In Development
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Disney Expanding ‘Mulan’ PVOD Access to FandangoNow, Vudu
Disney’s high-profile premium video-on-demand (Premier Access) experiment releasing live-action movie Mulan to Disney+ subscribers, is now expanding to FandangoNow and Vudu.com. Disney will make the movie available Oct. 6 on Vudu and FandangoNow, with pre-orders available now for the same $29.99 purchase price in SD, HD or 4K UHD currently offered to Disney+ subscribers. Consumers … Continue reading “Disney Expanding ‘Mulan’ PVOD Access to FandangoNow, Vudu”
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Tom Green Comedy ‘Interviewing Monsters and Bigfoot’ Due on Demand Oct. 6 From Level 33
The comedy Interviewing Monsters and Bigfoot will come out on demand Oct. 6 from Level 33 Entertainment. The Canadian duo of Tom Green (Road Trip, Charlie’s Angels, Freddy Got Fingered, “The Tom Green Podcast”) and Les Stroud (“Survivorman,” “Beyond Survival,” 100 Days: Yukon) star in the film about a dysfunctional protagonist, a twisted narrative, and a series of events that builds into … Continue reading “Tom Green Comedy ‘Interviewing Monsters and Bigfoot’ Due on Demand Oct. 6 From Level 33”
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Vertical Entertainment’s ‘Ava’ Tops Apple TV, Google Play Transactional VOD Charts
Jessica Chastain’s turn as femme fatale assassin in Vertical Entertainment’s Ava generated the most $6.99 transactional VOD purchases on Apple TV and Google Play as of Sept. 28. The title, which was released on digital retail channels Sept. 25, finished second on FandangoNow to Lionsgate’s $19.99 VOD release, Antebellum. Both Fandango and subsidiary Vudu.com rank titles … Continue reading “Vertical Entertainment’s ‘Ava’ Tops Apple TV, Google Play Transactional VOD Charts”
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HBO Max, Warner Bros. Begin Production on New Steven Soderbergh Crime Thriller
HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures Sept. 28 began production on one of the studio’s first feature films during the Covid-19 era. The film, No Sudden Move, is directed by Oscar/Emmy winner Steven Soderbergh. The cast and crew is operating under strict pandemic safety protocols with a priority on the health and safety of all employees … Continue reading “HBO Max, Warner Bros. Begin Production on New Steven Soderbergh Crime Thriller”
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4K Ultra HD: Into the Vaults — Prepping Films for 4K Ultra HD is a Journey of Discovery
With theaters and production hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic, home entertainment is putting its best foot forward this holiday season. Content owners are polishing catalog classics in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with high dynamic range — the highest standard in home entertainment. With new releases slowing, blockbusters of yesteryear are filling the theatrical slate gap. … Continue reading “4K Ultra HD: Into the Vaults — Prepping Films for 4K Ultra HD is a Journey of Discovery”
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Amazon Prime Day Set for Oct. 13-14
Amazon Sept. 28 confirmed online scuttlebutt that it would hold its annual Prime Day ecommerce sales event Oct. 13-14. The news follows Amazon’s unveiling of a range of new and updated consumer electronics devices, including Luna online gaming system and controller, and globe-shaped Echo speakers. Prime Day kicks off at midnight PT on Tuesday, Oct. … Continue reading “Amazon Prime Day Set for Oct. 13-14”
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Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s TikTok Ban in the U.S.
With President Trump’s Aug. 6 executive order banning social media video app TikTok in the United States set to go into effect today (Sept. 27), a federal court judge in Washington D.C. has reportedly approved a preliminary injunction blocking the order. TikTok owner, Chinese-based ByteDance, Sept. 23 filed for an expedited preliminary injunction against Trump’s … Continue reading “Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s TikTok Ban in the U.S.”
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HBO Max, Amblin Ink Deal for Series Inspired by ‘Rashomon’
Amblin Television and HBO Max have entered into a deal to develop a show inspired by the acclaimed Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon. Oscar nominees Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games, The Comey Rule) and Virgil Williams (Mudbound, A Journal for Jordan) will be writers on the series. The series will not be an adaptation but will retain the … Continue reading “HBO Max, Amblin Ink Deal for Series Inspired by ‘Rashomon’”
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GOP Senators Question Netflix’s Planned Chinese-Based Sci-Fi Series
A group of Republican senators has sent a letter to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos questioning why the SVOD behemoth plans to adapt Chinese sci-fi trilogy, “A Three-Body Problem,” by author Cixin Liu into an original series. “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been tasked with creating the series for Netflix about … Continue reading “GOP Senators Question Netflix’s Planned Chinese-Based Sci-Fi Series”
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HBO Max Greenlights ‘Suicide Squad’ Spinoff Series ‘Peacemaker’ Starring Jon Cena
HBO Max ordered the production of eight episodes for new action-comedy series, “Peacemaker,” starring actor and WWE superstar John Cena, reprising his character from the upcoming Warner Bros. movie, The Suicide Squad. The movie’s writer/director James Gunn will write all eight episodes of “Peacemaker,” and will direct multiple episodes, including the first. Gunn and The … Continue reading “HBO Max Greenlights ‘Suicide Squad’ Spinoff Series ‘Peacemaker’ Starring Jon Cena”
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Europa+ SVOD Service Launches in Latin America
A new subscription streaming video service based in Atlanta has launched operations in Latin America. Dubbed Europa+ (Europa Más), the $5.99 monthly service features content from the U.K., Germany, France and Nordics. Designed for European ex-pats, Latin Americans of European descent and the large community of those passionate about European culture throughout the region, Europa+ … Continue reading “Europa+ SVOD Service Launches in Latin America”
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Disney Delays Theatrical ‘Black Widow’ Release to May 2021; Exhibitor Stocks Drop
In another blow to the beleaguered exhibitor business, Walt Disney Studios Sept. 23 announced it would delay the planned Marvel Studios’ Black Widow actioner theatrical release, starring Scarlett Johansson, to May 2021 from the previous Nov. 6 launch date. Disney is also delaying by 12 months a reboot of West Side Story from director Steven … Continue reading “Disney Delays Theatrical ‘Black Widow’ Release to May 2021; Exhibitor Stocks Drop”