Showbiz Sandbox
Showbiz Sandbox 514: Has Disney Lost Its Soul?
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, things are not getting any easier for the Walt Disney Company. The company, long a cheerleader for the theatrical moviegoing experience, has just moved the latest Pixar film to its streaming platform, Disney+. Meanwhile, Disneyland still hasn’t been allowed to open and now a well known activist investor is making all sorts of problems for the media giant.
When cinemas do finally reopen there will be a glut of Marvel and DC titles trying to find release dates. Presently, they can only play at a drive-in, which by the way now qualifies a movie for an Academy Award. It’s also the only kind of movie theater New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is allowing to open.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why artists are debuting at the top of the music charts more frequently, why the ad spend during the TV upfronts is down this year and Broadway will remain closed until at least May of 2021.
China box office: National Day revenues rank as second highest ever with $580m
https://deadline.com/2020/10/monster-hunter-release-date-change-milla-jovovich-1234591362/
NY State: Ingress and Egress From NYC Movie Theaters Is A Big Issue
https://deadline.com/2020/10/movie-theater-ingress-egress-concern-of-ny-state-where-ongoing-theater-closures-are-sparking-heated-debate-1234591685
‘Monster Hunter’ Officially Dated Stateside For December
https://deadline.com/2020/10/monster-hunter-release-date-change-milla-jovovich-1234591362/
Imax Furloughs 150 Employees
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/imax-furloughs-150-u-s-employees-exclusive-1234796516/
NATO Renews Call To #SaveYourCinema, Asks Moviegoers To Send Half A Million Letters To Congress
https://deadline.com/2020/10/nato-renews-call-to-saveyourcinema-asks-moviegoers-to-send-half-million-letters-to-congress-1234593808/
Marvel and DC Movies Will Flood Theaters in 2021 and 2022 — If They Can All Be Made in Time
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/marvel-studios-dc-films-release-dates-1234782887/
Broadway Extends Shutdown Through May 2021
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/broadway-extends-shutdown-through-may-2021
Inside TV’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Upfront
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/tv-advertising-coronavirus-upfront-streaming-video-1234795555/
California Gov. Gavin Newsom Says Disneyland & Other Parks Not Opening Soon
https://deadline.