More from Winston Cho
Producer Jason Van Eman Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison Over $60M Fraud Scheme
Jason Van Eman, a producer and former actor, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for defrauding investors out of more than $60 million. A federal judge in Florida delivered the sentence on Thursday after a jury found Van Eman, 44, guilty of wire fraud and money laundering, according to court records. He must […]
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Apple Settles Suit Against Chicago Over City’s Tax on Streaming Services
Apple and Chicago have come to terms on a deal to drop the tech giant’s lawsuit challenging the city’s first-of-its-kind tax on users of streaming services. In an order issued on Wednesday, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Duffy dismissed the case. Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed. Chicago introduced a so-called “Netflix tax” in […]
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Los Angeles TV Shoot Days Decline, But Overall Filming Remains Robust
Filming in Los Angeles stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in the second-quarter of 2022 after posting three consecutive all-time quarterly records. Despite a drop-off in shooting from the start of the year, local production from April to June finished 2.7 percent and 6.8 percent ahead of the same periods in 2018 and 2019 respectively, according to […]
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Timothy Hutton Countersued by ‘Leverage: Redemption’ Producer Over Contract Dispute
A bitter court battle is brewing over Timothy Hutton’s dismissal from the reboot for Leverage after he was accused of raping a teenager in 1983. Responding to a lawsuit filed by the actor claiming his deal was breached, series producer Electric Entertainment alleges Hutton “intentionally withheld and concealed” attempting to pay off the victim in […]
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New ‘Star Wars’ Series, Shonda Rhimes’ ‘The Residence’ Top Shows Nabbing California Tax Credits
Seven TV series — five new and two relocating — have been selected to receive $90.8 million in tax incentives for shooting in California, the state’s film office said Monday. HBO, granted $30 million in credits, came out on top in this round of tax breaks, followed by Disney’s Lucasfilm ($20.9 million), Warner Bros. Discovery […]
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One ‘Rust’ Producer Dodges Some Claims in Suit From Script Supervisor
A Rust producer escaped some claims in a lawsuit from the movie’s script supervisor who argued that the producer was at fault over the on-set shooting in October that resulted in the death and injury of two crew members. A Los Angeles judge on Thursday dismissed claims of assault and infliction of emotional distress against […]
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Private Equity Money Picks Hollywood as Smart Bet Even in Downturn
Hollywood executives may be worried about a cooling in content spending, but the smart money doesn’t seem to be. Even though companies like Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney have indicated that they will be more prudent with their content investments, private equity firms are continuing to invest in entertainment assets at a torrid pace. […]
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Twitter’s Case Against Elon Musk Might Be Tougher Than Expected
Elon Musk has spent the past two months dragging Twitter through the mud. He divulged internal company data about its bot check sample size. He claimed chief executive Parag Agrawal misrepresented Twitter’s daily user estimate. He even accused the company of lying about the number of spambots and fake accounts on the platform — going […]
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Hollywood’s Spending in New Mexico Hits $855M
Direct spending in New Mexico by film, TV and digital media productions reached $855 million in fiscal year 2022 that ended June 30, the state’s governor’s office said Thursday. New Mexico’s film and television industry has continued to grow: spending more than doubled from $292 million in 2020 to $626.5 million in 2021. It’s not […]
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Appeals Court Orders Unsealing of Closed-Door Testimony in Polanski Case
A state appeals court Wednesday ordered the unsealing of a former prosecutor’s testimony in the criminal case against Roman Polanski. The ruling could eventually draw to a close the 45-year-old legal saga. California’s Second Appellate District issued the order after the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office lifted its opposition to unseal transcripts of closed-door testimony […]
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Twitter Sues Elon Musk to Enforce $44B Takeover
Twitter has sued Elon Musk over his decision to scrap a $44 billion takeover of the social media company, arguing he’s required to consummate the deal in accordance with the merger agreement. “Having mounted a public spectacle to put Twitter in play, and having proposed and then signed a seller-friendly merger agreement, Musk apparently believes […]
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L.A. District Attorney Won’t Oppose Roman Polanski’s Effort to Unseal Testimony From Prosecutor in 1977 Case
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is no longer opposing a request to unseal a former prosecutor’s testimony that Roman Polanski claims will reveal misconduct from a judge, thus warranting dismissal of the decades-old case against him. Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday lifted their opposition to unseal transcripts of closed-door testimony from the original […]
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