Hollywood – Our Story Insight

Screenwriters union and Hollywood studios reach 4-year tentative deal

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:02:24 +0000

The screenwriters union and Hollywood studios reached a surprise four-year tentative agreement after roughly three weeks of negotiation.

The Writers Guild of America West said on X that its negotiating committee unanimously approved a tentative agreement with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios. The alliance confirmed the deal in a separate statement on its website Saturday.

“We look forward to building on this progress as we continue working toward agreements that support long-term industry stability,” read the alliance statement.

The Writers Guild of America West and The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, said they have reached a new four-year deal. logoboom – stock.adobe.com

The precise terms of the deals were not immediately announced, but it is expected to include several writers’ priorities such as better health care plans and more protections against artificial intelligence. The union said on X that the deal protects the writers’ health plan builds on gains from 2023 and “helps address free work challenges.”

The contract agreement, a year longer than a typical three-year deal, must be approved by the guild’s board and members before it is ratified.

The surprise agreement came within weeks of negotiation — a stark contrast to the contentious contract negotiation three years ago when Hollywood writers went on a historic strike that partially brought the industry to a standstill.

The screenwriters voted almost unanimously to approve that agreement, which provided them with more compensation, length of employment and control of artificial intelligence. The current contract was set to expire in May.

The Writers Guild of America West last went on strike in 2023. AP

The studios were also working on new deals with union leaders representing actors and directors, whose contracts are set to expire at the end of June. Sean Astin, president of the SAG-AFTRA, said in a February interview with the Associated Press that he has seen signs that the studios want “to work as partners again.” Hollywood actors also walked out of their jobs for months in 2023 demanding for a better contract.

The writers’ tentative deal with studios came as the Writers Guild of America West faces an ongoing strike by its own staff union that started in February. More than 100 people working in legal, events and residuals departments went on strike over allegations of unfair labor practice, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It is not clear how, or whether, the weekslong strike would have an impact on the tentative deal with the studios. The union announced last month it canceled its annual award ceremony because of the staff union strike.

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China box office isn’t Hollywood kingmaker it used to be. Here’s why

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:58:13 +0000

Posters of films are on display at a cinema in Shanghai, Aug. 31, 2025.

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images

Hollywood has lost one of its most lucrative theatrical markets. It’s unclear if it will ever win it back.

The Chinese box office was once a coveted space for American-made movies, so much so that studios produced films that would appeal directly to this international audience. But in the postpandemic cinema landscape, Hollywood hasn’t generated the strong ticket sales it once saw for its biggest blockbusters — and a waning relationship with Chinese cinemas is at least partly to blame.

The U.S.-China Film Agreement, struck in 2012 between the two governments, guaranteed 34 U.S. films would be released in China each year. That pact ended in 2017 and was never renewed or renegotiated. At the same time, China began expanding its local film production and instituting blackout dates to promote viewership of its homegrown titles.

Add in strict censorship policies from the China Film Administration and recent political strains between the U.S. and China, and Hollywood films have faced several hurdles just to get distribution in the country post-Covid.

“I think that the kind of euphoria about the world’s largest market and thinking about China as a place that always creates a larger market for U.S. [intellectual property] is not accurate,” said Aynne Kokas, a professor at the University of Virginia and the author of “Hollywood Made in China.”

“[There are] constraints on the market in a couple of ways, first related to content control and not just content control in terms of censorship, but also in terms of control of distribution channels by the party,” Kokas said.

She said the film bureau will “turn on and off the levers of distribution based on the needs of the market.” If local Chinese films are doing well, the country will limit distribution access for foreign films. If there are gaps in film releases or releases aren’t selling as many tickets, it will open up the market.

In 2019, nine U.S. titles each generated more than $100 million at the Chinese box office, with Disney and Marvel Studio’s “Avengers: Endgame” collecting more than $600 million in the region, according to data from Comscore.

In the past five years combined, however, only 10 American films have generated more than $100 million in China, with only two topping $200 million.

The outlier is Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which tallied a record-breaking $650 million in the country following its 2025 release.

Box office analysts tell CNBC that this feat is likely an anomaly and studios and Wall Street shouldn’t expect a sudden resurgence of ticket sales for American-made fare in the region even as major franchises launch ahead of the key summer movie season.

Market nuances

What performs well in the U.S. isn’t guaranteed to succeed in China, despite the massive audience potential.

“There’s not necessarily a one-to-one correlation between popular IP in the U.S. and popular IP in China,” Kokas said.

In some cases, it’s a lack of nostalgia on the part of Chinese audiences. Kokas noted that when Star Wars was introduced in the region with the sequel trilogy in 2015, it fell flat because the previous films from the original and prequel trilogies were never released in China, so the later installments didn’t have the boost of a built-in fanbase.

Distribution experts told CNBC that the Chinese film bureau and audience tend to gravitate toward features that are visual spectacles and apolitical.

Films that have performed well in the region since the pandemic include entries from the Fast & Furious saga, Jurassic World flicks and installments from the Godzilla and King Kong franchises.

Even with the recent lull in ticket sales from Chinese releases, studios aren’t deterred from launching titles in the region. One distribution expert told CNBC that China remains a major theatrical opportunity for American-made films.

“China remains an essential component in any international strategy by U.S.-based studios because there are many hundreds of millions of dollars potentially to be earned there due to an undeniable appetite in the region for the big Hollywood movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore.

Universal’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is the next U.S. entrant into the country, due in theaters this weekend.

The franchise’s first film, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” tallied more than $1.3 billion globally in 2023, but only $25 million of that total came from China.

One distribution expert told CNBC that console games, like Nintendo’s Super Mario franchise, are not as prevalent in the region, meaning the nostalgia that drove $575 million in domestic ticket sales was not a major factor over in China.

Meanwhile, in Japan, where Super Mario is a cultural icon, the film generated $102 million.

Still, the Chinese market helps bolster the overall haul of a film and has the potential to cement a breakout hit. So studios are still willing to give titles a theatrical release in the region.

Also on the docket for distribution in China this year is Universal’s “Michael,” Warner Bros.’ “Mortal Kombat II” and Disney’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

Because of China’s strict censorship policies, films must be completed and screened by the film bureau before they are considered for distribution. Therefore, the Hollywood slate in China is not set in stone in the same way the domestic movie slate is.

But box office analysts expect titles like Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” and Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Three,” as well as Disney and Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday” to also land in Chinese theaters this year.

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Beverly Hills hotspot Croft Alley frequented by Hollywood stars coming to NYC

admin — Sat, 04 Oct 2025 04:52:57 +0000

A Beverly Hills hotspot popular with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford and Kendall Jenner is coming to Manhattan’s chic Soho neighborhood next month, Side Dish has learned.

Restaurateur Michael Della Femina’s Croft Alley – which serves “inspired comfort food” – is slated to open at 210 Sixth Ave. at the corner of Prince Street. Greek eatery Lola Taverna stood there until it shuttered in June.

Della Femina’s father Jerry Della Femina is the 89-year-old ad legend whose memoir “From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor” inspired the “Mad Men” series. Della Femina père owned an eponymous East Hampton eatery that closed in 2011 after almost two decades in business.

Beverly Hills hotspot Croft Alley (above) is coming to Soho this November. Croft Alley

At around 1,500 square feet, Croft Alley will have indoor and hopefully outdoor seating, with entrances on MacDougal Street and Sixth Avenue.

Della Femina’s partners are Adam Rubin, Andrew Shanfeld, Madison Bright and chef Phuong Tran. The new restaurant will serve all-day fare and feature the Croft Alley signature menu with tuna melts and a $30 order of soft scrambled eggs, black truffles, avocado, prosciutto and toast, along with new dishes tailored for NYC.

Della Femina tells Side Dish that he has always been drawn to the neighborhood – his grandfather grew up right by the site of the new restaurant, in a building that is home to Blue Ribbon Sushi today.

Della Femina previously owned The Stork Club on Sullivan Street, where he launched StoreFront Productions. Its current projects include “In the Weeds,” where director/producer pal Michael Mailer – the son of the late novelist Norman Mailer – has joined the cast. It’s now filming in both LA and NYC.

Croft Alley serves “inspired comfort food.” Fried chicken wraps, above. Courtesy of Croft Alley

Croft Alley will also serve a spicy tuna bowl on the menu. Courtesy of Croft Alley

The streaming series is a behind-the-scenes look at the chaos and characters who inhabit a “barely fictional” restaurant with “eccentric staff, demanding investors, intrusive neighbors, and the mounting chaos of hospitality life.”

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Croft Alley has been in LA for 11 years – first in West Hollywood at the Standard Hotel, where it was open 24/7 until the pandemic hit, and now in Beverly Hills, which Della Femina described as “a neighborhood that was desperate for what we provide – fun, casual and unpretentious, with delicious food.”

In Beverly Hills, Croft Alley is a breakfast and lunch spot with private events at night, as well as a weekly cocktail club.

Restaurateur Michael Della Femina said he has always been drawn to the Soho neighborhood. “We’ve been looking for the right space for four years,” he said. Courtesy of Croft Alley

The New York location will be open for dinner, too.

Della Femina, who grew up in New York, said expanding to the Big Apple was a natural step, something his LA clients have been asking for.

“We’ve been looking for the right space for four years,” the restaurateur remarked.

He called his dad a “huge inspiration” whose former East Hampton restaurant is his all-time favorite.

Croft Alley waffle Courtesy of Croft Alley

“I can still taste some of those dishes,” said Della Femina, adding that a signature family dish may also be on the menu.

The decor will likely include a 1940s radio that has been set up at each family restaurant, he said.

We hear… that some beloved NYC eateries are now offering brunch, New Yorkers’ favorite weekend sport, Italian style. In Midtown, Fresco by Scotto, the eatery owned by Good Day New York’s Rosanna Scotto and her family, is launching a Saturday brunch this weekend at 34 E. 52nd St. Think champagne, live music, DJ sets and dishes like cacio e pepe omelettes, tiramisu pancakes with mascarpone and cocoa, egg toast with shaved truffle and fontina on brioche, and a brunch pizza bianca topped with truffle bechamel, wild mushrooms and a sunny-side egg, as well as a Mediterranean chopped salad — all from executive chef Orlando Alvarez. “Bottle service specials” will also be available…

Fresco by Scotto, the eatery owned by Good Day New York’s Rosanna Scotto and her family, is launching a Saturday brunch this weekend at 34 E. 52nd St.

We hear… In the West Village, Dell’anima, the popular Italian restaurant that launched in 2007 and most recently relocated to a chic new 52-seat spot at 18 Cornelia St. this past summer, is launching weekend brunch — part of the eatery’s revival by longtime partners Andrew Whitney, the executive chef; Danir Rincon, the general manager; and Jacob Cohen. Dishes include uovo al purgatorio, baked eggs in a tomato base with pancetta and herbs; uovo funghi, poached eggs in a parmesan polenta with mushrooms; a smash burger with pancetta, fried egg, remoulade, carmelized onion and fontina; and French toast. They’ve also introduced new fall cocktails like “Fall Into It,” with rum, pomegranate juice, spiced demerara syrup, cranberry juice and lemon; and “Rose That Negroni,” with gin, lillet, aperol and rose.

Dell’anima in the West Village is launching weekend brunch. MATTHEW BOROWICK

We hear… that chef and restaurateur Djamel Omari’s Canto West Village – the popular Italian hotspot known on TikTok for its frozen espresso martinis with marscapone cheese and its bright red door – now has a 120-square-foot sidekick. Canto Café opened next door, at 117 West Houston St., in September. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., the new café is making a name for its trendy breakfast chicken Caesar salad with an egg wrap.

Chicken Caesar salad with an egg wrap. Canto Café

Lunch options include soups and house-made pastas. Other dishes include beef-chopped cheese with ground beef, green peppers, garlic aioli, tomatoes with chipotle sauce on ciabatta bread and a caponata pasta salad with fusilli, fresh mozzarella, olives, grape tomatoes, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini and pesto sauce. Grab and go or stay at one of three window seats. For those who can’t make it to the West Village, there’s also an outpost, Canto Upper West Side, at 2014 Broadway.

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Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-attorney accused of parole breach in $836K gambling spree

admin — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 03:09:55 +0000

Federal lawmakers have accused a Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-attorney of breaching her parole to bet thousands of dollars on slot machines.

Vanessa Motta has been under investigation for staging vehicle crashes to cash in on insurance claims and has been under the strict stipulation that she respects the boundaries of a parole order.

BREAKING:

⁦@EDLAnews⁩ wants Vanessa Motta jailed until her March 2nd trial.

They claim she violated her bond and gambled at ⁦@BeauBiloxi⁩.

Her defense lawyer says it’s complete ‘government overreach’

Story https://t.co/Kzt4jMqQgM https://t.co/Kzt4jMqQgM

— Travers Mackel (@TraversWDSU) August 7, 2025

Attorney breaks parole to gamble thousands

The Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi, is the site where the New Orleans attorney was accused of breaching her parole.

The attorney, who is under scrutiny, is reported to have wagered $836,401.81 on slot gaming in her multiple trips to the Groundhog State, but for her most recent venture Motta should have notified her parole officer to receive special dispensation to do so.

Motta on parole for involvement in DOJ case

Motta was involved in a case that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice described as a “thirteen-count second superseding indictment,” returned by a grand jury on April 25, 2025, in connection with a scheme to stage automobile collisions in the New Orleans area.

This included Motta being charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1343, and 1349. Mail fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. Obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1503(a) and witness tampering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(1)(B).

Nola reported on the alleged parole breach saying that Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to step in and revoke Motta’s $25,000 bond or modify the terms to forbid gambling.

The news outlet also stated that the “suspended attorney misled her Pretrial Services officer so she could leave the state multiple times to bet large sums that could have gone to pay restitution if she is convicted, according to court records.”

Motta will now face a judge in a decision making process as part of a bond revocation hearing, on August 13, 2025.

Featured image: Great Day Louisiana via YouTube

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Skydance boss David Ellison tells Hollywood pals that Paramount merger will close before end of summer: sources

admin — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:51:09 +0000

Skydance Media boss David Ellison has been striking an upbeat tone in his quest to purchase Shari Redstone’s Paramount, On The Money has learned.

The budding movie mogul’s quiet confidence to media insiders in recent days may seem a bit odd for regular readers of On The Money. We’ve been chronicling how the $8 billion deal faces significant headwinds from the Trump administration’s regulatory apparatus, and the president’s own legal team.

Not according to Ellison, however. In fact, the son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison has been telling people in TV and movie circles out in Los Angeles that he believes the deal will go through before the end of summer – well before its drop-dead date in October when both sides need to walk away if the deal isn’t completed, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

David Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle founder Larry Ellison, has been telling people in TV and movie circles out in Los Angeles that he believes the deal will go through before the end of summer. AFP via Getty Images

It’s unclear exactly why Ellison – whose independent studio has produced hits like “Top Gun: Maverick” and the latest “Mission: Impossible” sequels – is so optimistic because much of the news surrounding the transaction has been anything but encouraging.

Trump’s regulators are stalling their mandatory approval as they investigate if Paramount’s CBS News subsidiary violated Federal Communications Commission guidelines that its content must be free of political bias; conservatives have complained about CBS’s left-wing bias for years – a charge the network has vehemently denied.

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Trump has also filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS in Texas federal court, charging the network’s “60 Minutes” with violating an obscure state business law in a case involving its controversial interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election. Trump claims the sit-down with his Democratic opponent was deceptively edited. Paramount believes the deal’s regulatory approval is contingent on a settlement.

Yet, as On The Money previously reported, Redstone’s management team and board are worried about being on the hook for bribery charges if the payment is seen as a quid-pro-quo to get the deal done. That’s because their boss, Redstone, would receive a $2 billion payout once the merger is complete.

But maybe Ellison knows something we don’t know. Both sides in the lawsuit have recently held settlement discussions, On The Money has learned. They’ve discussed a payment of $35 million to end the lawsuit, a far cry from the $20 billion headline number and lower than the $50 million Team Trump originally sought.

As On The Money has reported, a potential settlement has been discussed where CBS runs millions of dollars in public service ads for causes of the president’s liking, such as combating antisemitism, as well as making a lower cash payment.

Sources say the mediator has warmed up to the idea of PSAs and a smaller monetary payment than what Trump has sought. But it’s unclear if Trump will agree to those terms.

Shari Redstone would receive a $2 billion payout once the merger is complete. REUTERS

“President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, hoaxes, and lies to account,” Trump lawyer Ed Paltzik told On The Money on Wednesday.

“CBS and Paramount targeted the president in an attempt to harm his reputation while committing the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history. President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion.”

A Paramount spokesman had no comment. A spokeswoman for David Ellison declined comment.

Trump recently praised the Oracle scion as someone who will be great running Paramount, and would change the culture at CBS, or as Trump put it (in his usual understated way): “They are all getting fired” when ownership changes.

Trump recently praised the Oracle scion as someone who will be great running Paramount, and would change the culture at CBS. Christopher Sadowski

David Ellison’s dad, Larry Ellison is supplying the money (some of his $250 billion in net worth) for the Paramount merger, and as reported, he has an open line to the White House given his relationship with the president.

Media industry insiders say there could also be a scenario where the deal is approved before the lawsuit is settled. Ellison then could write Trump the check after he takes over at Paramount.

Charlie Gasparino has his finger on the pulse of where business, politics and finance meet

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Or maybe Paramount is ready to just bite the bullet and pay Trump close to what he wants. Legal experts say any bribery case would be a stretch in court. Trump has been wringing settlements out of other companies over similar squabbles, and Paramount could make the case that even paying Trump $50 million is less than the cost of litigation.

So, there might be good reasons for David Ellison’s optimism that he will bag both a major movie studio and the Tiffany Network.

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Hollywood Filmmaker Charged With $11 Million Conspiracy to Defraud Netflix

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 22:36:29 +0000

The Justice Department on Tuesday charged Carl Erik Rinsch, whom Netflix hired to make a science-fiction series that was never completed, with an $11 million scheme to defraud the company.

According to the indictment, which was announced by prosecutors for the Southern District of New York and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office, Mr. Rinsch secured funding from the streaming company from 2018 to early 2020. But he put the money in a personal brokerage account and ultimately used it to trade securities, instead of putting it toward the series, the indictment says.

Federal prosecutors charged Mr. Rinsch, who was arrested on Tuesday in West Hollywood, Calif., with wire fraud, money laundering and engaging in monetary transactions derived from unlawful activity.

The indictment does not cite Netflix by name. But the company has been involved in public disputes over the filmmaker’s planned series, which was initially called “White Horse” but was renamed “Conquest.” Last year, an arbitrator ruled that Mr. Rinsch owed the company nearly $12 million in damages and legal fees.

“Carl Rinsch allegedly stole more than $11 million from a prominent streaming platform to finance lavish purchases and personal investments instead of completing a promised television series,” Leslie Backschies, an F.B.I. assistant director, said in a statement.

The New York Times covered the dispute between Mr. Rinsch and the streaming giant in 2023. He had sold Netflix the television show near the height of the streaming boom a few years earlier. But Netflix canceled the development of the show in early 2021 after Mr. Rinsch’s behavior turned erratic. In texts and emails to Netflix executives, he claimed to have discovered Covid-19’s secret transmission mechanism and told his wife, a producer on the show, that he could predict earthquakes and lightning strikes.

After Netflix informed Mr. Rinsch that it had decided to stop funding “Conquest,” he went on a spending spree with the show’s remaining production money, living out of five-star hotels in California and Spain, and buying a fleet of luxury cars and high-end furniture. He said the cars and furniture were props for the show, but the arbitrator, Rita Miller, a former Los Angeles Superior Court judge, ruled that none of the purchases were necessary for the production.

He never produced any episodes of the series, and Netflix had to write off the $55 million it spent on the project.

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