipation.

“There’s an awful lot to talk about when we can talk freely,” Murphy said with a smile.

The difference from other Nolan originals, even “Dunkirk,” is that “Oppenheimer” is rooted in historical fact and actual transcripts. You can read the book it’s based on, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.” You can watch the 1981 documentary “The Day After Trinity” on The Criterion Channel.

And you can try to parse Nolan’s words for clues. He’s talked about recreating the Trinity test, the fascinating paradoxes, the twists, turns and ethical dilemmas; for him, the story is cinematic and both dream and nightmare. But ultimately, it’s something that just needs to be seen.

“The question will be how Chris presents it,” Murphy said. “I think people will be very surprised and wowed by what he does. Anything I say will just seem a bit lame as compared to seeing this in an IMAX theater.”

The time for discussions will be after the movie comes out. But Murphy did offer up that they worked hard to get Oppenheimer’s look right, from the narrow silhouette to the pipe and the porkpie hat. Oppenheimer, he said, “seemed aware of his own potential mythology.” But, again, those conversations will have to wait.

“I’m really proud of the movie and I’m really proud of what Chris has achieved. This was, for sure, a special one, certainly because of the history with me and Chris. We were not walking around the set high-fiving, but it did feel special.” Murphy said. “It’s an event every time he releases a film, and rightly so. Whether I’m in them or not, I always go to see his movies.”

___

A version of this story first moved on May 3, 2023. It’s being sent again in advance of the film’s release next week.

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July 14, 2023
Actors set to strike after talks with major studios, streaming services fail | CNN Business

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New York
CNN
—

A union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors is poised to go on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services have failed.

It will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations failed to produce an agreement.

Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, the union, said in a statement the studio management’s offers were “insulting and disrespectful.”

The union said its negotiating committee had unanimously recommend a strike and that its governing board will vote on that recommendation later Thursday morning.

Its members had already voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

The body representing studios and streaming services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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July 13, 2023
Hollywood actors agree to mediation, but strike may be unavoidable

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Unionized Hollywood actors on the verge of a strike have agreed to allow a last-minute intervention from federal mediators but say they doubt a deal will be reached by a negotiation deadline late Wednesday.

“We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement,” the Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Radio and Television Artists said in a statement Tuesday night.

The actors could join the already striking Writers Guild of America and grind the already slowed production process to a halt if no agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The sides agreed to an extension before the original contract expiration date on June 30, resetting it to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

Theatergoers in select cities will soon be able to watch “20 Days in Mariupol,” the visceral documentary on Russia’s early assault on the Ukrainian city.

The day Christopher Nolan called Cillian Murphy about his new film, “Oppenheimer,” Murphy hung up the phone in disbelief.

Christopher Nolan has never been one to take the easy or straightforward route while making a movie.

Netflix tries to capitalize on the popularity of its 2018 film “Bird Box” with “Bird Box Barcelona,” set in the Spanish city around the same time, with a new cast that does not include Sandra Bullock.

Issues on the table in negotiations include the unregulated use of artificial intelligence and effects on residual pay brought on by the streaming ecosystem that has emerged in recent years.

“People are standing up and saying this doesn’t really work, and people need to be paid fairly,” Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain, who was nominated for her first Emmy Award Wednesday for playing Tammy Wynette in “George & Tammy,” told The Associated Press. “It is very clear that there are certain streamers that have really kind of changed the way we work and the way that we have worked, and the contracts really haven’t caught up to the innovation that’s happened.”

Growing pessimism surrounding the talks seemed to turn to open hostility when SAG-AFTRA released a statement Tuesday night.

It came in response to a report in Variety that a group of Hollywood CEOs had been the force behind the request for mediation, which the union said was leaked before its negotiators were informed of the request.

The AMPTP declined comment through a representative. It’s not clear whether federal mediators have agreed to take part, but such an intervention would presumably require more time than the hours left on the contract.

“The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process,” the SAG-AFTRA statement said. “We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”

___

AP National Writer Jocelyn Noveck contributed to this report.

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July 12, 2023
Actors union agrees to 11th hour mediation effort, but strike still looms | CNN Business

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New York
CNN
—

The union representing 160,000 actors said on Tuesday it has agreed to a request from studios and streaming services to meet with federal mediators over contract negotiations but is still prepared to go on strike at 11:59 pm PDT on Wednesday unless a deal is reached.

“We will not be distracted from negotiating in good faith to secure a fair and just deal by the expiration of our agreement,” said the statement from SAG-AFTRA, the actors union. “We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement.”

The union has already granted one extension to its contract, which was originally due to expire on July 1. If they go on strike, they will be joining more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America on picket lines against major studios and streaming services. The writers have been on strike for more than two months.

There was no comment about the mediation request or its acceptance from the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), which is negotiating on behalf of the studios, including Amazon

(AMZN), Apple

(AAPL), CBS

(VIAC), Disney

(DIS), NBC Universal, Netflix

(NFLX), Paramount Global, Sony

(SNE) and CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.

SAG-AFTRA said that news reports were published about management’s desire for mediation even before the request was made of union negotiators at the bargaining table.

“The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process,” said the union’s statement. “We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”

Asked about that statement from SAG-AFTRA, the AMPTP declined to comment.

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July 11, 2023
Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 9-15

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Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 9-15:

July 9: Actor Richard Roundtree is 81. Singer Dee Dee Kenniebrew of The Crystals is 78. Actor Chris Cooper is 72. TV personality-turned-musician John Tesh is 71. Country singer David Ball is 70. Business leader Kevin O’Leary (“Shark Tank”) is 69. Singer Debbie Sledge of Sister Sledge is 69. Actor Jimmy Smits is 68. Actor Tom Hanks is 67. Singer Marc Almond of Soft Cell is 66. Actor Kelly McGillis is 66. Singer Jim Kerr of Simple Minds is 64. Singer Courtney Love is 59. Bassist Frank Bello of Anthrax is 58. Actor David O’Hara (“The District”) is 58. Actor Pamela Adlon (“King of the Hill,” “Louie”) is 57. Actor Scott Grimes (“ER,” ″Party of Five”) is 52. Singer-guitarist Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse is 48. Musician Jack White is 48. Actor Fred Savage is 47. Singer Dan Estrin of Hoobastank is 47. Actor Linda Park (“Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 45. Actor Megan Parlen (“Hang Time”) is 43. Singer-actor Kiely Williams of 3LW (“Cheetah Girls” films) is 37. Actor Mitchel Musso (“Phineas and Ferb,” “Hannah Montana”) is 32. Actor Georgie Henley (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) is 28.

July 10: Actor William Smithers (“Dallas,” ″Peyton Place”) is 96. Singer Mavis Staples is 84. Actor Mills Watson (“B.J. and the Bear,” ″Lobo”) is 83. Actor Robert Pine (“CHiPS”) is 82. Guitarist Jerry Miller of Moby Grape is 80. Folk singer Arlo Guthrie is 76. Bassist Dave Smalley of The Raspberries is 74. Singer Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys is 69. Banjo player Bela Fleck of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is 65. Actor Fiona Shaw (“True Blood,” ″Harry Potter” films) is 65. Drummer Shaw Wilson of BR549 is 63. Actor Alec Mapa (“Ugly Betty” ″Half & Half”) is 58. Country singer Ken Mellons is 58. Guitarist Peter DiStefano of Porno for Pyros is 58. Actor Gale Harold (“Hellcats”) is 54. Country singer Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts is 53. Actor Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) is 51. Singer Imelda May is 49. Actor Adrian Grenier (“Entourage,” ″Cecil B. DeMented”) is 47. Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) is 46. Actor Gwendoline Yeo (“Desperate Housewives”) is 46. Actor Thomas Ian Nicholas (“American Pie”) is 43. Singer Jessica Simpson is 43. Actor Heather Hemmens (“Hellcats”) is 39. Rapper-singer Angel Haze is 32. Singer Perrie Edwards of Little Mix is 30.

Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter Coco Lee has died by suicide. She was 48. Her sisters said in a statement on Wednesday that the star had been suffering from depression for several years with her condition deteriorating drastically over the last few months.

Actors Rose Leslie and Kit Harington have welcomed their second child. A publicist for Harington confirmed Monday that the couple have added a daughter to their family.

Better known as Sudan Archives, Brittney Denise Parks is an avant-garde violinist and singer-songwriter who describes her style as “fiddle soft punk.”

A London prosecutor says Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is a “sexual bully” who assaults other men and doesn’t respect personal boundaries.

July 11: Singer Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 76. Ventriloquist Jay Johnson (“Soap”) is 74. Actor Bruce McGill (“Animal House”) is 73. Actor Stephen Lang is 71. Actor Mindy Sterling (“Austin Powers”) is 70. Actor Sela Ward is 67. Singer Peter Murphy of Bauhaus is 66. Reggae singer Michael Rose of Black Uhuru is 66. Actor Mark Lester (“Oliver”) is 65. Jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum is 65. Guitarist Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) is 64. Singer Suzanne Vega is 64. Actor Lisa Rinna is 60. Bassist Scott Shriner of Weezer is 58. Actor Debbe Dunning (“Home Improvement”) is 57. Actor Greg Grunberg (“Heroes,” ″Alias,” ″Felicity”) is 57. Wildlife expert Jeff Corwin (“The Jeff Corwin Experience”) is 56. Actor Justin Chambers (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 53. Actor Leisha Hailey (“The L Word”) is 52. Actor Michael Rosenbaum (“Smallville”) is 51. Rapper Lil’ Kim is 49. Actor Jon Wellner (“CSI”) is 48. Rapper Lil’ Zane is 42. Actor David Henrie (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) is 34. Actor Connor Paolo (“Revenge”) is 33. Singer Alessia Cara is 27.

July 12: Actor Denise Nicholas (“In the Heat of the Night”) is 79. Singer Walter Egan is 75. Fitness guru Richard Simmons is 75. Actor Cheryl Ladd (“Charlie’s Angels”) is 72. Singer Ricky McKinnie of The Blind Boys of Alabama is 71. Actor Mel Harris (“thirtysomething”) is 67. Gospel singer Sandi Patty is 67. Guitarist Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum is 61. Actor Judi Evans (“Days of Our Lives”) is 59. Singer Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms is 58. Actor Lisa Nicole Carson (“Ally McBeal”) is 54. Country singer Shannon Lawson is 50. Rapper Magoo is 50. Actor Anna Friel (“Monarch,” “Pushing Daisies”) is 47. Singer Tracie Spencer is 47. Actor Alison Wright (“The Americans”) is 47. Actor Steve Howey (“Reba”) is 46. Actor Topher Grace (“That ’70s Show”) is 45. Actor Michelle Rodriguez (“The Fast and The Furious” films, “Lost”) is 45. Actor Kristen Connolly (“Zoo”) is 43. Singer-guitarist Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry is 40. Actor Matt Cook (“Man with a Plan”) is 39. Actor Natalie Martinez (“Under the Dome”) is 39. Actor Ta’Rhonda Jones (“Empire”) is 35. Actor Melissa O’Neill (“The Rookie”) is 35. Actor Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” ″House of Cards”) is 33. Actor Erik Per Sullivan (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 32.

July 13: Game show announcer Johnny Gilbert is 95. Actor Patrick Stewart is 83. Actor Harrison Ford is 81. Singer-guitarist Roger McGuinn of The Byrds is 81. Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 77. Actor Daphne Maxwell Reid (“Eve,” ″The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 75. Actor Didi Conn is 72. Actor Gil Birmingham (“Twilight” films) is 70. Country singer Louise Mandrell is 69. Bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza of Twisted Sister is 67. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 66. Actor Michael Jace (“The Shield”) is 61. Actor Tom Kenny (“Spongebob Squarepants”) is 61. Country singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw is 61. Bluegrass singer Rhonda Vincent is 61. Country singer Neil Thrasher (Thrasher Shriver) is 58. Actor Ken Jeong (“The Masked Singer,” “Dr. Ken”) is 54. Singer Deborah Cox is 50. Drummer Will Champion of Coldplay is 45. Actor Aya Cash (“You’re the Worst”) is 41. Actor Colton Haynes (“Arrow”) is 35. Actor Steven R. McQueen (“The Vampire Diaries”) is 35. Singer Leon Bridges is 34. Actor Hayley Erin (“General Hospital”) is 29. Actor Kyle Harrison Breitkopf (“The Whispers”) is 18.

July 14: Actor Nancy Olson (“Sunset Boulevard”) is 95. Football player-turned-actor Rosey Grier is 91. Actor Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) is 77. Bassist Chris Cross of Ultravox is 71. Actor Jerry Houser (“Summer of ’42″) is 71. Actor Eric Laneuville (“St. Elsewhere”) is 71. Actor Stan Shaw (“Harlem Nights”) is 71. Singer-comedian Kyle Gass of Tenacious D is 63. Guitarist Ray Herndon of McBride and the Ride is 63. Actor Jane Lynch is 63. Actor Jackie Earle Haley is 62. Actor Matthew Fox (“Lost,” ″Party of Five”) is 57. Keyboardist Ellen Reid of Crash Test Dummies is 57. Singer-guitarist Tanya Donelly of Belly is 57. Actor Missy Gold (“Benson”) is 53. Singer Tameka Cottle of Xscape is 48. Country singer Jamey Johnson is 48. Musician taboo of Black Eyed Peas is 48. Actor Scott Porter (“Friday Night Lights”) is 44. Actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Fleabag”) is 38. Singer Dan Smith of Bastille is 37. Actor Sara Canning (“The Vampire Diaries”) is 36. Singer Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons is 36.

July 15: Actor Patrick Wayne is 84. Singer Millie Jackson is 79. Guitarist-singer Peter Lewis of Moby Grape is 78. Singer Linda Ronstadt is 77. Drummer Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) is 75. Actor Terry O’Quinn (“Lost,” ″West Wing,”) is 71. Singer-guitarist David Pack (Ambrosia) is 71. Drummer Marky Ramone (The Ramones) is 71. Guitarist Joe Satriani is 67. Country songwriter Mac McAnally is 66. Model Kim Alexis is 63. Actor Willie Aames (“Eight Is Enough,” ″Charles In Charge”) is 63. Actor Lolita Davidovich is 62. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 62. Actor Shari Headley is 60. Actor Brigitte Nielsen is 60. Drummer Jason Bonham is 57. Actor Amanda Foreman (“Parenthood,” ″Felicity”) is 57. Singer Stokley of Mint Condition is 56. Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin (“Malcolm and Eddie”) is 55. Actor Reggie Hayes (“Girlfriends”) is 54. Actor Jim Rash (“Community”) is 52. Drummer John Dolmayan of System of a Down and of Scars on Broadway is 51. Actor Scott Foley (“Scandal,” ″Felicity”) is 51. Actor Brian Austin Green (“Beverly Hills 90210”) is 50. Rapper Jim Jones is 47. Actor Diane Kruger (“National Treasure,” “Troy”) is 47. Actor Lana Parrilla (“Once Upon a Time,” ″Swingtown”) is 46. Guitarist Ray Toro of My Chemical Romance is 46. Actor Laura Benanti (“Law and Order: SVU”) is 44. Singer Kia Thornton of Divine is 44. Actor Taylor Kinney (“Chicago Fire”) is 42. Actor Tristan “Mack” Wilds (“90210″) is 34. Actor Iain Armitage (“Big Little Lies,” “Young Sheldon”) is 15.

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July 4, 2023
Kevin Spacey’s accuser describes the Oscar-winning actor as a ‘slippery, snaky’ predator to avoid

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LONDON (AP) — One of Kevin Spacey ‘s accusers described the Oscar-winning actor in a London court Monday as a “slippery, snaky” predator whom good-looking young men were warned to avoid.

The man, who worked with Spacey when he came to the British capital’s Old Vic Theatre in the early 2000s, said the American actor offered to introduce him to Hollywood stars. But the man said the word around the playhouse was that he should be careful around Spacey.

“It was well known he was up to no good,” the man said in a video of his police interview played for jurors in Spacey’s sexual assault trial. “He was almost right from the get-go grooming me.”

An Afghan immigrant who’d worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan was shot and killed this week in the United States.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill says it will offer free tuition to some students in order to expand diversity efforts following last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions.

The Republican-controlled Legislature in Iowa will aim to enact a ban on abortion after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a rare special session that starts Tuesday.

Maine’s top gambling regulator has been punished with a weeklong suspension without pay for tweets posted from his personal account about women and a white nationalist group.

The accuser, who cannot be identified under British law, is one of four men the former “House of Cards” star is accused of assaulting in the U.K.

He said Spacey made him uncomfortable querying him about his sexuality, then became “touchy-feely” and graduated to aggressive groping when they were alone together. He likened Spacey to the villain he played in the 1995 thriller “Se7en” about a serial killer motivated by the seven deadly sins.

“He’s a bit like that, a bit creepy,” the man said in his police interview last year.

Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a dozen charges for events that date from 2001 to 2013. The charges include sexual assault, indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

He could go to prison if convicted, though Spacey told a German magazine that he expects he’ll be offered work “the moment I am cleared of these charges.”

The trial, which is expected to last four weeks, continues Tuesday before a jury of nine men and three women in Southwark Crown Court.

Once one of the biggest actors of his generation, Spacey won an Academy Award for supporting actor in “The Usual Suspects” in 1995 and best actor Oscar for the 1999 movie “American Beauty.” He’s also won awards for the stage and small screen.

His career dried up when sexual misconduct allegations against him arose as the #MeToo movement exploded. He was written off the Netflix political thriller “House of Cards,” and cut from the completed film “All the Money in the World.”

The actor, who has homes in the U.S. and London, is free on bail. He served as artistic director at the Old Vic from 2003 until 2015.

The man who testified Monday said he reacted with horror when Spacey first made physical contact by rubbing his neck early in their work relationship in the early 2000s.

“The first time that he touched me was just a massive shock,” he said. “I just don’t like people’s hands on me.”

When he complained to a woman he worked for, she laughed it off and she said, “You can cope, you can handle it. We all know what he’s like,” he said.

The man said he decided he “didn’t want to upset the apple cart” and got on with his job.

But he said that as Spacey escalated to grabbing his crotch and taking his hand to rub the actor’s own privates over the pants, he began to dread when Spacey would return to London.

He described how Spacey would lean toward him while seated next to him and allow his hand to wander to his leg and then his inner thigh. At that moment in the testimony, Spacey was leaning on his right elbow in a similar manner as he listened from the courtroom dock.

On cross-examination, defense lawyer Patrick Gibbs suggested the man, who was disguised in court behind a curtain, was confused by the touching and even got a thrill from it.

“Nothing happened between us. He was assaulting me,” the man replied. “I was doing my job and he was the one touching me.”’

Gibbs confronted the man with a photo he posted on social media six years ago in which his arm appears to be around Spacey’s back.

“Did it make you feel sick to stand there side by side?” Gibbs asked.

The man said he used the image to promote his business.

“Anyone who does social media would have killed for a picture like that,” he said.

He said the final straw came on a day he was driving Spacey to a celebrity-studded summer gala in 2004 or 2005. The star violently gripped his crotch and he nearly ran off the road, the man testified.

“He grabbed me really hard, and it really hurt,” he said. “I pushed him against the door and said, ‘Don’t do that again or I will knock you out.’”

“That’s such a turn on to me,” he said Spacey replied. “You’re such a man.”

Gibbs, however, said that Spacey only attended that gala once — three or four years earlier than the witness claimed.

The defense lawyer also showed jurors a snapshot the man had sent Spacey of himself as thanks for supporting him on a charity hike in the Rocky Mountains of North America. The man also kept a warm letter Spacey wrote him after donating 5,000-pound ($6,350) for the trek.

Spacey told police when he was questioned that he considered the man a “clever” and “charming” friend and was baffled and deeply hurt by his allegations. He suggested the man reimagined their time together to produce false allegations because he was either too embarrassed to admit the truth or seeking financial gain.

On cross-examination, the man said he may have considered suing Spacey but that whatever financial award he might win in court “wouldn’t be enough.”

The man said he told a few people in his life about his experience with Spacey, fearing it could affect his career. He said he decided to come forward last year after Spacey was charged with assaulting the three other alleged victims in the case.

“That’s a big part of it,” the man said. “Strength in numbers, isn’t it?”

“Or is it that in 2022, you saw a bandwagon coming past, and you decided to hop on board?” Gibbs asked.

“That’s not true at all,” the man said.

He said he never overcame the shame he felt from his encounters with Spacey and cannot bring himself to watch the actor’s films or TV shows.

“I can’t stand watching the man. It makes me feel sick,” he said.

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July 4, 2023
Rose Leslie and Kit Harington welcome their second child, a daughter

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LONDON (AP) — Actors Rose Leslie and Kit Harington have welcomed their second child.

A publicist for Harington confirmed Monday that the couple, who famously met on the set of “Game of Thrones” and are now both 36, have added a daughter to their family. Further details weren’t immediately available.

In early 2021, the pair confirmed the birth of a son.

The struggle to certify the results of Guatemala’s first-round presidential elections has suffered another setback, after the chief justice of the Supreme Court issued an order blocking the certification.

Vermont State Police say a Rutland City police officer was killed and two other officers were injured when a suspect crashed into two police cruisers pursuing him.

A federal appeals court has temporarily reversed a lower court’s ruling that had prohibited Tennessee from enacting a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Latvia’s long-serving foreign minister, known for his tough line on neighboring Russia and strong support for Ukraine, has been sworn in as the Baltic nation’s new president for a four-year term.

Harington and Leslie’s relationship began in 2011 on the set of the HBO megahit series, on which they played star-crossed lovers Jon Snow — a brother of the Night’s Watch with kingdom-shattering secrets — and Ygritte, a rebel wildling. They married in 2018 at Leslie’s ancestral castle in Scotland.

Since leaving “Game of Thrones” in 2014, Leslie has starred in the legal drama “The Good Fight,” sci-fi romance series “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and the Kenneth Branagh-directed Agatha Christie remake “Death on the Nile.” Since “Game of Thrones” concluded in 2019, Harington has had roles in the anthology shows “Modern Love” and “Extrapolations” and in Marvel’s “Eternals.”

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July 4, 2023
As 1,500 Disneyland collectibles go up for auction, that Dumbo car — or trash bin — can be yours

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BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — Fans who agree Disneyland is indeed the happiest place on Earth will soon be able to take home more than a souvenir.

A passionate collector has brought Disney magic to a sprawling 30,000-square-foot (2,800-square-meter) building in Burbank, California, where fans can hear birds chirping in the Enchanted Tiki Room section or giggle at the animated ghosts from the Haunted Mansion ride as they preview more than 1,500 items up for auction later this month.

Joel Magee has been building his collection of more than 6,000 items — including costumes, rare posters, and life-size vehicles from rides like Dumbo and Peter Pan — for 30 years, and he’s finally ready to share some of it with the public.

Torrential rain has been pounding southwestern Japan, triggering floods and mudslides and leaving at least six people missing.

An Argentine archbishop chosen by Pope Francis to head the Vatican office that ensures doctrinal orthodoxy concedes he made mistakes in handling a 2019 case of a priest accused of sexual abuse of minors.

Allisen Corpuz picked the right time and the right place for her first big win. She won the first U.S.

The Washington Post is reporting former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson has resigned from the PGA Tour policy board.

“I’m one of those guys — go big or go home. And if you don’t have the biggest, then it ain’t the best,” Magee told The Associated Press in a recent interview, as fans milled about the exhibit. Magee’s is the largest individually owned Disneyland/Disney Park collection in the world.

“It’s really kind of exciting. This is the first time that all of my things have been in the same room at the same time,” he said.

Magee is known in the collectible industry as “the toy scout,” and has amassed a huge collection of toys and Disney items. He says he watched “The Wonderful World of Disney” on TV every week as a kid but had never been to the park and never thought about collecting until he was at a toy show where he met a man selling Disneyland artifacts and got hooked.

“At the time, I couldn’t afford too much. I bought a couple of pieces, but that’s where it all began,” Magee said. “In my travels as ‘the toy scout,’ I meet people all over the country and for the last 25 years, they’ve just been bringing me all their stuff and here it is today.”

The items for sale are as small as a trading card and as large as a 1917 Model T moving van from Disneyland’s original Main Street that Magee says Walt Disney created himself.

Mike Van Eaton is the co-owner of Van Eaton Galleries, which is running the auction. He says among the most sought-after items are those from the Haunted Mansion attraction, including original stretch paintings from the elevator in the iconic ride, and a “doom buggy” — the vehicle guests ride on.

“Joel also has one of the most amazing Disney attraction poster collections in the world. He has every attraction poster ever in the park. And those are also going to do very well,” Van Eaton said.

There are items for every price point, with some starting as low as $50 — but most go way up from there.

“Some of these items, such as the Dumbo ride vehicle, may go for $200,000 to $300,000. We have trash cans from the park that may go for $5,000 or $6,000, and posters that could reach $50,000 to $60,000,” Van Eaton said.

Magee says it’s hard to choose his favorites in such a large collection but he is partial to the static props he’s brought to life.

“The Tiki birds, oh my gosh, they were piles of junk when we got them! They were worn out, pieces were missing,” Magee said. “Some good friends of mine that do a lot of work … in that field brought them all back to life better than you could ever imagine. And … people look at that and you can just see the magic in their eyes when they see them.”

The exhibition is at the Burbank Town Center Mall and runs through July 16. The auction will be held July 17 through 19.

___

Lefferts reported from New York.

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July 4, 2023
National Geographic will end newsstand sales of magazine next year, focus on subscriptions, digital

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NEW YORK (AP) — The familiar yellow-bordered cover of the monthly National Geographic will no longer be for sale on newsstands starting next year, part of cutbacks affecting the venerable magazine.

The company’s focus is turning to its digital product and it will offer special editions on newsstands, a spokesman said on Thursday. Subscribers will still get a printed copy each month.

Newsstand sales account for a small percentage of the magazine’s monthly circulation of just below 1.8 million copies, the magazine said.

Even a magazine that started publishing in 1888 isn’t immune to financial headwinds affecting the media. Known best for its colorful photography from around the world, the magazine was started more than a century ago by the National Geographic Society, which supports science and exploration.

Control of National Geographic has changed twice in the past decade, first in a sale to 20th Century Fox before being acquired by the Walt Disney Corp. in 2019. It has been hit by a series of layoffs.

Craig Welch posted on Twitter on Wednesday that his new issue of the magazine just arrived, featuring his 16th and last feature as a senior writer for the magazine.

“NatGeo is laying off all of its staff writers,” he wrote.

The magazine said while it’s accurate it no longer has anyone with the title of “writer” anymore, it has people who both write and edit. Instead, it will turn to non-staffers to author stories. The changes occurred as the result of a reorganization in April.

The company would not discuss how many people lost their jobs.

“National Geographic will continue to publish a monthly magazine that is dedicated to exceptional multi-platform storytelling with cultural impact,” spokesman Chris Albert said. “Staffing changes will not change our ability to do this work, but rather give us more flexibility to tell different stories and meet our audiences where they are across our many platforms.”

“Any insinuation that the recent changes will negatively impact the magazine, or the quality of our storytelling, is simply incorrect,” he said.

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July 4, 2023
This Ohio museum shows that TV is older than you might think

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The history of television began long before millions of people gathered in front of their black-and-white sets and fiddled with the antenna and horizontal hold to watch Lucy, Uncle Miltie and Howdy Doodie.

“Everybody thinks TV started in the ‘50s or the late ’40s. Almost nobody knows it existed before World War II and even goes back to the ‘20s,” said Steve McVoy, 80, the founder and president of the Early Television Museum in Hilliard, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.

The museum holds a large collection of televisions from the 1920s and 1930s, and scores of the much-improved, post-World War II, black-and-white sets that changed the entertainment landscape. There are also several of the first-generation color sets developed in the early 1950s.

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“The original idea for the museum was to deal with the earliest television technology,” McVoy said. “The sets got pretty boring after 1960, just these big things in plastic cabinets.”

The collection is one of the world’s largest, rivaled in North America only by the MZTV Museum of Toronto. About 180 television sets are on exhibit, arranged in chronological order, with another 50 in storage.

“So many of the sets were incredible to see in their original form,” said Doron Galili, a research fellow in media studies at Stockholm University and author of “Seeing by Electricity: The Emergence of Television, 1878 – 1939” (Duke University Press).

He visited in 2016, and said the museum gives visitors “a better sense not only of the technological aspects of television history but also of its place within popular culture, and modern design and material culture.”

THE BACKSTORY

McVoy’s personal history with television also goes back many years. When he was 10 and living in Gainesville, Florida, he was fascinated by his family’s first set. “I tinkered with it, much to my parent’s dismay,” he said.

He pulled a little red wagon around the neighborhood with a sign that advertised free television repairs.

“Nobody accepted my offer,” McVoy said, adding it was unlikely he could have repaired a set if anyone had asked.

A few years later, he began working in a television repair shop and learned those skills. He opened his own shop, Freedom TV, in the mid-1960s, repairing sets and installing antennas atop apartment buildings and motels. Soon after, he formed his first cable-television business, Micanopy Cable TV, followed by Coaxial Communications and Telecinema. McVoy sold his cable holdings in 1999 and, looking for something to do, decided to start collecting old television sets.

“I never collected anything before,” he said.

The first set he bought, on eBay, was an RCA TRK 12, which was introduced at the 1939 World’s Fair and retailed at $600, a princely sum at the time.

“I think I paid about a thousand bucks for it,” McVoy said, adding that it was in disrepair and missing several parts. “A complete one would have cost five or six thousand; the pre-war sets are very valuable.”

He refurbished the TRK 12, and began collecting more old sets and visiting other collectors who shared his growing passion.

“All their collections were in their basements and attics,” McVoy said. This, plus his wife’s annoyance at all the old sets cluttering up their living room, hatched the idea to start a museum.

The Early Television Museum opened in 2002 as a non-profit foundation. It’s housed in a large former warehouse. Each room features an audio guide, narrated by McVoy. Press another button on some of the sets and and a few old shows appear.

Until a few years ago, McVoy helped restore many of the museum’s televisions himself. “My eyesight and the stability of my hands makes it difficult now,” he said.

HOW TV BEGAN

The idea for transmitting pictures goes back to the 1880s. “The problem of television … has not yet been solved,” The New York Times reported on Nov. 24, 1907.

The first crude mechanical televisions were developed in the mid 1920s by John Logie Baird in England and Charles Jenkins in the United States, and relied on rotating discs to transmit pictures. According to the museum, by 1930, “television was being broadcast from over a dozen stations in the U.S., not only in the major cities such as New York and Boston, but also from Iowa and Kansas. Several manufacturers were selling sets and kits.”

The screens were small and the picture quality extremely poor, with lots of “fading and ghosting.” Programming was limited.

Television made what McVoy calls its “formal debut” on April 30, 1939, at that World’s Fair in New York. President Roosevelt’s speech to open the fair was broadcast live, as an NBC mobile unit sent signals to a transmitter atop the Empire State Building. From there, the signals “went out to visual receivers within a fifty-mile radius in the metropolitan area,” reported the New York Daily News.

RCA and General Electric introduced television models at the World’s Fair. A total of about 7,000 sets were made in the United States in 1939 and 1940, and only about 350 still exist, according to the museum.

World War II halted the production of TV sets in the United States. Engineers who learned about radar and aircraft communications then applied that knowledge to TV technology after the war, when a boom in sales and programming began.

There were about 200,000 sets in the U.S. in 1947, and 18 million by the end of 1953, according to McVoy’s research. Audiences loved “I Love Lucy” (which began airing in 1951) and “The Honeymooners” (began 1955).

The color revolution came in 1954. Sales were initially slow, due in part to cost. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that color sets outsold black-and-white ones.

“We have (an example of) virtually every set that is available,” McVoy said.

SEEKING PHILO FARNSWORTH

At the top of his wish list? A set made by electronic-television pioneer Philo Farnsworth in the late 1920s or early 1930s.

“Only three still survive as far as we know and they’re all already in other museums,” McVoy said. “If a fourth ever shows up, we’d go to our donors and would be able to get it.”

—-

For more AP Travel stories, go to https://apnews.com/lifestyle.

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July 3, 2023
Stanley Tucci says he thinks straight actors should be able to play gay characters | CNN

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CNN
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Stanley Tucci weighed in on the debate about straight actors portraying gay characters in a new interview with BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs on Saturday.

Tucci, who is married to actress Felicity Blunt, said he believes that as an actor, “you’re supposed to play different people.”

“You just are. That’s the whole point of it,” he told the program.

Tucci has portrayed gay characters in 2006’s “The Devil Wears Prada” and in the 2020 film “Supernova” alongside Oscar-winner Colin Firth. He went on to say, “Obviously, I believe that’s fine.”

“I am always very flattered when gay men come up to me and talk to me about ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or they talk about ‘Supernova,’ and they say that, ‘It was just so beautiful,’ you know, ‘You did it the right way,’” he said. “Because often, it’s not done the right way.”

For decades, Hollywood has cast actors in heterosexual relationships for gay roles.

Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal played lovers in “Brokeback Mountain,” and Cate Blanchett fell in love with a shopgirl in “Carol.” Benedict Cumberbatch recently played a sexually repressed cowboy in Netflix’s 2021 Oscar contender “The Power of the Dog,” and previously played Alan Turing in “The Imitation Game.”

While Ledger, Gyllenhaal, Blanchett and Cumberbatch were all nominated for Academy Awards for their performances, former late night host James Corden, who is married to a woman, was criticized for his performance as a flamboyant faded Broadway star in “The Prom,” with critics calling his performance “insulting” and “offensively miscast.”

Minority actors have long spoken out about their struggles to get cast in Hollywood, even as producers say they can’t find the right actors for projects.

Conversations around inclusivity in casting transgender actors in transgender roles have also become pertinent, and casting cisgender actors for those roles has recently fallen out of popular practice.

CNN previously reported that LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD says casting this way “perpetuates this belief that trans people aren’t real.”

Straight actors playing gay roles, however, isn’t considered to be as “brave” in recent years as it’s been in the past, according to critic Guy Lodge, who told The Guardian in a 2021 interview: “The idea of being ‘brave’ for playing gay is going away.”

“I think that in itself is seen as fairly unremarkable now,” he added.

For the most part, Tucci and Firth received positive reviews for their performances in “Supernova,” where they played a longtime couple grappling with the dire challenge of early-onset dementia.

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July 2, 2023
Karen Allen on one last hurrah as Marion Ravenwood in ‘Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny’

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NEW YORK (AP) — Indiana Jones. Karen Allen always knew he’d come walking back through her door.

Since 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Allen has been only a sporadic presence in the subsequent sequels. But the glow of the freckled, big-eyed actor who so memorably played Marion Ravenwood has only grown stronger over time.

Indiana Jones may be one of the movies’ most iconic characters, but he’s always needed a good foil. It was Kate Capshaw and Ke Huy Quan in “Temple of Doom” and Sean Connery in “The Last Crusade.” Yet none could top, or out drink, Allen’s Marion, a wisecracking, naturalistic beauty and swashbuckling heir to screwball legends like Katharine Hepburn and Irene Dunne.

Allen’s place in the latest and last “Indiana Jones,” the just-released “Dial of Destiny,” has long been a mystery. Now that the movie is in theaters — spoiler alert — we can finally let the cat out of the bag. Allen returns. And while her role isn’t large — tragedy has driven Marion and Indiana apart — it’s extremely poignant in how she figures into Harrison Ford’s swan song as Indiana Jones.

“Secrets,” Allen chuckled in a recent interview, “are not my specialty.”

Allen, 71, was a magnetic presence in some memorable 1970s and ‘80s films, including 1978’s “Animal House” (the performance that caught Steven Spielberg’s eye), 1984’s “Starman” and 1988’s “Scrooged.” But while she’s steadily worked ever since, the era’s male-dominated Hollywood often seemed to squander her talent. Allen has lived for decades in the Berkshires, where she opened a textiles and clothing boutique and has frequently performed at Tanglewood.

Allen also returned to Marion in 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” But as much as “Dial of Destiny” signifies the end of Ford’s run as Indy, it’s also Allen’s goodbye to her most beloved character. This time, Indiana’s sidekick went to Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the “Fleabag” creator and star. Allen, praising Waller-Bridge as a strong woman, approves.

“If it wasn’t going to be me,” said Allen, “I’m glad it was her.”

___

AP: Did Spielberg or “Dial of Destiny” director James Mangold reach out to you about returning as Marion?

ALLEN: There was a period of time when Steven was going to direct the film. It was my understanding — although I never read any of those scripts — that it was being developed very much as a still-ongoing Marion-and-Indy story. When Steven decided to step down and James took over and brought in new writers, I knew it was going into a different direction. Having not even known what it was before, it was even more mysterious after they took it over. So I really didn’t know anything for a long period of time until they had a script. And I have to confess, I was a bit disappointed that she wasn’t more woven throughout the story and didn’t have more of an ongoing trajectory. However, the way in which she does come back into the story was very satisfying. I just thought, “OK, I’m just going to embrace this.” I certainly would have been wildly disappointed had Marion just sort of vanished into the ether.

AP: Did you always think Marion and Indiana were destined for each other? You don’t exactly get a sense of permanence between them in “Raiders.”

ALLEN: It’s funny. When I first started working on it, I just decided that Indy was the love of her life. I just decided to make a deep commitment to that and to play through “Raiders of the Lost Ark” with the feeling they’re soulmates. When we end up married in “Crystal Skull,” I wept when I read that script.

AP: “Indiana Jones” could be a boys world but you were such a spirited force of nature.

ALLEN: Well, Steven and George had this experience as young boys with these Saturday afternoon matinee serial films. They were just a little bit older than I am, so I kind of missed that. I don’t have a reference point for that. So I don’t think that I necessarily understood the genre of film we were making. I thought we were making “Casablanca.” I really, truly did. So I sort of defined my character in that sort of genre — which I think weirdly enough works quite well for the film. I never imagined Marion as a damsel in distress in any sort of way. I was always pushing back against that, and in the end, Steven was supportive of that.

AP: Do you ever wish you had gotten the chance to star in more Hollywood films?

ALLEN: I make movies all the time, although I have tended in the last 10 or 15 years to focus more on indie films. In truth, the kinds of roles I’m really hungry to play, particularly for someone my age, they’re written more in the indie world. People kind of think, “Where have you been?” There were times I was raising my son but I often do at least two films a year. They’re very satisfying, probably more satisfying than the sort of roles I would be offered. A lot of times I turned down things. There’s a lot of thankless roles for women in bigger budget films.

AP: What has Marion meant to you?

ALLEN: She’s sort of at the core of my growth as an actor and certainly my relationship to the world. As I move through the world, I’ve become very identified with that character. There was maybe a brief period of time where I found it annoying. But that passed and now it’s just this character that I love. I can’t imagine anything more satisfying to have had the chance in life to create a character that has some meaning for people.

AP: What was it like to shoot your scenes with Ford in “Dial of Destiny”?

ALLEN: It was fantastic. We shot it all in one day or maybe two days. To just imagine these two people that have been wrenched apart through grief and loss and then she’s coming back with this hope that they can move forward. When we played the scene, that was very, very affecting. We were both very affected by it and a little teary. And the crew was a little teary.

AP: How has it been keeping your role in the film secret?

ALLEN: It’s been excruciating. (Laughs) I never have to do anything like this again. People have come up to me and they’ve been so upset because they didn’t see my name on IMDb. People would be so mad I’d have to stand there and just be like, “What do I say? Do I say, ‘Yeah, isn’t that a drag?’ or ‘You never never know — wink, wink.’” I’ve had to say I just can’t answer any questions about “Indiana Jones” — which I feel like is sort of saying that I’m in the film. It’s a lose-lose situation. (Laughs)

AP: Does playing Marion one last time cap anything for you?

ALLEN: More so for Harrison than for me. He’s such a fully developed character and has done all five of these. With Marion, I’ve kind of come and gone. But she will always be a character that moves through life with me. I don’t know if I really have a sense of it being over. There always was a sense that one more would be done, even if it took 20 years. Now, they’ve been very clear that this is the last one. So it is a letting go.

___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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July 2, 2023
Ringo Starr says The Beatles would ‘never’ fake John Lennon’s vocals with AI on new song | CNN

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CNN
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Ringo Starr is doubling down about the authenticity of the vocals on the highly anticipated new Beatles song recently teased by former bandmate Paul McCartney.

Starr spoke with Rolling Stone for an upcoming podcast, in which he ensured that they would “never” fake the late John Lennon’s vocals for the new track, which instead uses AI to clean up previously recorded snippets.

The song will also feature the voice of the late George Harrison, Starr confirmed.

Paul McCartney says a ‘final’ Beatles song is coming

“This was beautiful,” he said, noting, “it’s the final track you’ll ever hear with the four lads. And that’s a fact.”

McCartney attempted to clarify last month how artificial intelligence is being used on what he said will be the “final” Beatles song.

“We’ve seen some confusion and speculation about it,” he wrote in a note posted on his verified Instagram story at the time. “Seems to be a lot of guess work out there.”

“Can’t say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real and we all play on it,” he added. “We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years.”

In a June 13 interview with BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program, the legendary musician, 81, said that AI technology was being used to release a “new” track featuring all four Beatles, including fellow band members Lennon and Harrison, who died in 1980 and 2001, respectively.

“When we came to make what will be the last Beatles record – it was a demo that John had that we worked on and we just finished it up, it will be released this year – and we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI,” McCartney said. “So then we were able to mix the record as you would normally do.”

Starr, meanwhile, is about to celebrate his 83rd birthday on July 7.

The music icon, who just finished a spring tour with his All-Starr Band, told Rolling Stone that he’s feeling great. “You never know when you’re gonna drop, that’s the thing,” he added. “And I’m not dropping yet.”

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July 1, 2023
California is about to give Hollywood studios a lucrative tax deal during the writers’ strike | CNN Business

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CNN
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The state of California is about to give movie and TV studios a new lucrative tax perk.

A bill awaiting California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature would the state’s tax incentive program for film and TV productions for five years but with a key update: Studios with more tax credits than they can use will be able to exchange those credits for cash. The bill, part of the state’s overall budget plan, was passed by California legislators on Tuesday, and Newsom is expected to sign it on Friday.

The bill also mandates any production that receives the tax credit to comply with new on-set firearm safety protocols following the 2021 deadly shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin’s film “Rust,” and it implements requirements aiming to meet diversity hiring targets.

The new, refundable tax credits come as competition for film and TV production from other states and countries is on the rise. States like New York and Georgia are gaining share of the TV and film market, thanks to their own tax incentive programs, according to a 2021 report from FilmLA — a nonprofit organization that helps creators with production planning and film permitting.

The bill should be a boon for studios like Netflix. The streaming giant had not previously been able to take full advantage of the tax credit program since it uses a separate research and development incentive from California to significantly reduce its tax liability. In a 2020 SEC filing, Netflix said it had $250 million in California R&D tax credits — far more than it could use.

Disney and Comcast’s Universal Studios were the only two studios that benefited under California’s existing tax incentive program, due to their relatively larger tax bills from theme parks, according to Democratic assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, one of the bill’s sponsors. The new bill could benefit other studios that don’t have theme parks in the state, including Warner Bros, which is owned by CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.

The bill’s safety measures require productions to employ an adviser to oversee production safety and complete detailed risk assessments. Studios must also establish training requirements and standards that focus on the safe handling of firearms. Many of these safety protocols were voluntary before the bill.

Dave Cortese, the Democratic state senator who introduced the safety protocols in the bill, said research for the legislation began soon after actor Baldwin fired a live round of ammunition from what he said he believed to be an unloaded prop gun during a film’s rehearsal. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

“Conversations about this legislation started the week after the tragic loss of a cinematographer. Those negotiations have produced the nation’s first and best safety practices for California workers in the state’s vital motion picture industry,” Cortese said.

In addition to refundable tax credits and stricter safety standards, the bill establishes specific diversity requirements. Studios must submit data about the diversity of their workforce to qualify for the full credit. The bill also adds a new member to the state’s film commission with diversity, equity, and inclusion expertise.

The tax perk for Hollywood comes amid ongoing tension between the industry’s workforce and the studios’ bosses. The Writers Guild of America, has been on strike since early May, halting the production of many shows. The association’s more than 11,000 members are fighting over substantial issues like pay, the number of writers staffed on any given project, and whether artificial intelligence can be used in writing material.

Actors may soon stage a work stoppage, as well. Members of the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, have voted to authorize a strike against the major studios if they cannot agree to the terms of a new contract. Similar to the WGA, the actors’ union has voiced similar concerns about pay and the use of AI.

Democratic lawmakers in California celebrated the bill. Carrillo said the plan was a “grand compromise,” and it would help protect jobs in the state.

“These are hundreds of thousands of jobs, most of which impact Los Angeles County and the city of Los Angeles. They’re good union jobs, they’re production jobs, they’re creative jobs,” she said.

However, the bill has attracted some criticism. Chris Hoene, the executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center, a nonprofit think tank that provides analysis on state budget issues intending to improve outcomes for low-income communities and people of color in the state, called it “bad policy.”

“Refundable tax credits were designed to help low-income households… so to take that refundability structure and apply it to a business tax credit, you would think there are some film companies that struggle to make ends meet and don’t make enough money to owe any taxes, but that’s not how it works,” he said.

Hoene called the new policy a “giveaway that doesn’t have any positive outcomes.”

The refundable credits are designed to help more than just the big studios, Carrillo said. Film and TV productions help support surrounding businesses in the area, including “small restaurants and catering services,” Carrillo said.

“It’s very important that California has a competitive advantage and ultimately keeps these jobs and productions in our state while other states continue to announce more incentives,” she added.

Still, Hoene argued that there were more effective ways to create well-paying jobs in California.

“If we wanted to take scarce state resources to help workers, we could do that in ways that could provide them with assistance directly, rather than giving it to large corporations who are already minimizing their tax bills in other ways,” he said.

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June 30, 2023
Brontë literary treasures on public display together for first time

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Newswise — ‘Becoming the Brontës’ offers visitors the unique opportunity to gain a rich insight into the origins of Yorkshire’s most famous literary family. The exhibition follows Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne Brontë on a chronological journey from childhood to the beginning of their literary careers and finally their lasting legacy as genre-defining authors.

Opening on Friday 30 June at the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery, the exhibition features an array of fascinating manuscripts, handwritten letters, personal sketches and more, together on public display for the first time.

‘Becoming the Brontës’ is co-curated by the British Library, the Brontë Parsonage Museum and the University of Leeds’ Brotherton Library. Many of the items on display come from the Blavatnik Honresfield Library – a unique literary collection that was saved for the nation in a campaign led by the Friends of the National Libraries and a consortium of libraries and writers’ houses including the organisations involved in this exhibition.

What’s on display

The exhibition features incredible items on display together for the first time including:

·        A rare, surviving notebook filled with over 30 of Emily’s poems, with annotations by Charlotte, including the handwritten line: “Never was better stuff penned”

·        First editions of ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘Agnes Grey’ and ‘Shirley’, previously owned by the family’s faithful servant Martha Brown

·        Emily’s own annotated copy of the first Brontë book, ‘Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell’, published under the sisters’ pen names to hide their gender

·        Eight miniature books, handwritten and crafted by Charlotte during childhood and adolescence, including two that are bound in packaging originally used for Epsom salts

·        A pencil sketch by ten-year-old Emily that shows a small hand reaching through a broken window, evoking the image of Cathy grasping Lockwood’s hand in ‘Wuthering Heights’

·        Letters from the sisters that reveal their frustration at errors in first editions of ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Agnes Grey’ and the challenges they faced together to get their work seen by publishers.

Sarah Prescott, Literary Archivist at the University of Leeds, said: “It’s such a privilege to host this exhibition here in Leeds, and to work closely with experts in the field at the British Library and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. The display features some of the most significant Brontë items to come to light, and it’s unlikely that they will be on public display together again in our lifetimes. These items give us intimate insight into the lives, hopes and ambitions of some of the most famous and well-loved writers in English literature.”

Ann Dinsdale, Principal Curator at the Brontë Parsonage Museum, said: “The Brontë Parsonage Museum is proud to have been part of the consortium that fought to save the Blavatnik Honresfield Library for the nation. Now, these wonderful manuscripts will be brought together again, offering unique insight into the intense collaboration and creativity that bound the Brontë children together, making clear their long apprenticeship as writers.”

Scot McKendrick, Head of Western Heritage Collection at the British Library, said: “The British Library is thrilled to have been part of the remarkable and unprecedented collaboration that led to these extraordinary works being preserved for the nation. Now visitors will have the unique opportunity to see these incredible items from the Blavatnik Honresfield Library on display together for the first time and gain an unprecedented insight into the Brontës’ evolution as writers.”

Masud Khokhar, University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection at the University of Leeds, said: “It’s a pleasure to share this once-in-a-lifetime collection of literary treasures with the public in this free exhibition. Making collections accessible for the public good is at the heart of the University of Leeds Libraries vision. This unprecedented collaboration has brought together the collections and curatorial expertise of the Brotherton Library, the British Library and the Brontë Parsonage Museum to celebrate the literary lives and legacy of the Brontës and the saving of the Blavatnik Honresfield Library for the nation.

“This is an extraordinary collection of objects, beautifully displayed, and not to be missed.”

Becoming the Brontës is open to the public from Friday 30 June to Saturday 28 October

Tickets: Free, no booking required

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00am-5.00pm

Location: Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery, Parkinson Building of the University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT

Exhibition webpage

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June 29, 2023