Photo Credit: King Records

Japan’s ‘Hypnosis Mic: Divisional Rap Battle’ is getting an interactive feature film to release in February next year. The franchise was developed by King Records in 2017.

The multimedia franchise “Hypnosismic,” developed in Japan by King Records in 2017, is set to expand and release an interactive feature film, “Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle,” due out in February next year.

Developed by King Records in 2017, the franchise revolves around a world where weapons have been banned and men fight for supremacy through rap battles. Currently, the franchise includes music, radio dramas, manga, stage productions, games, and an animated TV series (anime).

The new film will be directed by Tsujimoto Takanori through Polygon Pictures, with a screenplay by Momose Yuichiro, who previously developed the franchise’s story, characters, and games.

Pitched as Japan’s first interactive movie, the film involves a new rap battle, the story and winner of which can vary at each screening. The outcomes are driven by real-time polling of the audience members through their smartphones.

“Since its inception in 2017, ‘Hypnosismic’ has captivated a vast global fanbase,” said the film’s producers. “As Japan’s first interactive film, ‘Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle’ not only elevates the commercial value of the IP but also enhances the viewer experience by engaging audiences in its unique interactive format.”

“Interactive movies are more than an entertainment novelty. They embody a profound integration of technology and film,” they continue. “This format introduces new business and revenue models for the film industry, moving beyond traditional cinema big screen into a multi-platform approach that includes gaming, streaming services, and location-based entertainment.”

Details of the new film were unveiled at the AGF2024 event in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district over the weekend. Ticket pre-booking began immediately ahead of a theatrical release through Toho Next, beginning on February 21, 2025.

The first anime series premiered in October 2020, with a second season airing in 2023. These were animated by a different production house, A-1 Pictures, and featured different staff. The series ran with a simulcast on Funimation, Sony’s specialty streamer that has since merged with anime streaming platform Crunchyroll.

Photo Credit: Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson / Kevin Mazur / Lionsgate

Lionsgate announces the delay of its Michael Jackson biopic, ‘Michael,’ now slated for a wide release on October 3, 2025.

Lionsgate is gearing up for a busy 2025, and it’s shifting its Michael Jackson biopic into a later release as a result. The company announced on Tuesday that Michael, its Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, is moving back by six months to an October 3, 2025 release. The film was originally slated for an April 18 release.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, and starring the late pop star’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, the film’s cast is rounded out by Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The film is based on a script by John Logan, with Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain as producers.

“Why I wanted to make it is, Michael was a big part of my life growing up, big influence on my career, and incredible artist — but he was a human being, and we’re exploring that,” said Fuqua during a San Diego Comic-Con panel in July. “I’m very excited about it.”

The film was revealed to feature 30 songs with a lengthy runtime, in order to do the star’s story justice. Footage was first shared at CinemaCon in April.

Michael’s new release date in October puts it in a prime position for awards shows next year. Notably, the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, also produced by King, opened on November 18, 2018, to $51 million in the US. It ended up grossing $903.6 million worldwide and secured four Oscars.

Lionsgate is also releasing the comedy, Good Fortune, on October 17, which stars Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, and Seth Rogen. Footage of the film also debuted at CinemaCon last spring and received plenty of laughs. The film was written, directed, and produced by Ansari, and also stars Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.

Photo Credit: The Weeknd by R. Totzke / CC by 4.0

The Weeknd’s upcoming film, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ is getting worldwide theatrical distribution from Lionsgate. The film also stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.

The Weeknd’s upcoming feature film-starring debut, the psychological thriller “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” will get worldwide theatrical distribution via Lionsgate. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” stars Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan, and is directed by Trey Edward Shults.

The film serves as an extension of The Weeknd’s upcoming album of the same name, the release date of which is yet to be announced. The album stands alongside the film’s score by The Weeknd and Daniel Lopatin.

“Abel is a visionary whose art cannot be confined by any single medium,” says Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson. “With ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ in partnership with Trey, his musical universe expands onto the big screen with a psychological thriller that will usher in a new cinematic experience for fans. We are thrilled to be bringing it to audiences worldwide.”

Produced by Tesfaye’s Manic Phase and Reza Fahim, alongside the late Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss, the film is executive produced by Ortega, Shults, Michael Rapino, Ryan Kroft, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, and Harrison Huffman. Chayse Irvin is director of photography. Erin Benach and Hannah Jacobs serve as costume designers, and Elliott Hostetter heads production design.

Hurry Up Tomorrow is the third in The Weeknd’s trilogy of studio albums, following 2022’s Dawn FM and 2020’s After Hours. The third album serves as the final chapter in the trilogy, chock full of existential and self-referential themes.

The film will be The Weeknd’s latest foray into film and television, having co-created and starred in the 2023 series “The Idol” alongside Lily-Rose Depp. As a musician, The Weeknd has sold over 75 million records and is one of the most-streamed artists on Spotify.

Randy Newman, who’s inked a song rights deal with Litmus Music. Photo Credit: Pamela Springsteen

Another day, another high-profile song rights deal – this time involving Randy Newman, who’s sold an interest in his catalog to Carlyle Global Credit-backed Litmus Music.

Litmus formally revealed its latest investment today, about six weeks after reportedly scooping up Opus Music Group. Running with the newer deal, the purchasing party says it’s specifically secured 80-year-old “Randy Newman’s share of his recorded music and publishing.”

Like with most recent catalog purchases, the buyer, at least in its official announcement, opted against identifying the precise financials at hand. (Other massive catalog deals are apparently closing without so much as a public disclosure.)

But Litmus did indicate that the agreement extends to the Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee’s well-known work on animated films including Toy Story as well as its sequels (Newman is the sole producer and songwriter on “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”), Cars, Monsters, Inc., and more.

Also as described by Litmus, the play includes a variety of Newman hits from decades past, among them 1983’s “I Love L.A.,” the 90s’ “Feels Like Home,” 1967’s “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” and Monk theme “It’s a Jungle Out There,” to name just a few.

All told, besides a variety of soundtrack albums (including for 1998’s Pleasantville and the more recent Marriage Story), Newman has released about a dozen full-length solo studio projects, including an eponymous 1968 debut and 2017’s Dark Matter.

Though Newman didn’t provide a statement about the sale for Litmus’ release, co-founder and CCO Dan McCarroll emphasized that he and his team “couldn’t be more proud and excited to acquire Randy’s catalog of beautiful, witty, and sharply observational songs.”

And in remarks of his own, Litmus co-founder and CEO Hank Forsyth touted the professional accomplishments and career of the 23-time Grammy nominee and seven-time winner.

“Randy’s music has touched so many generations,” communicated Forsyth. “His songs continue to transcend time and illuminate films. Dan and I and the entire Litmus team are so grateful Randy has trusted us as his partner to care for these songs and recordings. It is an honor and responsibility we don’t take lightly.”

For Litmus, the Newman partnership follows several seemingly sizable deals – including, besides the initially mentioned Opus play, IP pacts with Katy Perry, Benny Blanco, and, in its first investment after arriving on the scene in 2022, Keith Urban. (Details about these and hundreds of others are compiled in DMN Pro’s Music IP Acquisition Tracker.)

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the end of the company that kicked off the catalog-purchase craze, the likes of Reservoir Media, Sony Music (it turns out Pink Floyd was serious about selling after all), Jonas Group Publishing, Primary Wave, and HarbourView Equity Partners are still racking up song-rights investments as well.

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Post Production Services

Sony Pictures Post Production Services has acquired more than four dozen licenses for Harrison’s MPC Channel Strip software across 14 mix stages.

The Sony Pictures Post Production Services sound team installed the first of many Harrison MPC film re-recording consoles back in 1992 — the product of a design collaboration between the manufacturer and Jeff Taylor, chief engineer at the studio’s Culver City facility.

Thirty years later, post-production workflows have evolved significantly, but Sony Pictures’ engineers continue to utilize Harrison’s powerful audio processing tools, with more than four dozen licenses for Harrison’s MPC Channel Strip software in place across 14 mix stages.

“We have a lot of mix stages here at Sony Pictures Post Production Services, and cover both feature film and episodic television,” says Mark Onks, Post Production Sound Engineer, who has been a witness to those changing workflows since he arrived at Sony Pictures Post Production 26 years ago.

Back then, mag machines and analog consoles were the standard. But these days, Sony’s stages are largely standardized on a DAW workflow, or hybrid configurations with the MPC consoles.

“We are using the Harrison MPC Channel Strip plug-ins to emulate how mixers in the past have shaped and contoured their sound sources and elements with familiar tools,” Onks continues. “They are rebuilding a Harrison console in the software world.”

“The MPC Channel Strip plug-in primarily is used to do EQ, dynamics, de-noising, de-essing, and other things with a great deal of similarity and feel as the old MPC consoles,” he says. “They work the same way and the response of the filters, the equalizers and the dynamics control is similar in feel and function to the original hardware version. The consoles have been around for eons, and a lot of big movies have been made using that signal flow.”

The MPC Channel Strip plug-in, which combines six components derived from the advanced DSP of Harrison’s MPC 5 ‘motion picture’ digital mixing console, offers a parametric eight-band EQ with RTA, a pair of multi-pole filters, a two-band de-esser, a two-band de-noiser, a compressor and control of routing, trim and polarity.

“It’s convenient that all of those functions are in one window, as opposed to having a de-esser here, a compressor there,” says Onks. “Plus, it’s fast, and the visual feedback shows you what’s happening to the sound. It’s like an extension of the MPC console in many ways.”

One feature of the Harrison MPC Channel Strip is especially useful to mix engineers, Onks explains. “I think one of the things that makes this particular plug-in very powerful is the fact that you can change the order in which the signal flows through the various functions. You could put the compressor before the EQ, or the de-noiser after; you can slide them around and make your own choices. That’s not often offered in software intended for mixing motion-picture sound, so we really appreciate that.” This flexibility was also a feature of the MPC console.

The ongoing relationship between Harrison and Sony Pictures Post Production Facilities resulted in the installation of numerous MPC models over the years. In 2013, Sony Pictures was one of the first studios to install the new MPC5 digital film console on the lot’s recently renovated Stage 17. The following year, the William Holden Theater was upgraded with a new Harrison Xrange processing system.

During the 25-year period following the launch of the MPC, through the introduction of the MPC3-D and MPC4-D consoles, followed by the Xrange DSP platform, Harrison came to dominate the motion picture sound post-production market worldwide.

Sony Pictures may have embraced Harrison software, but there is no shortage of hardware on the lot. “We still have some Harrison MPC consoles active in the music sections of the bigger stages,” says Onks, including the Burt Lancaster Theater, Kim Novak Theater, and William Holden Theater, where 32-fader sections are available.

“We also rely heavily on the backend of the Harrison Xrange system,” he says. “Xrange is a very powerful backbone for us to use with the more current workflows in the digital audio workstations. It does all the routing and speaker management prior to the processors for the speaker systems in the rooms, now that we are Atmos everywhere. The Novak and the Holden both do Auro3D as well. We cover all the formats: Atmos, Auro, IMAX; you name it.”

The MPC plug-in is also not the only Harrison software in use on the Sony lot, Onks reports. “Some of the other plug-ins, like the AVA De-esser, are used on their own in a few cases in a few of the TV stages. But the MPC Channel Strip is the one that’s used in most of the features stages here.”

Harrison has been designing, manufacturing, and marketing audio mixing consoles in Music City (Nashville, Tennessee) since 1975. Over 1,500 Harrison consoles have been installed worldwide, constituting a significant share of the overall world market for high-end audio consoles.

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

Lady Gaga reportedly made $12 million to portray Harleen Quinzel in the box office flop, ‘Joker: Folie À Deux.’ Reactions to the musical format have been less than stellar, with many critics saying Gaga was underutilized in her role as Harley Quinn.

The decision to make the sequel to 2019’s Joker a musical is a strange one that seemingly has not landed with viewing audiences. Variety reports that the Joker sequel has earned $51.5 million domestically and $165 million globally since release two weeks ago. Those numbers handily under perform the first movie, which raked in $96.2 million domestically and $248.4 million globally after just three days. Variety reports that ticket sales are projected to stall around $65 million domestically and $210-215 million globally when the film concludes its theater run.

It’s unclear if Warner Bros. will make its money back on the investment, as the sequel reportedly cost $200 million to produce and $100 million to market and distribute. Sources at Warner Bros. say the film needs to earn $375 million to break even—but with a 33% rotten rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s unclear who is left to see one of the biggest box office flops this year. The film will hit streaming platforms on October 29 which could generate more interest from home viewers uninterested in attending a theater showing for a critically-panned movie.

So why the big price tag on producing the sequel? Reports suggest the high price is from fees to director Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix, and Lady Gaga. Both Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix pocketed $20 million to return to their respective roles, while Lady Gaga pocketed a cool $12 million to portray Arkham inmate Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel.

Musicals have traditionally performed poorly at the box office for a variety of reasons. Casual movie-goers are more interested in seeing action and thriller movies, while Hollywood itself tends to hide the fact that a movie may be a musical in its marketing and promotional materials.

Photo Credit: Megan Thee Stallion by Ashley Graham / CC by 4.0

Megan Thee Stallion stars in her first full-length documentary, ‘In Her Words,’ from Amazon MGM Studios, premiering on October 31.

Megan Thee Stallion is getting ready for her annual Hottieween celebration in style, with a full-length documentary on the way from Amazon MGM Studios. The documentary, In Her Words, premieres on October 31 on Prime Video.

“I’m nervous and excited for y’all to see it, but it’s finally here,” Megan wrote on Instagram.

Directed by Nneka Onuorah — best known for directing the eight-episode Lizzo series, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls — the two-hour documentary follows Megan Thee Stallion through her rise to stardom in hip-hop and beyond.

“Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words offers unprecedented access to the multi-faceted woman behind the persona,” reads a synopsis for the film. “Follow the Houston native’s journey on the road to stardom as she tenaciously navigates fame, grief, pressure, and success. The documentary unpacks Megan’s most vulnerable moments in a powerful way that allows fans to meet the real Megan Pete.”

The film promises to highlight Megan’s struggles in addition to her meteoric rise to fame, and enable her to control her own narrative. Her mother, who was also her manager early in her career, passed away after a battle with brain cancer in 2019, and her great-grandmother passed away only two weeks later.

On top of that, Megan dealt with the aftermath of being shot in the foot by her former friend and fellow recording artist, Tory Lanez, in 2020. Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August 2023 after a lengthy court battle. During the ordeal, Megan experienced a constant barrage of harassment from the public and broader music industry.

“I was very scared that I was not able to be Megan Thee Stallion no more,” the star told Rolling Stone in 2022. “I’m trying every day to get through it and be good. I feel so bad because I don’t feel like anybody’s taking me seriously, but I don’t want them to see me cry. I don’t want them to know that I feel like this, because I don’t want them to feel like, ‘Oh, I got you. I’m breaking you.’”

Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words premieres on Amazon Prime on Halloween, October 31.

Photo Credit: Chris Brown by Eva Rinaldi / CC by 2.0

Chris Brown’s domestic violence accuser has revealed her identity ahead of a bombshell new documentary on the singer.

Earlier this month, a woman who accused Chris Brown of attacking her in 2016, has come forward for the first time on social media to reveal her identity ahead of her appearance in a new documentary about Brown. The film, Chris Brown: A History of Violence, was announced by Investigation Discovery in September.

A trailer for the film revealed that a new accuser would tell their story for the first time. That accuser is now known to be Liziane Gutierrez. In her Instagram post, Gutierrez wrote she isn’t sure if she’s “psychologically ready to face the consequences of appearing in this documentary,” but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let people know what she had been through and to tell her side of the story.

“Several women agreed to participate and share their stories. We all went through a similar situation,” she wrote. “We can’t be against domestic violence and simply ignore some cases, or, even worse, blame the victim. This is an investigative documentary in which I provided some evidence from the facts that happened with me back in 2016.”

“I can’t say much now, but please watch it when it airs on October 27, and then we can talk more about it once it’s released,” Gutierrez continued. “For now, I’m just going to leave a question for [you] all: If someone is lying about you, would you pay for their silence?”

The public has general knowledge of Chris Brown’s attack on Rihanna in 2009, in addition to alleged sexual assaults throughout his career. But the documentary will reportedly focus on previously unknown cases, such as Gutierrez and her story.

“With expert and cultural commentary layered in throughout, the documentary provides thoughtful reflections into each survivor’s experience and the psychological destruction in the aftermath of their abuse,” said the film’s producers in a statement.

Photo Credit: R. Kelly by comechatwidmi / CC by 3.0

The daughter of disgraced singer R. Kelly accuses him of sexually abusing her when she was a child.

Buku Abi, the 26-year-old daughter of disgraced singer R. Kelly, has accused the singer of sexually abusing her when she was a child. Abi, a musician herself, made the claim as part of a two-episode documentary, Karma: A Daughter’s Journey, in which she says her father abused her when she was about eight or nine years old.

The 57-year-old Kelly was imprisoned in June 2022 with charges of racketeering and sex trafficking after decades of allegations of misconduct involving young women and children. He was sentenced to 30 years after he was found guilty of a scheme to entice and sexually exploit underage children and young aspiring singers.

Abi says she first reported her father’s alleged abuse to her mother in 2009, when she was about 10 years old. “He was my everything. For a long time, I didn’t even want to believe that it happened,” she says in the documentary. “I didn’t know that even if he was a bad person that he would do something to me.”

Kelly’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to have him acquitted and demand a retrial, arguing his defense team was ineffective and prosecutors “misused” the racketeering charge against him. He was found guilty of racketeering amounting to a criminal enterprise for his “entourage of managers and aides” who helped the singer meet girls, and keep them “obedient and quiet.”

Abi’s allegations against her father come as Sean “Diddy” Combs faces a similar trial, having appeared before Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court last week. Combs was charged last month with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, based on allegations dating back nearly 20 years. New allegations against Diddy continue to pile up, with figures like R. Kelly and Kanye West named.

Photo Credit: Painting of Antonio Vivaldi at Museo Internazionale e Biblioteca della Musica di Bologna / Photo by Paul Hermans

Italian Baroque composer and violinist Antonio Vivaldi is the subject of an upcoming period film which begins shooting this month in Rome and Venice.

Antonio Vivaldi, the Italian Baroque composer and violinist best known for penning “The Four Seasons,” is the focus of an upcoming period film. “Primavera” is the feature debut of leading opera director Damiano Michieletto and begins shooting this month in Rome and Venice.

Written by Ludovica Rampoldi, the award-winning screenwriter behind films like “The Traitor” and “Gomorrah: The Series,” “Primavera” is a loose adaptation of Tiziano Scarpa’s novel, “Stabat Mater.”

The film is set in 18th century Venice and follows 20-year-old violinist Cecilia, who lives at the Pièta orphanage. Knowing that marriage is the only way out of her situation, Cecilia’s life takes a turn when she meets Antonio Vivaldi, who becomes her new violin teacher.

With the help of Vivaldi and his music, Cecilia “finds the strength to challenge the destiny that once seemed inevitable.” “Primavera” stars Tecla Insolia as Cecilia, and Michele Riondino as Vivaldi.

During his career as an opera director, Michieletto has collaborated with major Italian opera houses as well as those abroad, from Teatro alla Scala in Milan to the Royal Opera House in London, as well as Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Staatsoper in Berlin, and the Opéra Bastille in Paris.

“I feel the adrenaline rush, having long wanted to make a feature film; at the age of nearly 50 I am discovering new languages in which to test myself,” Michieletto told Variety. “Cecilia feels unwanted […] but she has a feisty character, […] and she is the only person to stand up to Vivaldi, who, in turn, is the only person who recognizes her talent.”

“Primavera” is produced by Indigo Film Production and co-produced by Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia, which will release the movie in Italy, as well as France’s Moana Films. The film also received backing from the Regione Lazio PR FESR fund and the Fondazione Veneto Film Commission.

Other key crew members include cinematographer Daria D’Antonio, editor Walter Fasano, composer Fabio Massimo Capogrosso, production designer Gaspare De Pascali, and costume designer Maria Rita Barbera.

Photo Credit: 50 Cent’s Instagram

Netflix is producing a docuseries from 50 Cent about the sexual assault allegations and federal trafficking and racketeering charges against Diddy.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson sold his docuseries about federal charges and sexual assault allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs to Netflix to produce, with Alexandria Stapleton directing the project. The series is currently in production.

50 Cent executive produces the project through his G-Unit Film & Television banner, with Stapleton executive producing for House of Nonfiction. Fiddy first announced back in December that G-Unit would produce the series, shortly after Combs had been sued by four different women, including ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

When he first announced the project, 50 Cent shared a clip on the former Twitter showing Bad Boy Records rapper Mark Curry alleging that Combs would spike bottles of champagne at his parties before women drank from them.

Last week, Combs was arrested in New York and charged on counts of racketeering, sex trafficking, fraud, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty, but was denied bail at his appeal hearing and remains in custody.

“This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far,” said 50 Cent and Stapleton in a statement to Variety.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives. While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs’ story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture’s broader contributions.”

Proceeds from the documentary, 50 Cent said, will be used to support victims of sexual assault.

“I been telling y’all about all this weird shit,” said the rapper-producer on his Instagram with a picture of Variety’s story. “I don’t do NO Puffy Party’s [sic]. You didn’t believe me, but I bet you believe me now!”

Even as the lawsuits and allegations against him continue to stack up, Combs has denied any wrongdoing. The only thing he has admitted to thus far was his assault of Cassie Ventura when a leaked video showing an assault in a hotel hallway proved her account to be true. But he only took “full responsibility” for his actions after the video surfaced, having settled Ventura’s lawsuit against him just a day after it was filed.

Aside from Ventura’s lawsuit, Combs has been hit with countless others, including those from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, Grace O’Marcaigh, Crystal McKinney, Dawn Richard, Joi Dickerson-Neal, Liza Gardner, April Lampros, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, multiple Jane Does, and most recently, Thalia Graves.

Photo Credit: Ashley King

A cross-sector project to ‘harmonize’ cue sheets for the use of music in audiovisual productions has been upgraded to include recording metadata for the first time.

This work started in 2020 as a way to bring metadata into the standard cue sheet, making it easier for all parties to identify musical works, sound recordings, and to process payments to creators and rights holders.

The new Global Cue Sheet Standard 2.0 was developed for the use of all parties who create and use cue sheets for music in AV productions. It provides the relevant metadata elements to help identify musical works and sound recordings, ensuring correct distribution of rights income generated.

The project has been implemented in collaboration between CISAC—representing author societies worldwide—music publishers, film & TV studios, and producers through the Society Publisher Forum. The IFPI also contributed, representing the international recording industry.

The Society Publisher Forum (SPF) is a joint initiative of CISAC, ICMP, and IMPA and is supported by the AIMP and IMPF. Societies, publishers, producers, film and TV studios, and video-on-demand platforms have been involved to ensure optimum implementation of the project globally.

This extended collaboration to include recording metadata elements means that the cue sheets standard will support not only authors’ rights collections but neighboring rights as well.

The Global Cue Sheet Standard 2.0 describes the relevant metadata elements of the production in which the works and recordings have been featured. It also includes the context and duration of the music usage, incorporating many existing internationally recognized identifiers. It is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

What are some of the main benefits of the harmonized music cue sheet?

• Improved efficiently when processing cue sheets and amending the details of a musical work and sound recording
• A more streamlined musical work and sound recording registration process
• Payment records can be linked to musical works and sound recordings documentation, so that publishers and labels can efficiently track royalty payments
• Greater consistency between the publishers’ registrations and the societies’ payments for exploitation of film and TV productions

The Global Cue Sheet Standard 2.0 document replaces the previous version: Cue Sheet Standards and Rules (CISAVX17-1197). It consists of a comprehensive list of Cue Sheet Data Elements which have been extracted from various formats like AVR, RapidCue, Soundmouse, and society formats from ASCAP, BMI, GEMA, KODA, PRS, and SOCAN. The new standard sample cue sheet is available for download on the CISAC website.

Photo Credit: Bad Bunny’s Instagram

Bad Bunny secures his latest acting role, joining Adam Sandler in the Netflix-led ‘Happy Gilmore’ sequel.

Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasió, better known by his stage name, Bad Bunny, has landed his latest acting role as he joins the cast of Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore’ sequel. Kyle Newacheck, who directed Sandler in the Netflix comedy, Murder Mystery, heads the Netflix-led sequel to the 1996 comedy, ‘Happy Gilmore’, in which Sandler plays a professional hockey player who finds a talent for golf and reluctantly goes on tour, becoming a golf sensation.

Returning talent from the first film includes Julie Bowen, who played Sandler’s on-screen love interest, and Christopher McDonald as a jealous golf pro and the first film’s antagonist. So far, plot details for the sequel are being kept a secret.

It’s been nearly 30 years since the first film, and Adam Sandler seems eager to return to the ‘Happy Gilmore’ universe, taking to Instagram to tease an Easter egg, alongside the caption, “It ain’t over. The way I see it… we’ve only just begun.”

Adam Sandler wrote the screenplay alongside Tim Herlihy, and both will produce with Jack Giarraputo and Robert Simonds. The director of the original ‘Happy Gilmore’, Dennis Dugan, will executive produce the sequel with Judit Maull, Kevin Grady, David Bausch, and Barry Bernardi.

Bad Bunny has hinted at wanting to spend more time flexing his acting chops, telling Vanity Fair last year, “You could say that I have been investing a little bit more of myself in acting.” The star is represented by UTA and Rimas Entertainment.

The musician previously appeared opposite Brad Pitt in the Sony action comedy Bullet Train, and with Gael García Bernal in the Amazon drama Cassandro. He will also have a role in another Sony Pictures film, Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller, Caught Stealing.

Photo Credit: PeterTea / CC by 2.0

Back in July, reports indicated that the long-awaited Prince documentary might not release at all amid opposition from the artist’s estate. Now, new details about the project, which reportedly profiles physical and mental abuse across its nine-hour runtime, have come to light.

Those details emerged in an all-encompassing review and analysis penned by the New York Times’ Sasha Weiss, who per the piece watched the film, including alongside Questlove and others at a Brooklyn screening, last year.

For a bit of quick background, director Ezra Edelman (who also directed O.J.: Made in America) spent four years working on the Netflix-commissioned Prince documentary. Primary Wave previously bought a sizable interest in the Purple Rain creator’s IP via deals with heirs, and the documentary is facing continued opposition from different heirs via their Prince Legacy LLC company.

As laid out by Puck two months ago, Prince Legacy allegedly capitalized on the nine-hour length to prevent the film’s release. Per that same report, the initial deal calls for a six-hour documentary. And unsatisfied with certain depictions of the namesake artist, Prince Legacy reportedly sought to hold the work to that time limit.

To state the obvious, the documentary (which multiple accounts say has been meticulously put together) cannot very easily have its runtime cut by a third. Getting down to brass tacks, the mentioned Times account, spanning north of 9,000 words, simply reiterates that talks have yet to produce a compromise. “As of today, there is no indication that the film will ever come out,” the author summed up.

Needless to say, the impasse raises interesting questions about the exact qualms of Prince Legacy (which includes attorney L. Londell McMillan, who’s said to vehemently oppose the documentary in its current form).

Thanks to a lengthy look at the film and related behind-the-scenes talks, we no longer lack insight here. As described by the Times, the documentary shows “a side of Prince many of his fans would rather not see,” referring in part to an incident where the artist allegedly “began to punch” a girlfriend in the face “over and over” after she’d slapped him during a 1984 argument.

While far from positive, that alleged episode does, of course, date back four decades. Also well in the rearview are alleged hardball negotiating tactics (a normal part of many professional relationships) used by Prince when bandmembers sought raises.

Closer to the present, Prince’s estate is said to have called on the documentary to “reshoot” Paisley Park due to concerns with its on-screen appearance and to remove “Let’s Go Crazy” from a scene depicting Prince’s death. The song’s lyrics mention an elevator, and when called to the scene in 2016, first responders found Prince dead in an elevator at his home.

Drawing further Prince estate pushback were (and presumably are) elements of interviews that allegedly cast the artist in a less-than-ideal light. (Edelman reportedly carried out over 70 interviews in connection with the documentary.)

However, as Edelman evidently believes the components are crucial to the work – and as neither side seems interested in compromising anytime soon – it’s unclear whether a resolution is in the cards.

Addressing the matter in a joint statement, Prince Legacy and Primary Wave relayed: “Those with the responsibility of carrying out Prince’s wishes shall honor his creativity and genius.

“We are working to resolve matters concerning the documentary so that his story may be told in a way that is factually correct and does not mischaracterize or sensationalize his life. We look forward to continuing to share Prince’s gifts and celebrate his profound and lasting impact on the world.”

Photo Credit: Bing Copilot

The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment says it worked with officials in Vietnam to shut down Fmovies—described as “the largest pirate streaming operation in the world.”

The anti-piracy coalition shut down other off-shoot sites including bflixz, flixtorz, movies7, myflixer, and aniwave in addition to the Fmovies operation. According to ACE, the entire operation attracted 6.7 million visits between January 2023 and June 2024. Two Vietnamese men were arrested by Hanoi police in connection with the Fmovies shutdown, though they have not been charged.

“The takedown of Fmovies is a stunning victory for casts, crews, writers, directors, studios, and the creative community across the globe,” adds Charles Rivkin, Chairman & CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Chairman of ACE. “With the leadership of ACE and the partnership of the Ministry of Public Security and the Hanoi Municipal Police, we are countering criminal activity, defending the safety of audiences, reducing risks posed to tens of millions of consumers, and protecting the rights and livelihoods of creators.”

Fmovies launched in 2016 and drew nearly 374 million monthly visits to the huge catalog of pirated videos hosted by the syndicate. Vidsrc.to, a notorious video hosting provider operated by the same suspects, was also taken down. The result is hundreds of people flooding the Fmovies subreddit seeking alternatives—showcasing the impact these takedowns have in reducing piracy. The only problem is where one piracy head is removed, two more pop up to take its place.

At its peak in 2023, Fmovies was the 280th most popular website across all categories of websites globally. It was the 11th most popular website in the TV & Movies Streaming category, according to data analytics company SimilarWeb. Fmovies was listed on the USTR ‘notorious markets’ list between 2017 and 2023—making shutting down this operation a huge accomplishment for those involved.

“We commend the Hanoi Police for working with ACE to shut down the world’s largest piracy ring and sending a powerful deterrent message in this milestone case,” adds Larissa Knapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Protection Officer for the MPA.

“The takedown of Fmovies is a testament to the power of collaboration in protecting the intellectual property rights of creators around the world. We look forward to ongoing joint efforts with Vietnamese authorities, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Justice International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program to bring the criminal operators to justice.”

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Mucho Mas Media and Sony Pictures have announced they’re developing a remake of the 1987 film ‘La Bamba,’ which is based on the life of rock legend Ritchie Valens.

Variety reports that Luis Valdez, the writer and director of the original film is also on board as an executive producer for the remake. Writer José Rivera is attached to the remake to pen the script. Lou Diamond Phillips portrayed Valens in the 1987 film—it’s unclear who is attached to play Valens in the remake.

The original ‘La Bamba’ catalog’s the Mexican-American rock and roll legend’s rise to fame, beginning as a field laborer to rock star with his hit singles. The film features several songs performed by Los Lobos and the ‘50s tune “La Bamba,” highlighting the early days of rock and roll while paying homage to the legacy of Valens and his indelible mark on rock and roll.

‘La Bamba’ was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Drama and Song of the Year at the 1988 Grammy Awards. In 2017, the film was added to the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress, recognizing its historical and cultural impact for the American people.

Valens has long been considered an icon of the early rock and roll movement before his life was tragically cut short in a plane crash at 17. Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper also died in the same plane crash on February 3, 1959. Don McLean’s 1971 hit “American Pie” pays homage to this date, giving it the epithet, “The Day the Music Died.”

“Together with the rock and roll classics of Ritchie Valens, my 1987 biopic ‘La Bamba’ has graciously withstood the test of time,” Luis Valdez shared with Variety. “And yet, the tragically short life and career of Richard Valenzuela continues to inspire new generations of fans the world over. As new biographical details have come to light, a new cinematic look at his eternally young seventeen years on earth can only add to his undying legend.”

Javier Chapa in on board to produce for Mucho Mas Media, while Sherrese Clarke Soares, Phillip Braun, Robert Muñoz, Simon Wise, Vincent Cordero, and Bruce Barshop will executive produce. Sony Music Mexico will also serve as a creative partner on the music for the film.

Photo Credit: AFI

AFI has announced that the world premiere of the ‘Music by John Williams’ documentary will open the 38th AFI Fest in October. Here’s the latest.

The documentary film from Lucasfilm Ltd, Amblin Documentaries and Imagine Documentaries offers a comprehensive look at the prolific life and career of the legendary composer John Williams. From his early days as a jazz pianist to his 54 Oscar nominations and five wins, the documentary celebrates Williams’ countless contributions to the moving image arts, music for the concert stage, and his impact on popular culture.

‘Music by John Williams’ features interviews with Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Kate Capshaw, Gustavo Dudamel, J.J. Abrams, Chris Martin, Ron Howard, Chris Columbus, George Lucas, Itzhak Perlman, Lawrence Kasdan, Yo-Yo Ma, Ke Huy Quan, James Mangold, Alan Silvestri, David Newman, Thomas Newman, Seth McFarlane, Annie-Sophie Mutter, and Branford Marsalis. It is directed by Laurent Bouzereau and produced by Steven Spielberg, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sarah Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Meredith Kaulfers, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Laurent Bouzereau, with Markus Keith and Michael Rosenberg serving as executive producers.

In 2016, John Williams was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award, becoming the first composer to receive this highest honor for a career in film. Following the premiere, ‘Music by John Williams’ will have a limited theatrical release and will premiere on Disney+ on November 1.

“John Williams is an American icon with a true and timeless global impact,” shares Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. “One could say we are ‘over the moon’ to host the world premiere of the film, but that sentiment would hardly soar without the music of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”

“Growing up in France, I discovered the soundtracks I bought on vinyl ahead of most American movies that would come out months after the U.S. release,” shares the film’s director Laurent Bouzereau. “John Williams was the composer I immediately identified with; his scores made me fall in love with music, and made me realize at a very young age, the power that a score had on cinematic storytelling.”

“This was an important story to tell, not only because it is about one of the greatest composers of all time, but because of the message it carries about the survival of orchestral music, and musicians.”

An exosphere Sphere promo for the initial U2 residency, which is being made into an immersive concert film. Photo Credit: Y2kcrazyjoker4

Earlier this month, Sphere Entertainment disclosed plans to release immersive concert specials. Now, the namesake venue is teeing up a “one-of-a-kind cinematic experience” based on U2’s commercially successful residency.

Sphere higher-ups formally announced that cinematic experience, entitled V-U2, today. As many know, U2 performed 40 shows as part of its well-received Sphere concert series, which wrapped in March.

More recently, besides teasing a country residency for 2025, Sphere Entertainment execs during their company’s Q2 2024 earnings call touched on plans to debut pre-recorded concert experiences “soon.”

Evidently, “soon” meant now – at least with regard to the reveal. Directed by U2 guitarist The Edge and choreographer Morleigh Steinberg (who are married), V-U2 is said to be “the first film ever to be shot entirely with Big Sky,” or what Sphere Entertainment describes as its “groundbreaking ultra-high-resolution camera system.”

Predictably, the film will also capitalize on “immersive technologies” like the ultra-HD display and sound of the Sphere “to reinforce the feeling of ‘being there,’” the company drove home.

On the runtime front, however, the 72-minute work will be noticeably shorter than the approximately two-hour residency concert itself. Consequently, it’ll be interesting to see which effects and tracks make their way into the final product.

Fans won’t have to wait long to find out; with pre-sale tickets becoming available tomorrow before a Friday general on-sale, the U2 Sphere film will premiere on Thursday, September 5th. 39 showings are currently scheduled into October’s end, and start times vary from 11 AM to 9:30 PM.

In terms of cost, tickets to Irving Azoff-produced V-U2 will carry all-in prices beginning at $100 a pop on Ticketmaster, Sphere Entertainment confirmed.

Especially in light of the 700,000 or so total fans who attended the U2 residency, it’ll be worth closely monitoring the reception to and commercial performance of V-U2.

Stated bluntly, even with the acknowledged high cost of staging Sphere shows, there appears to be quite a bit of room for profit when selling tickets to pre-recorded films at the nearly 19,000-capacity venue.

And when considering the Sphere residencies of Dead & Company, the Eagles, Anyma, and the aforementioned as-yet-unnamed country artist – on top of non-music events – the revenue and profit potential is seemingly significant.

Running with that point, Sphere Entertainment stock (NYSE: SPHR) saw its value increase slightly during today’s trading, for a per-share price of $48.51 when the market closed. However, the sum represents a nearly 45 percent boost from 2024’s beginning.

Photo Credit: Ryan Gagerman / Kartoon Studios

Kartoon Studios partners with LiveOne to oversee music for their new Winnie-the-Pooh animated feature, set to premiere on Amazon Prime in 2025.

Kartoon Studios is premiering a new Winnie-the-Pooh animated feature during the holiday season next year, followed by holiday specials and a series. Now, the studio has announced a broad partnership with LiveOne for production, pushing, and distribution of original music for the new Winne-the-Pooh brand.

LiveOne’s creator-first subscription platform delivers premium content and livestreams from the world’s top artists, creating a valuable connection between brands and fans. The company boasts an award-winning entertainment and technology platform.

Kartoon Studios’ “Winnie-the-Pooh” is currently in pre-production, beginning with the animated feature, A Hundred Acre Christmas. The movie is set to premiere on December 24, 2025, on Amazon Prime Video, through Kartoon Channel’s $3.99 a month subscription distribution arrangement.

The release is timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of A. A. Milne’s original publication of the series in the London Evening Standard. The new franchise will include five holiday specials and a 104-episode animated series.

“LiveOne has revolutionized the digital entertainment and live-streaming space since its launch in 2015 by leveraging technology to enhance user engagement and interaction with content creators and media partners, and they are the ideal partner to work with us to deliver a slate of original music, which is integral to the production of Kartoon Studios’ ‘Winnie-the-Pooh,’” said Kartoon Studios’ Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward.

“The Winnie-the-Pooh franchise’s popularity has endured for generations and generated 80 billion dollars in revenue, including music royalties. The 1994 release of the Grammy Award-nominated Return to Pooh by Kenny Loggins alone sold over 2 million albums,” said LiveOne’s Chairman & CEO Robert Ellin, and Josh Hallbauer, Head of Music. “We are thrilled to partner with Kartoon Studios to translate the values, stories, and characters from the original books into a dynamic soundtrack to appeal to a new generation with Kartoon Studios’ ‘Winnie-the-Pooh.’”

In addition to the release of content, Kartoon Studios will launch a global retail program concurrent with the debut of the holiday movie with physical entertainment through Alliance Entertainment Corporation and a consumer productions program. The development, production, and growth of Kartoon Studios’ “Winnie-the-Pooh” franchise is funded by a non-dilutive production financing of $30 million, led by Catalyst Venture Partners.

A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories have generated one of the most successful properties of all time, with lifetime revenues exceeding those of Barbie, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Mickey Mouse, Marvel, Peanuts, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and more. The IP has been in the public domain since 2022.

Photo Credit: Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan for ‘Reagan’ / ShowBiz Direct

Bob Dylan and Gene Simmons are both revealed to be recording tracks for the upcoming Ronald Reagan biopic.

Bob Dylan and Gene Simmons have both recorded tracks for the upcoming biopic Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid as the former actor and US president. Gene Simmons has recorded a new version of the 1930s torch song “Stormy Weather,” while Bob Dylan has recorded a cover of Cole Porter’s “Don’t Fence Me In” for the film’s end credits.

“Don’t Fence Me In” was popularized by Gene Autry in the 1940s; interestingly, Dennis Quaid is a third cousin of the late Autry. Simmons’ rendition of “Stormy Weather” will play over a scene between Reagan and his actress wife Jane Wyman in a Hollywood nightclub. Further, Clint Black’s cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” will close the film. Tanya Tucker leads a slew of other artists yet to be announced who will record songs for the film, which hits theaters on August 30.

“Every director dreams of having Bob [Dylan] be a part of their work, and I’m no exception,” says the film’s director, Sean McNamara. “His song helps the viewer understand Reagan’s journey in a deeper way, and it gives our film an emotional depth that I’m grateful for.”

“I was honored to have Bob join our film,” adds Quaid. “We gave him the freedom to do any song he wanted to do, whether an original or a cover, and he chose ‘Don’t Fence Me In.’ That was extra special since it was a song that Gene [Autry] made famous. Bob is a great lover of the American Songbook and we were delighted with the way he delivered the song. He’s a national treasure and the perfect addition to the film. Gene and Clint [Black] were also generous with their time, and Tanya [Tucker] has been a friend of many years, and I’m thrilled to have her song as well.”

“Music has become compartmentalized. Hip-hop over there, country over there, rock over there,” says Gene Simmons. “I wanted to contribute a song in a style that had a wide appeal and reflected the times the movie was set in. This is a movie worth watching.”

Reagan is the debut film from the recently launched ShowBiz Direct studio.

Photo Credit: Rafael Amado / CC by 2.0

Huey Lewis is making the most of his tragic hearing loss with a new mockumentary, ‘Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis.’

Six years after revealing he had suffered hearing loss as a result of Ménière’s disease, Huey Lewis is giving fans a comedic glimpse into his life, with “Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis.” The half-hour mockumentary, in which the rock star will both headline and produce, sees Lewis playing a fictionalized version of himself in the style of Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

The single-camera show is in development at Fox, with Fox Entertainment Studios, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, and Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot. Written and executive produced by Kirker Butler of “Only Murders in the Building” fame, “Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis” follows rock legend Huey Lewis as he navigates his life after losing his hearing. With his eccentric celebrity friends and co-dependent family, Huey will tackle the next phase of his life with a little bit of Heart and Soul.

Huey Lewis previously teamed up with Kapital Entertainment for an hour-long anthology series, with each season designed as a self-contained romantic story inspired by Lewis’ music. The project landed at Fox for development in 2021 after some competition. Kaplan has also worked with Kimmelot on a comedy series called “The Home,” and Jimmy Kimmel is a longtime friend and fly-fishing companion of Lewis.

With his band, Huey Lewis & The News, Lewis has sold over 30 million albums over his career, with a slew of Top 10 singles with hits like “Power of Love,” “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” and “I Want a New Drug.” The band released Weather, their first album of original material in nearly 20 years, back in February 2020. Meanwhile, a musical featuring the band’s music, “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” debuted on Broadway this year.

Lewis is actually no stranger to acting — nor to Broadway. He’s played Billy Flynn in the musical “Chicago,” and has also appeared in the movie Duets with Gwyneth Paltrow. He’s also had a recurring part on the sitcom Hot in Cleveland.

Huey Lewis is represented by Paradigm, attorney Joe Carlone of King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, and music agent Dan Weiner.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Ed Sheeran has penned an original song for Netflix’s new animated Christmas movie coming December 6.

More Christmas plans get underway in August as Netflix announces a new animated Christmas movie, That Christmas, to release on December 6. The film features an original song by Ed Sheran, “Under the Tree.”

Love Actually director Richard Curtis returns to filmmaking with an animated movie based on his own trilogy of children’s books. That Christmas tells a series of holiday stories that promise to ease viewers into the season of giving. The movie features an impressive list of celebrity voices, including Brian Cox, Fiona Shaw, Rhys Darby, and Bill Nighy.

“Regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I hope that audiences will laugh at the family dynamics and identify with the universal truth behind most traditions: it’s ultimately not about the rules and the expectations we put on these events — we tend to forget that what really matters is that we can be together with our loved ones,” said director Simon Otto.

“I hope it’s going to be a film that makes people happy — perhaps more than once,” Curtis said. “I hope it’ll remind people of the joy and complexity of Christmas, and some of the joys and comedy and heartbreak of childhood. And then there’s a very special thing for me, that the film takes place in a town very much like my own in Suffolk. I hope they’ll love the sense of the place — and go away with a new, delightful, simple English world in their heads.”

Ed Sheeran was moved to collaborate with Richard Curtis, his longtime friend, when the latter approached him with a rough version of the film.

“It was just sketches and voices, but it blew me away,” said Sheeran. “So emotional, yet so heartwarmingly funny, like all Richard Curtis movies. I find since having kids, there’s a real lack of great animated children’s Christmas movies, so I thought this was such an amazing thing to make and put into the world. The scene that we wrote for this song is so heartbreaking, but so real for many people at Christmas — spending time without the ones they love, for so many reasons.”

“I got to work with my older brother on this, which is such a rarity and a gift to work so closely with my only sibling,” Sheeran continued. “It felt so good to create something my children would watch, with their uncle, based in the country they live in. This is going to become a holiday staple, at least in our household. Hope everyone loves it and enjoys the song — we had such a great time creating it.”

Richard Curtis, who is best known for the films Love Actually, Notting Hill, and Four Weddings and a Funeral, based That Christmas on his own trilogy of children’s books, which follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends around Christmas.

A comedy from Locksmith Animation, the film marks Curtis’ first experience in animation, serving as the film’s writer and executive producer. That Christmas is also the feature directorial debut of animation veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon; Love, Death & Robots.)

Photo Credit: AMC Theatres

AMC Theatres takes to concert film distribution once more with ‘Usher: Rendezvous in Paris,’ releasing in theaters worldwide beginning September 12.

Following the success of his nearly two-week residency in La Seine Musicale in Paris in 2023, Usher: Rendezvous in Paris is set to be released as a concert film in theaters internationally beginning September 12.

Directed by Anthony Mandler and recorded during Paris Fashion Week at La Seine Musicale, the film features Usher’s career-spanning hits, including “Yeah!,” “My Boo,” “Love in This Club,” and many more. The film promises “never-before-seen costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and special effects,” featuring appearances by Cher, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, and Pharrell Williams.

“Paris was a special experience for me as an entertainer and for my fans,” said Usher. “I hope those who weren’t able to make it in person get to experience how special it was. As for those of you who were, I hope you experience the show and see what it takes to get there through a different lens.”

The concert film will be screened globally across 2,000 theaters, around half of them being in the United States, through September 15. Tickets go on sale beginning August 6. The film becomes the latest concert event to be released by Trafalgar Releasing in partnership with AMC Theatres Distribution, the same distributors behind Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, and Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé last year.

While the success of those films helped to “save cinema” last year, AMC continues to report plunging earnings, attributed predominantly to summer flops. Films like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Fall Guy, and Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1, all falling far below expectations at the box office this year. The company places much of the blame on the actors and writers strikes having delayed production for several months last year, leaving theaters with slim pickings to show in 2024.

Revenue for AMC fell 23.5% to $1.03 billion during the quarter ending in June — down from $1.35 billion in the same period the year prior. Net loss for that period also increased to $32.8 million compared with a profit of $8.6 million in the same quarter in 2023. Adjusted EBITDA was at $29.4 million, a sharp downturn from the $182.5 million in EBITDA reported last year.

AMC is optimistic though, predicting that the sector is headed for a rebound with the release of sequels to Gladiator and Joker, as well as the film adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical, Wicked, throughout the rest of the year.

Photo Credit: Jen from USA / CC by 2.0

Universal Pictures acquires the rights to Britney Spears’ bestselling memoir, ‘The Woman In Me,’ with ‘Wicked’ director Jon M. Chu attached to develop.

Britney Spears’ massively successful memoir, “The Woman In Me,” is set to become the biggest biopic of 2025 with Universal Pictures securing the rights. Jon M. Chu, whose adaptation of “Wicked” is about to be released through the studio, is attached to the project to develop and direct.

The Oscar-nominated producer Marc Platt, Chu’s collaborator on “Wicked” and the producer of “La La Land,” is also attached. A source close to the deal clocks the rights deal in the eight figures, with rights to Spears’ extensive music catalog included in the arrangement.

“Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt,” Britney teased on Twitter the day before the official announcement. “He’s always made my favorite movies… stay tuned!”

The book itself has been a source of fierce competition in the filmmaking industry. Initially, there was reported interest from Brad Pitt’s Plan B, Margot Robbie, and Shonda Rhimes. Since then, Sony, Warner Brothers, Fox, Disney, and Netflix have all been identified as champing at the bit for the project.

Universal Pictures already has a pretty stellar track record in the musical biopic space with hits like “8 Mile” and “Straight Outta Compton.” The studio also has a Snoop Dogg biopic, a Prince “music-inspired” film, and a movie inspired by Pharrell Williams’ childhood neighborhood that are all either in development or have recently wrapped production.

Spears’ memoir was initially released in October 2023, recounting the star’s rise to fame and her highly controversial 13-year conservatorship. The book also describes her relationship and breakup with Justin Timberlake, and reveals that she had an abortion while they were dating over 20 years ago.

“The Woman In Me” has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States alone, having sold 1.1 million copies in its first week. The critically acclaimed memoir became the fastest selling in Simon & Schuster’s history, as well as hitting No. 1 on the New York Times’ bestseller lists in all formats, hardcover, audio, and ebook alike.

Episodes of The Dog Whisperer and a number of other shows are live on Spotify as part of a newly inked distribution deal with Cineverse. Photo Credit: Cineverse

Is Spotify preparing to roll out video bundles – or additional subscription options that don’t feature music at all? A newly inked distribution deal with Cineverse could mark the first step on that journey for the bundling-minded platform.

The involved companies formally disclosed their tie-up today, though in the music space, coverage has been decidedly light thus far. As many know, Spotify remains embroiled in a high-stakes dispute over its unilateral bundling reclassifications, which laid the groundwork for a significant mechanical royalties decrease in the U.S.

Those reclassifications were set in motion by the platform’s embrace of audiobooks as one component of an ongoing diversification strategy. Said strategy, far from being placed on the backburner amid a seemingly robust effort to trim expenses, also includes video podcasts, music videos, and short clips.

Now, television shows and more are part of Spotify’s offering as well. At the time of this writing, video episodes of programs such as The Dog Whisperer and The FBI Files were already live on the platform and available to stream in their entirety. Plus, fans could view specials from Jeff Dunham, Jim Gaffigan, Eddie Griffin, and other comedians.

However, there isn’t yet a dedicated tab for video, with one Dog Whisperer episode simply classified as a podcast, for instance. But the lack of video-content categorization could soon change on Spotify, as Cineverse is poised to bring to the service media from its “channel partners” and its own library of over 70,000 works, per the companies’ announcement.

Addressing the news, Cineverse partnerships EVP Marc Rashba emphasized Spotify’s “massive reach and value” when it comes to affording access to video content.

“As streaming platforms and device companies continue to expand to provide consumers more and more options to enjoy content where and when they want it,” Rashba relayed, “it was natural for us to explore distribution with Spotify.

“As we have learned from the success of the Cineverse Podcast Network, Spotify has a massive reach and value, and we are now in a strong first-mover position to take advantage of this new opportunity,” concluded the former EMI and Sony Pictures Entertainment exec.

The Cineverse deal has arrived a little under two months after Spotify scored a Nebula partnership, thereby bringing more videos yet into the fold. Stated bluntly, the leading streaming service’s current bundling frenzy initiated with the quiet integration of audiobook listening into paid accounts.

Time will tell whether Spotify leans into video-specific plans from here; Cineverse and different non-music rightsholders do, of course, need to be paid in one way or another. Independent of the apparent video buildout, an expensive “deluxe” tier is forthcoming, according to CEO Daniel Ek.

Doodles Records has launched ahead of the release of a project featuring Lil Wayne and others. Photo Credit: Doodles

Self-described “next-generation art and entertainment studio” Doodles has launched a namesake label as it prepares to release a project featuring Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, and others.

Miami-headquartered Doodles, founded by Dapper Labs vets Evan Keast and Jordan Castro as well as artist Scott Martin (known professionally as Burnt Toast), reached out with word of Doodles Records.

Back in 2022, the overarching company, billed then as a “web3, media & entertainment brand” specializing in NFTs and more, unveiled a $54 million raise. Now, amid ongoing market shifts, Doodles’ official description lacks any mention of web3 or non-fungible tokens.

However, the three-year-old platform still sells NFTs alongside a variety of physical products, according to its website, with items in both categories based on stories, characters, and animation developed in-house.

Running with the point, Doodles is teeing up a “debut short film” entitled Dullsville and the Doodleverse for October, following a smaller-scale premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

With Pharrell Williams handling the project’s music, the aforementioned Lil Wayne and Lil Yachty have signed onto the film alongside Swae Lee and Coi Leray.

Besides having voice roles in the work, Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Swae Lee, and Coi Leray have recorded for the three-song soundtrack behind Dullsville and the Doodleverse. This EP is poised to debut via the just-established Doodles Records, and Sony Music’s The Orchard is set to handle distribution.

Those tracks are “Not in the Store” by Coi Leray and Pharrell Wiliams (scheduled to become available, complete with an animated music video, in early August); “Can’t Hold Me Down” by Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, and Kyle Richh (later in August); and “Doodleverse (Draw Me Closer)” by Swae Lee, Lil Yachty, and Pharrell Williams (September).

Also on the horizon for Doodles is a “direct-to-community media platform” called DoodlesTV, through which subscribers will receive early access to music videos, premieres (including for Dullsville and the Doodleverse), digital collectibles, and more.

Particularly given the industry’s ongoing superfan-monetization focus, it’ll be worth closely monitoring the results of Dullsville and the Doodleverse and the other releases Doodles is preparing. Though it perhaps goes without saying, commercial results aren’t guaranteed for films even when they feature superstar acts.

But generating solid fan interest via a comparatively accessible format (short movies watchable at home as opposed to full-scale theatrical releases) could well pay off for Doodles owing to the comprehensive music, merch, and fan-community infrastructure in place. And there’s certainly something to be said for having direct control of animation and creative direction.

In a statement, Doodles CEO Julian Holguin made clear that music will play a significant part at his company moving forward.

“Music is and will continue to be a core pillar of Doodles,” the former Billboard higher-up communicated, “so we’re thrilled to announce the official formation of Doodles Records.

“Releasing music with some of the most legendary and relevant artists in the world on our first project is a dream come true and a massive source of pride. Moving forward, we will fuse music, animation and technology to create groundbreaking content experiences that will empower artists and their communities,” finished Holguin.

Photo Credit: PeterTea / CC by 2.0

Netflix’s years-in-the-making Prince documentary is reportedly being shelved due to objections from the seven-time Grammy winner’s estate.

This latest hurdle for the long-awaited film, which was set in motion in 2018, came to light in a paywall-blocked Puck report. For a bit of quick background, it’s been three years since Primary Wave purchased a sizable stake in the “Raspberry Beret” singer-songwriter’s IP.

Nevertheless, a highly complicated Prince estate battle, which we recently broke down, is still in full swing. Among other things, that broader dispute between warring estate factions is evidently fueling major disagreements about the would-be documentary, on which O.J.: Made in America director Ezra Edelman has worked for four years.

Though it perhaps goes without saying given that the better part of a decade has passed since word of the documentary originally surfaced, the film has reportedly been finished for a while. Per Puck, however, arguments are ongoing as to the length of the “exhaustive 9-hour documentary.”

That documentary was initially expected (and contractually agreed) to run six hours, and predictably, duration isn’t the only hang-up. According to multiple reports, certain members of the Prince estate are unsatisfied with the way the work depicts the Minneapolis native; Puck’s pointed also to a desire to keep purportedly “inaccurate” elements of the “famously private” artist’s life out of the final cut.

Thus, the duration dilemma is reportedly being used to “hold the film hostage” over control-centered qualms. Netflix doesn’t appear to have commented publicly on the matter, but the platform is reportedly confident that a compromise of some sort will come to fruition.

Time will, of course, tell whether that’s the case. Closer to the present, there’s hardly a shortage of music documentaries available to fans. An Irving Azoff-produced Beach Boys documentary made its way onto Disney+ in May, for instance, before Amazon Prime last month released I Am: Celine Dion, which centers on the singer’s health struggles.

And October is poised to see a Bruce Springsteen documentary arrive on Hulu and Disney+, with the previously dormant Becoming Led Zeppelin now slated for a theatrical release following a once-off rough-cut premiere in 2021.

However, the Prince documentary isn’t alone in grappling with less-than-ideal circumstances, as Warner Music Group is fending off a copyright infringement complaint over a 2021 film about Tom Petty’s Wildflowers. According to the straightforward action, the release incorporated a substantial amount of protected archival footage without authorization.

Photo Credit: Paisley Park

An upcoming Prince documentary has been held up because the documentary contains too much footage—more than nine hours worth.

Digital Music News reported on the start of a Prince documentary in 2018, after Netflix struck a deal with the Prince estate. The project was to be directed by Ava DuVernay, but she was replaced with director Ezra Edelman. The estate gave Edelman access to Prince’s music and archives for the project. Puck News reports that the documentary has been finished for a while now—but estate executors aren’t happy.

Sources say the estate has issues with parts of the documentary that they feel are inaccurate, using a technicality to keep Netflix from airing it. The contract calls for a six-hour length documentary about the singer, while the Edelman footage is more than nine hours. This difference puts the estate in dispute with Netflix, though the two sides are working on an agreement for the additional footage.

Since Prince died without a will, his estate has been divided between Prince Legacy, which includes his family and friends, and Prince OAT Holdings—which is controlled by Primary Wave Music. Both halves of the Prince estate must agree to changes for anything related to the musician. Speaking to the New York Post, one source called the estate “nitpicky” when it comes to footage and anything to do with the singer’s legacy.

“You never saw Prince release anything subpar. Everything was carefully curated and fine-tuned. The estate still holds that high standard,” says the source. Stating they had viewed the final cut of the documentary, this source says the film “does not accurately portray the legendary Prince.”

The Prince Legacy entity that manages his family and friends’ interest in his estate recently underwent legal drama. They’ve been attempting to amend an operating agreement with Prince Legacy to oust to executives at the company—L Londell McMillan and Charles Spicer. A Delaware court recently ruled against the family’s attempts, calling the attempt invalid. Prince’s half-sisters Sharon and Norrine Nelson, niece Breanna Nelson, and nephew Allen Nelson are shareholders.

Photo Credit: Gerry Goffin / Time

Primary Wave, Be Forward Productions, and Storyvault Films announce a documentary film about the life and work of prolific lyricist Gerry Goffin, ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?’

In a career spanning 60 years, Gerry Goffin wrote lyrics to over 114 Billboard Hot 100 hits, eight of which went to No. 1. The story of Goffin’s life and the songs he wrote reflect the times of his era and continue to resonate today. The upcoming feature documentary, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” provides a rare glimpse inside the artist and the man behind the words.

Produced by Primary Wave Music, Be Forward Productions, and Storyvault Films (“Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me,” “Gary Numan: Resurrection”) the film explores Goffin’s roots as a songwriter, his marriage and family life with Carole King, his professional highs and lows, and his ongoing battle with mental health issues. Despite Gerry’s personal challenges, his dedication to the art of songwriting and his commitment to social activism remained constant.

Throughout his career, Goffin wrote for dozens of celebrated artists, including Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Natalie Cole, James Taylor, Ray Charles, Whitney Houston, Kylie Minogue, Amy Winehouse, and — of course — Carole King. In addition to his contribution to the success of numerous recording artists, his work continues to influence generations of lyricists.

“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” tells his story for the first time through the eyes of close friends and family, including writing partner and former wife Carole King, daughters Louise and Sherry Goffin Kondor, his widow Michele Conaway Goffin, longtime manager Christine Russell, and notable collaborators and artists from his prolific career.

“So much has been made of my mom’s life story, but I find my father’s history equally fascinating,” said Sherry Goffin Kondor. “In spite of all the darkness that tormented him, he also had this beautiful inner light. I want people to see both.”

“I had the great fortune to work with Gerry for over 20 years,” added Christine Russell. “Riding the wave of his mental illness was often erratic, but one thing that remained constant was his passion for songwriting and his love of the music business. His life story is poignant and impactful and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share it with this documentary.”

The 90-minute feature will be directed by Southan Morris, with Christine Russell, Sherry Kondor, Mara Burros Sandler, Sam Richards, Stuart Prebble, Larry Mestel, Robert Kraft, and Natalia Nastaskin as executive producers. The production will have unprecedented access to Goffin’s music catalog and archive, including never-before-seen or heard music and footage.

A live performance from Tom Petty. Photo Credit: Irina Lepneva

Warner Music Group is facing a copyright infringement complaint from a filmmaker who says half of a 2021 documentary about Tom Petty’s Wildflowers (1994) consists of archival footage that was used without permission.

That filmmaker and artist, Martyn Atkins, just recently submitted the straightforward suit to a California federal court. Directed by Mary Wharton, the 90-minute WMG Productions project in question, Somewhere You Feel Free, by its own description draws “from an archive of 16mm film.”

But according to the Wildflowers art director Atkins, that film, which he shot three decades back, wasn’t discovered by chance. Rather, the veteran art professional, who’s worked with Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and an array of others, is said to have informed the Tom Petty estate of the footage’s location in Warner Records’ massive storage facilities.

The way Atkins tells the story, he and Petty were “fast friends”; besides working on the art for Wildflowers, the filmmaker captured ample footage during its creation and in “the months on the road following the album’s release.”

This footage “was not subject to a work-for-hire or other such agreement,” and Atkins, with a long-term aim of potentially compiling the video in a documentary, didn’t immediately license it to Petty or Warner Music, the action maintains.

“He was not acting as an employee of Petty or Warner Records,” the complaint elaborates, “or any other party… There is no agreement in existence relating to any of the film footage that is the subject of this infringement action.”

Around 1995, when the plaintiff was moving into a new studio and a new home, “Petty offered to have Atkins store his 16mm film reels and audio elements in a secure storage facility maintained by Warner Records in Los Angeles for safekeeping,” the lawsuit states.

As described by Atkins, he “maintained access to his materials in the facility at all times” – including in 2014, when Tom Petty is said to have brought up the possibility of a Wildflowers documentary and asked to see some of the relevant footage.

From there, the filmmaker “inventoried the raw materials, copied large amounts of the footage and some of the audio onto digital media, and brought selected materials to Petty’s home,” per his account.

“Petty was thrilled with what he saw,” the complaint continues, “and the two again discussed that Atkins should, when their schedules allowed, produce and direct a documentary about Wildflowers and the subsequent tour—primarily featuring Atkins’ footage.”

Scheduling conflicts presumably prevented the project from getting started between then and Petty’s 2017 passing. Fast forward to the aforementioned disclosure of the footage’s location, which is said to have been revealed by Atkins during an early 2020 “in-person meeting with Petty’s daughter, Adria Petty, and the Petty estate manager.”

With the Wildflowers documentary front of mind, the conversation ostensibly touched on the creative direction thereof, financing, scheduling and more. Most importantly, given the purported disclosure of the decades-old footage, the plaintiff “was told he would be hired to direct and produce the film project under discussion,” per the legal text.

“Atkins left the meeting sincerely believing the next conversation would be to discuss developing the project budget and schedule,” the suit reads. “It did not cross his mind that anything nefarious was underway.”

However, he was allegedly cut out of the process entirely after that, including as a director and as the claimed owner of the footage.

“Atkins was not remotely aware of whether and the extent to which his footage would be used in the documentary that apparently was going to be made,” the action spells out. “Regardless, to the extent the producers wished to use his film or audio assets, Atkins expected he would be asked first, so that he could either decline or negotiate a license fee or other purchase agreement.”

Needless to say, given the firmly worded lawsuit, that license fee or different purchase agreement didn’t come to fruition. All told, Atkins is seeking damages, disgorgement, restitution, and a court order compelling the return of his “original film and audio materials.”

Left to Right: Dinesh Vijan (Founder of Maddock Films), Vinit Thakkar (Managing Director, Sony Music India)

Sony Music Entertainment India and Maddock Films have announced a new strategic partnership and collaboration in India’s entertainment industry. Here’s the latest.

The partnership will unite the two companies with the goal of producing music projects, encompassing film soundtracks, and independent pop projects featuring A-list Indian talent. Several high profile projects anchor the alliance including soundtracks for the upcoming Hindi film “Chhava” starring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, with music by A.R. Rahman; the drama “Diler” featuring Ibrahim Ali Khan; and “Ikkis” starring Agastya Nanda with music by Sachin-Jigar.

In addition, the soundtracks for “Luka Chhupi 2,” “Sector 36,” “Sarvagunn Sampan,” and “Rumi Ki Sharafat” will also be part of the collaboration.

“This collaboration embodies our vision of creating innovative avenues for our artists to connect with audiences,” adds Vinit Thakkar, Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment India. “Film and music are powerful storytelling mediums, and by combining our musical expertise with Maddock Films’ cinematic vision, we are confident in delivering impactful and unforgettable experiences.”

“Both Sony Music Entertainment India and Maddock Films have a proven track record of creating chart-topping hits, making this our most significant music collaboration to date,” adds Dinesh Vijan, Founder of Maddock Films. “Over the next two years, we are committed to building the industry’s most dynamic and successful music partnership.”

The partnership will aim to deliver exceptional entertainment content through a strategic mix of new soundtrack acquisitions and creative independent pop singles. Maddock Films is an Indian film and web series production company founded by Dinesh Vijan in 2005. The company has produced critically and commercial acclaimed Hindi films including Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail, Badlapur, Hindi Medium, Stree, Luka Chuppi, Bala, Mimi, Dasvi, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga and more recently Teri Baaton Main Aisa Uljha Jiya.

Photo Credit: Kurt Cobain for Touchdown Films

Cutting Edge Media Music and White Stork Music partner with Touchdown Films in a deal that provides music for original productions.

Cutting Edge Media Music (CEMM) and its White Stork Music division, the publishing imprint of UK composer Tom Howe, has announced a partnership with Touchdown Films, the UK production company founded by filmmaker John Osborne. The deal sees CEMM provide Touchdown Films with finance and music services, as well as access to White Stork’s extensive music catalog for current and future projects.

As part of the deal, White Stork will retain IP rights to the original music composed for Touchdown’s productions. Touchdown’s current slate includes the BBC documentary “Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music,” which aired in April to mark the 30th anniversary of the musician’s death. The film features never-before-seen archive footage, with an original score by London-based composer Joe Bridges, who has provided music for a variety of TV shows and film. Bridges has co-composed alongside Howe.

“We are committed to authentic storytelling and are thrilled to collaborate with Touchdown Films on their production slate,” says Tamsin Dove, Chief Commercial Officer at White Stork Music. “Touchdown Films stands out as one of the UK’s premiere independent production companies, who consistently create unmissable content and tell unforgettable stories. This venture allows us to offer a unique slate funding model, enriching stories with high-quality music and bringing them to global audiences.”

“As Touchdown Films grows its non-fiction output, Cutting Edge and White Stork are perfectly positioned to support us as we take our creativity and storytelling to new heights,” adds John Osborne. “This deal helps us expand our slate and provides us with access to world-class composers who can create truly exceptional scores of music for our films. I’m delighted to be collaborating with them.”

White Stork is a media music joint venture between CEMM and Howe, who has scored over 80 Emmy and BAFTA-winning dramas and documentaries, including shows like “Ted Lasso,” and “The Great British Bake Off.” White Stork aims to provide “a one-stop shop of A-list quality scores, music financing and rights management, and music services for film, television, video game, and commercial producers.”

Touchdown Films is one of the UK’s most premiere independent production companies, creating top tier non-fiction content for global audiences. The company was founded in 2016 by John Osborne, a filmmaker and producer who has spent the last two decades making successful television in the UK and US. His credits include “Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed the World” for National Geographic, “Hillsborough Remembered” for History, “Rock N’ Roll Exposed” for Showtime, and “The Story of Skinhead” for the BBC.

Photo Credit: Christopher Peterson / CC by 3.0

Former Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. has teamed up with private investment firm Bain Capital to place an offer of $2 billion on Paramount Global.

National Amusements Inc. holds 77% of the voting shares in Paramount and is owned by Shari Redstone—the daughter of late media mogul Sumner Redstone. The interest in acquiring Paramount comes as NAI seeks to share a majority stake to Skydance Media. Paramount owns CBS, its movie studios, and networks including Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Bronfman and Bain are not the only interested parties; Hollywood producer Steven Paul is also said to be lining up a nearly $3 billion offer for the controlling interest in Paramount. Bronfman and Bain have not made a formal offer yet and it’s unclear what their plans for Paramount would be should the bid succeed.

Shari Redstone has been negotiating with Skydance and financial backers including RedBird Capital and KKR over a potential merger. Those terms would see Skydance pay Redstone around $2 billion for NAI while current Paramount Class B shareholders (no voting rights) would be offered cash at a rate of $15 per share. If that transaction is successful, Skydance would own two-thirds of Paramount’s shares and the company would remain public.

Other parties said to be interested in buying NAI include Steven Paul, Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management—though Sony Pictures recently backed away from its interest in the deal. In March 2024, Paramount Global’s debt rating was cut to junk status by S&P Global, citing the media conglomerate’s ongoing challenges with free cash flow relative to the debt on its books.

“Paramount will need to execute its plan to substantially improve streaming losses over the next two years to mitigate further downside ratings pressure,” S&P Global said in a statement after its ratings adjustment. Paramount Global’s long-term debt stands at $14.6 billion as of the end of 2023. This credit-rating cut has brought potential buyers out of the woodwork for the ailing streaming service.

Edgar Bronfman Jr. was the chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group from 2004 through 2012, stepping down after it was acquired by Access Industries. Before serving as Warner Music CEO, Bronfman was CEO of Seagram before selling the business to Vivendi in 2000. He currently serves as the executive chairman of Fubo—a sports-focused streaming service.

Photo Credit: Junglee Music

Junglee Music, a division of Times Music, acquires the music rights for Akshay Kumar’s biggest Bollywood production, the much-anticipated Hindi film ‘Sarfira.’

With a successful history of blockbuster collaborations with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, Junglee Music — a film music soundtrack division of Times Music — is poised for another superhit with the upcoming release of “Sarfira.” Hitting theaters worldwide on July 12, the film features a soundtrack chock full of renowned Indian singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Mika Singh, and Neeti Mohan. The film is produced by Abundantia Entertainment in association with 2D Entertainment.

“Sarfira,” the story of a common man who dares to dream big, promises an exhilarating cinematic experience, with a stellar cast featuring Akshay Kumar alongside Radhika Madan and the legendary Paresh Rawal. Directed by Sudha Kongara, a National Award-winning filmmaker with movies like “Soorarai Pottru,” (Tamil), “Irudhi Suttru,” (Tamil), and “Guru” (Telugu) to her credit, “Sarfira” (Hindi) is a highly anticipated Bollywood release.

“With ‘Sarfira,’ we have aimed to craft a musical marvel that not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impact on the viewers’ hearts,” says director Sudha Kongara. “The soundtrack is diverse and will connect with fans across segments.”

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Akshay Kumar and Abundantia Entertainment once again and are confident that the music of ‘Sarfira’ will captivate listeners, adding to the movie’s charm,” shared Mandar Thakur, CEO of Times Music/Junglee Music.

Speaking to the partnership with Junglee Music, Vikram Malhotra, founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment, stated, “With ‘Sarfira,’ we aim to deliver yet another entertaining and important film, and one with a soundtrack that is suited to capture the mood and emotion of our film. Partnering with Junglee Music will ensure that the music of ‘Sarfira’ reaches its rightful audience all over.”

Based in Mumbai, Times Music is a leading music entertainment company encompassing a record label, music publishing, and talent management. Established in 1998, the company has become a full-stack music business powerhouse across South Asian genres and cultures.

As a joint venture between India’s The Times Group and US-based Primary Wave Music, Times Music’s library spans Bollywood, Indie, Pop, Rock, Regional, and Spiritual Music. With its two sub-labels, Junglee Music for film music OSTs, and “ffs.” for next-gen independent music, Times Music has become a major player in the Punjabi and South Indian music markets.

The company also exclusively represents major international music publishers in India and South Asia, including Warner Chappell Music, Peermusic, Wixen Music, CTM Publishing, and Cloud 9 Music Publishing.

Photo Credit: Walt Disney Studios

A new documentary celebrating the Beach Boys arrives on Disney+ from director Frank Marshall and producer Irving Azoff.

The Beach Boys — brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, along with cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine — revolutionized group vocals in the 1960s with their SoCal sound with hits like “Good Vibrations,” “I Get Around,” and “Surfin’ USA.” And now, a new documentary from director Frank Marshall focuses on the band as a whole, blending a range of voices to tell a more complete story. “The Beach Boys” is available to stream now on Disney+.

“It was the blend of everything,” Marshall tells The Associated Press. “It’s the blend not only of the family story, but the blend of harmonies. If you took one element out, you wouldn’t have the Beach Boys.”

Marshall’s documentary aims to elevate the voice of each member of the Beach Boys; the media has often focused on the eldest brother, Brian Wilson, for his “unmatched musical imagination” and innovation. While Marshall’s documentary doesn’t downplay Wilson’s musical acumen, it emphasizes that he was not alone in his endeavors.

The documentary also focuses on the band’s darker times, such as when the Wilsons’ father and early band manager sold the Beach Boys’ music catalog for $700,000 in 1969 without their consent. Dennis Wilson drowned in Los Angeles at age 30 in 1984, while Carl Wilson died of cancer at age 51 in 1998. It also examines the health struggles that have impacted Brian Wilson and his ability to make music; the 81-year-old musician is being placed under a legal conservatorship due to a “major neurocognitive disorder.”

Marshall’s film, which the director says he had long dreamed of making — it was Irving Azoff’s acquisition of the band’s music rights that ultimately enabled the film’s creation — also includes interviews with early Beach Boys David Marks and Bruce Johnston, and famous fans like Janelle Monae, Lindsey Buckingham, and Don Was.

Currently, the Beach Boys have been busy on their Endless Summer Gold Tour, which kicked off in February in Honolulu, and wraps up in September in Nashville. Actor and musician John Stamos joins the band for 16 of these shows, including their stop at PNC Bank Arts Center in New Jersey on June 1. Stamos will perform on dates between May 30 to June 20, July 5 to July 7, and August 30 to September 1.

The Beach Boys Endless Summer Gold Tour

May

• 24 | Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater — Bridgeport, CT
• 25 | Saratoga Performing Arts Center — Saratoga Springs, NY
• 26 | Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion — Gilford, NH
• 27 | Point of the Bluff Vineyards — Hammondsport, NY
• 30 | St. George Theatre — Staten Island, NY *with John Stamos*
• 31 | Stanley Performing Arts Center — Utica, NY *with John Stamos*

June

• 01 | PNC Bank Arts Center — Holmdel, NJ *with John Stamos*
• 02 | Filene Center at Wolf Trap — Vienna, VA *with John Stamos*
• 15 | Roanoke Island Festival Park — Manteo, NC *with John Stamos*
• 16 | Salvage Station — Asheville, NC *with John Stamos*
• 18 | Berglund Center — Roanoke, VA *with John Stamos*
• 19 | Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts — Greensboro, NC *with John Stamos*
• 20 | Alabama Theatre at Barefoot Landing — North Myrtle Beach, SC *with John Stamos* – *Two Shows*
• 21 | The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg — Williamsburg, VA
• 23 | Grand Opera House Wilmington — Wilmington, DE
• 27 | State Theatre Easton — Easton, PA
• 28 | Chautauqua Amphitheater — Chautauqua, NY
• 29 | American Music Theatre — Lancaster, PA *Two Shows*
• 30 | Stage AE — Pittsburgh, PA

July

• 01 | Fraze Pavilion — Kettering, OH
• 02 | Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre — Youngstown, OH
• 05 | Meadow Brook Amphitheatre — Rochester Hills, MI *with John Stamos*
• 06 | Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park — Indianapolis, IN *with John Stamos*
• 07 | Ravinia — Highland Park, IL *with John Stamos*
• 09 | Vetter Stone Amphitheater — Vetter Stone Amphitheater — Mankato, MN
• 10 | The Ledge Waite Park Amphitheater — Waite Park, MN
• 11 | Capital Credit Union Park — Ashwaubenon, WI
• 12 | McGrath Amphitheatre — Cedar Rapids, IA
• 13 | Stir Cove at Harrahs Council Bluffs — Council Bluffs, IA
• 14 | Uptown Theater Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
• 16 | Ozarks Amphitheater — Camdenton, MO
• 17 | The Cotillion — Wichita, KS
• 19 | Murphy Arts District – First Financial Music Hall — El Dorado, AR
• 20 | The Cove at River Spirit Casino — Tulsa, OK
• 21 | Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie — Grand Prairie, TX
• 26 | California State Fairgrounds — Sacramento, CA
• 28 | Music in the Park – Plaza de Cesar Chavez — San Jose, CA

August

• 02 | Snow Pond Center for the Arts — Sidney, ME
• 05 | Ocean City Music Pier — Ocean City, NJ *Two Shows*
• 06 | Ocean City Music Pier — Ocean City, NJ *Two Shows*
• 08 | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater — Wantagh, NY
• 09 | South Shore Music Circus — Cohasset, MA
• 10 | Cape Cod Melody Tent — Hyannis, MA *Two Shows*
• 11 | Indian Ranch — Webster, MA
• 14 | Levitt Pavilion Denver — Denver, CO
• 15 | Gerald Ford Amphitheatre — Vail, CO
• 16 | Sunset Amphitheater — Colorado Springs, CO
• 17 | Las Colonias Park Amphitheater — Grand Junction, CO
• 18 | Red Butte Garden — Salt Lake City, UT
• 21 | Benton Franklin Fair — Kennewick, WA
• 23 | Chateau Ste Michelle — Woodinville, WA
• 24 | Hayden Homes Amphitheater — Bend, OR
• 25 | Cuthbert Amphitheater — Eugene, OR
• 27 | Redding Civic Auditorium — Redding, CA
• 28 | Weill Hall at Sonoma State University — Rohnert Park, CA
• 29 | Vina Robles Amphitheatre — Paso Robles, CA
• 30 | Greek Theatre Los Angeles — Los Angeles, CA *with John Stamos*
• 31 | Pechanga Resort Casino — Temecula, CA *with John Stamos*

September

• 01 | The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park — San Diego, CA *with John Stamos*
• 04 | Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Las Vegas — Las Vegas, NV
• 06 | Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Las Vegas — Las Vegas, NV
• 07 | Venetian Theatre at the Venetian Las Vegas — Las Vegas, NV
• 19 | Great Frederick Fair — Frederick, MD
• 20 | Bloomsburg Fair — Bloomsburg, PA
• 21 | Capitol Theatre Wheeling — Wheeling, WV
• 23 | Ryman Auditorium — Nashville, TN

Photo Credit: Owepar Entertainment

Dolly Parton is exploring her rich family heritage with the upcoming release of ‘Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA—Family, Faith & Fables.’ A companion four-part docuseries is also in production.

The project was announced today from Dollywood and will be released on November 15, 2024. Pre-orders for the album will launch on June 21, alongside the full track list. The project will be available on vinyl and CD as well as digital download and streaming. The new album is in collaboration with Owepar Entertainment, which was founded in 1967 by Dolly Parton and her uncles Bill Owens and Louis Owens to administer their songwriting business.

“I cannot believe that it has been 60 years this month since I graduated from Sevier County High School and moved to Nashville to pursue my dreams,” says Dolly. “My uncle Bill Owens was by my side for many years helping me develop my music. I owe so much to him and all the family members past and present who have inspired me along this journey. I am honored to spotlight our families’ musical legacy that is my Smoky Mountain DNA.”

Smokey Mountain DNA will shine a spotlight on the enduring legacy of two families—Dolly’s paternal Parton family and her mother’s family, the Owens. The project traces their origins from the United Kingdom in the 1600s to their home today in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Through this release, audiences will discover the treasured heritage that has been preserved and echoed in the music and vibrant culture of Appalachia.

Produced by Richie Owens, Dolly’s cousin, the album features songs performed by various members of Dolly’s immediate & extended family, spanning generations. Some tracks include the voices of beloved family members who have passed, alongside contemporary contributions from today’s generation. These recordings not only celebrate the musical legacy but also the deep familial bonds and cultural traditions that have shaped their lives.

The accompanying docuseries will offer an intimate look at the family’s historical journey from the UK to present-day East Tennessee, enriched by interviews with numerous family members. A particular focus is given to the Reverend Jake Owens, Dolly’s grandfather, who instilled in her and her relatives a profound respect for faith, a deep love of music and storytelling, and strong enduring family values.

Central to the docuseries are concert performances filmed at Knoxville’s historic Bijou Theatre, featuring Dolly and family from the record. These songs interweave with poignant narratives about these two families and their individual members, offering viewers a unique and personal glimpse into the roots of the Parton and Owens families.

A new docuseries on the history of music piracy, How Music Got Free, is set to begin streaming in June. Photo Credit: Paramount+

Following a premiere at SXSW, How Music Got Free, an Eminem-, Steve Stoute-, and LeBron James-produced docuseries about the history of music piracy, is officially set for a June streaming debut on Paramount+.

Paramount+ just recently announced the two-part project’s quick-approaching release, scheduled specifically for June 11th in the U.S. as well as Canada and June 12th in Australia, Latin America, the U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy.

Directed by Alexandria Stapleton, narrated by Method Man, and based on the 2015 Stephen Witt book of the same name, the docuseries is said to chart “the fascinating, and often funny, inside story of the technology-driven disruption that changed music” around the turn of the century.

Meanwhile, the Reggie director Stapleton summed up her newest project as “a story that proves brilliant minds can be found in unlikely places, like the rural, forgotten factory town of Shelby, North Carolina.”

Helping tell that story are execs including Stoute and Jimmy Iovine; artists such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Timbaland, and Rhymefest; and former 106 & Park co-host Rocsi Diaz, all of whom creators say sat down for interviews.

How Music Got Free’s executive producers include Stapleton, Witt, Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, James, Maverick Carter (Carter and James co-founded production company SpringHill), and Stoute.

Also credited as producers are SpringHill’s Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron as well as Warner Bros. Unscripted Television/Telepictures’ Bridgette Theriault, Dan Sacks, and James Chapman. Rounding out the list are Interscope Films’ Steve Berman, John Janick, and Anthony Seyler and MTV Entertainment Studios’ Bruce Gillmer and Michael Maniaci.

Moving beyond the How Music Got Free credits, Paramount+ released a two-minute trailer as well, showcasing some of the docuseries’ additional interviews and exploring the commercial significance of CDs immediately prior to the digital era.

Of course, much has changed since that turning point, with licensed streaming having helped to largely eliminate the ensuing piracy. Industry revenue has grown for several years running but, when adjusted for inflation, remains well beneath its late-90s peak.

Notwithstanding the advent of streaming, physical sales are surging in markets including the U.S., where vinyl’s showing has improved for each of the last 17 years. Furthermore, fans haven’t entirely abandoned the CD, which, according to RIAA data, generated a cool $537.1 million (up 11.3% year over year) in the States at estimated retail value during 2023.

More pressingly, concerns surrounding generative AI – including its unauthorized soundalike creations, the protected materials on which many systems have been trained, and more – have now taken center stage in the industry. The majors and others are continuing to advocate for federal AI regulations, and infringement litigation is ongoing with AI giant Anthropic.

Photo Credit: Tiger Direct / CC by 2.0

50 Cent confirms the multi-part Diddy documentary he produced is landing with Netflix after a purportedly massive bidding war.

Rapper and actor 50 Cent has confirmed what he’s been hinting at for months: the multi-part documentary he produced about Sean “Diddy” Combs and the increasingly mounting sexual assault allegations against him is on its way — and it’s landing at Netflix.

Multiple sources have confirmed TMZ’s report, including 50 Cent himself, that Netflix purchased the highly sought after documentary, produced via Fifty’s G-Unit Film and Television Studios. Several networks and all major streaming platforms made their bids to land the series.

50 Cent has been very vocal about the onslaught of allegations against Diddy, taking to social media to comment on just about every lawsuit that’s cropped up against him since Cassie Ventura sued him for sexual assault in November. Diddy settled Cassie’s lawsuit only a day after it was filed, and it’s easy to see why — footage of an attack described in her lawsuit surfaced last week, confirming some allegations Combs had been quick to refute.

Combs quickly released an apology video after the footage surfaced, which has perhaps done more harm than good, with the rapper apologizing for behavior he previously denied outright. Several celebrities have commented on the apology video on social media, asserting that Combs seems to be apologizing for getting caught, rather than the behavior the video revealed.

News of 50 Cent’s documentary could not be more timely, as Combs has been hit with yet another lawsuit this week. Model Crystal McKinney came forward after the 2016 footage of Diddy assaulting Cassie surfaced on Friday. And Diddy still has a handful of other lawsuits to settle, despite denying the accusations against him.

Though many onlookers assumed that 50 Cent was merely trolling Diddy, news of the upcoming documentary reveals the former’s interest in the latter’s woes wasn’t just circumstantial. That tracks, given that the two rappers have been at each other’s proverbial throats for nearly 20 years. In 2006, 50 Cent released his diss track “The Bomb,” in which he claimed Diddy knows who killed The Notorious B.I.G.

Photo Credit: Hert Niks

The Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Back to Black’ opened to disappointing numbers, generating less than $3 million during its opening weekend.

The biopic of the late singer also landed flat with fans, who feel as though the biopic is capitalizing on the tragic death of Winehouse. Music biopics have become a popular avenue to success at the box office following the success of 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which ended its theatrical run with $216 million domestically and over $900 million worldwide. Other music biopics released in recent years include Rocketman (2019, $195M worldwide), Elvis (2022, $288M worldwide), Bob Marley: One Love (2024, $178 million worldwide).

Domestic Box Office — Weekend 20 (May 17-19)

Photo Credit: IMDB

The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and revisits Amy Winehouse’s romance with Black Fielder-Civil. Winehouse died at the age of 27 in 2011, cutting short her music career. Her struggle with substance abuse and mental illness were the subject of another documentary in 2015 called Amy—that film was directed by Asif Kapadia and grossed $23 million.

The biopic landed flat with fans, with critics in the UK focusing on the performance of Marisa Abela’s performance as Amy Winehouse. The controversy started earlier this year when images of Abela in Winehouse’s signature make-up looking dishevelled and in distress were released online. Winehouse’s father was also involved with the film, which raised concerns among fans that he would attempt to rewrite his daughter’s story.

“Biopics can never fully encapsulate a person’s life,” writes one critical review of the biopic. “But ‘Back to Black’ is an attempt to erase history.”

The Amy Winehouse Foundation was a vocal opponent of the 2015 documentary, which did not gloss over Winehouse’s struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues. Her father was behind the ill-advised and now-cancelled Amy Winehouse hologram tour—which fans responded to negatively on social media. Either way, it looks like this music biopic won’t be reaching the previous heights attained by profiles of other musical stars.

Photo Credit: Paradise Pictures

Long-dormant documentary ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ is finally getting a theatrical release. The documentary-style concert film follows these British rock greats and last premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the film for North American release, with the documentary planned to have a run in theaters. The film tells the story of Led Zeppelin in the members’ own words, featuring interviews with jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones—plus unreleased videos with the late John Bonham. It also includes newly unearthed archival footage of all four members, including home movies and family photos.

Some unseen footage of concerts at the Fillmore West, the Atlanta Pop Festival, and the Texas Pop Festival all recorded in 1969 has also been included.

“When I saw the early cut of the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, it was amazing,” Jimmy Page said in a statement. “The energy of the story and the power of the music is phenomenal.”

“We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound,” adds Bernard MacMahon, the film’s director. Sony Pictures Classics also obtained rights of release for Latin America, Southeast Asia (except Japan), the Middle East and Benelux—so the film will eventually be released on those regions as well.

“Sony Pictures Classics are the perfect partners because they are true believers in the theatrical experience and are passionate about giving the millions of Led Zeppelin fans a chance to see and hear them on the greatest screens and sound systems in the world,” MacMahon continues.

The film is written my MacMahon and producer Allison McGourty. The production company is Paradise Pictures in association with Big Beach, with a list of executive producers that include Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran, and Ged Doherty. Dan Gitlin edited the film, Nick Bergh did the re-recording mix, and the film’s sound restoration was handled by Peter Henderson.

Photo Credit: Rob DeMartin for Disney

Hulu and Disney+ will launch ‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’ in October this year—though an exact date was not established.

The documentary will offer the most in-depth look at the creation of Springsteen’s legendary live performances with behind-the-scenes footage across the 2023-2024 world tour. ‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’ opens a door on Springsteen’s creative process for fans around the world by sharing fly-on-the-wall footage of band rehearsals and special moments backstage.

Conversations with Springsteen himself pepper the story, interspersed with rare archival clips of The E Street Band, underscoring themes of life, loss, mortality and community. The documentary will serve as a never-before-seen chapter in the autobiographical series that spans Springsteen’s memoir, Born to Run, Springsteen on Broadway, and the films Western Stars and Letter to You.

‘Road Diary’ was directed by Springsteen’s longtime collaborator Thom Zimny (Western Stars, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, Springsteen on Broadway, Willie Nelson & Family, Sl) and produced by Zminy, Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Adrienne Gerard and Sean Stuart.

The film begins with a one-of-a-kind look at the band’s preparation process, following them from their earliest rehearsals in Red Bank, New Jersey to live performances for thousands of fans across the world.

Fans get a chance to experience professionally shot footage from the 2023-2024 tour for the first time ever—while hearing firsthand from band members about performing on stage with Springsteen. Members of The E Street Band discuss how they’ve kept the magic of performing live on stage with Springsteen over the years.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band capped the first 2024 leg of their world tour in April, performing 60 different songs through 11 performances. The band is in the middle of playing 25 shows throughout Europe this spring and summer—returning to North America for more dates from August to November.

Billie Eilish has lined up multiple listening parties in support of her forthcoming album. Photo Credit: William Drumm

The promotional wheels are in motion for Billie Eilish’s upcoming third studio album, which is set to receive a pair of listening parties sponsored by American Express, YouTube Music, and Snapchat.

Live Nation just recently unveiled these listening parties, after Interscope/Universal Music-signed Eilish late last month announced a massive tour in support of Hit Me Hard and Soft. That project will become available on May 17th, with the namesake multi-continent concert series expected to kick off in Quebec this coming September.

Before the single-free album releases and the tour initiates, however, lucky Eilish enthusiasts will have the chance to attend two Hit Me Hard and Soft listening parties: one booked for Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on the 15th, the other scheduled for the 16th at LA’s Kia Forum. (As suggested by official social media posts but not the formal release, Eilish and Finneas will seemingly attend the parties.)

While the free promotional events aren’t too far out of the ordinary, the list of associated sponsors is noteworthy. American Express is presenting both events; YouTube Music is involved with the Brooklyn stop, whereas Snapchat has signed on to sponsor the LA listening party.

(At the height of its relatively short licensing showdown with TikTok, Universal Music made clear plans to lean into partnerships with competing short-form platforms like YouTube Shorts and Snapchat. And while the confrontation is in the rearview, those bolstered pacts will presumably carry on for the foreseeable future.)

And the previously noted Live Nation is, of course, part of the listening parties, with Ticketmaster handling the request-only passes at hand. The window to apply for tickets (capped at two per submission) closed this morning, and the platform will reach out to selected recipients with confirmations on Friday.

Those who don’t score one of those tickets won’t be entirely out of luck when it comes to Hit Me Hard and Soft listening parties, as Eilish today revealed Apple Music-sponsored listening events in certain AMC theaters.

Participating establishments will present the album “in spatial audio with Dolby Atmos,” the promotional poster makes clear. Tickets are $5 apiece, the happenings are booked for the 16th as well as the 17th, and some of the proceeds will reach the AMC Cares Charitable Fund, which is said to provide “grants and financial assistance to qualified nonprofit organizations.”

Worth highlighting in conclusion is the array of store-specific Hit Me Hard and Soft products available, including but not limited to exclusive vinyl editions from Target, Walmart, Urban Outfitters, Amazon, and indie record stores alike.

Photo Credit: Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is joining Universal Pictures’ as-yet-untitled musical production featuring Pharrell Williams, Michel Gondry, Halle Bailey, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and more.

Hip-hop and R&B star Missy Elliott is the latest artist to join Universal Pictures’ untitled coming-of-age musical from director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams. Details so far reveal a story set in Virginia Beach in the summer of 1977, described as a “coming-of-age musical inspired by the city’s Atlantis Apartments and the neighborhood where Williams grew up.”

Kelvin Harrison Jr. leads the ensemble cast that also features Halle Bailey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Brian Tyree Henry. With a script written by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson, the film will be produced by Williams and Mimi Valdés for i am OTHER, and Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Ryan Jones, Senior Vice President of Production Development, and Christine Sun, Director of Production Development, are overseeing the project for Universal.

Last year, Missy Elliot became the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021. Missy Elliott has won four Grammy Awards and sold over 30 million records worldwide since her debut on the music scene in the ‘90s.

Though she hasn’t worked often in film and television throughout her career, Elliott can be seen on Fox’s “Star,” the dance-themed feature “Honey” opposite Jessica Alba, and documentaries like “Fade to Black” about Jay-Z’s farewell concert at MSG, and the sneaker culture-focused “Just for Kicks.” The new project marks her return to the big screen since her voiceover work in the 2004 DreamWorks animated film “Shark Tale.”

This summer, she hits the road for her first-ever headlining tour, Out Of This World — The Missy Elliott Experience, which takes her across 24 cities to perform alongside longtime collaborators including Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland. She is represented by Mona Scott-Young of Monami Management, and Singh, Singh & Trauben.

Photo Credit: Arindam Mahanta

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has announced several rule changes approved for the 97th Oscars. One of these changes impacts the ‘Best Original Score’ category.

Now in the Music (Original Score) category, three composers will be allowed to receive individual statuettes if they all contributed fully to the score. Previously, three composers were required to submit as a group. These rules now clarify the definition of a group as a recognized band. Also changing is the shortlist category increasing from 15 titles to 20 titles.

The change is a welcome one for composers who collaborate on a score. The previous rule stated, “a second statuette may be awarded when two credited composers function as equal collaborators, each contributing fully to the original dramatic underscore for the film.” With the new rule change, that will increase to three composers.

“The music branch executive committee has the right, in what it alone determines to be a very rare and extraordinary circumstance, to award a third statuette to three individuals who functioned as equal collaborators in the creation of the original score and do not work together as a recognized band or group.”

The new rules would have allowed Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste to each have an individual Oscar statuette for their ‘Best Original Score’ win for the Soul score. Rules at the time meant that win was only awarded one statuette—which Reznor and Ross allowed Batiste to take home as his first Oscar win.

“In cases where three or more credited composers function as equal collaborators in a recognized band, a single statuette may be awarded to the group. Each credit composer in the band must agree to the single ‘group statuette’ option by signing and returning a ‘group award form’ prior to the submission deadline.”

Also changing is the shortlist for ‘Best Original Score’ will increase to 20 titles, though the shortlist for ‘Best Original Song’ will remain at 15 titles. The submission deadline for Original Score and Original Song categories is November 1, 2024.

Photo Credit: BMG

Rebel Country, a new documentary from BMG, Fremantle, and WhyNow Studios, debuts at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film explores the tensions of race, class, poverty, gender, sexuality, and more that are still prevalent in the US, while acknowledging their connection to Nashville’s rebellious country roots.

Rebel Country will have its world premiere in New York City at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in the Spotlight+ category, and will include a special appearance from country artist BRELAND. Directed by Francis Whately, Rebel Country is executive produced by BMG, and Gabriel Jagger and Janet Lee for WhyNow Studios.

“I am excited to have Rebel Country premiere in this current moment that the country music genre is experiencing,” said director Francis Whately. “The musicians, noted music journalists, and historians included in the film help give a broad picture of the genre and its influences over the years and a glimpse into the future. Through archival footage and exclusive performances filmed in cinematic locations, we are able to uncover and explore decades of music, celebrating the rebels from past and present.”

The film features musicians like rapper turned country singer Jelly Roll, who has constantly released new music from his days selling his mixtapes out of his car. These days he’s touring relentlessly, consistently topping the charts, and engaging with an enthusiastic fanbase that has amassed him over four billion views on YouTube.

The documentary also features pop-infused rising star Lainey Wilson, who landed her first number one track nearly 10 years to the day after leaving her camper trailer in a small farming community to chase her music dreams. Blanco Brown, BRELAND, Lindsay Ell, Frank Ray, Chely Wright, Rissi Palmer, Jake Blount, and Sam Williams — son of the legendary Hank Williams — also make appearances in the film.

BRELAND, only recently announced as a featured artist in the film, hit it big in 2019 with his viral hit “My Truck,” and has continued to develop and hone his style. He has collaborated with big names in the genre like Keith Urban and Dierks Bentley, challenging and changing the country music landscape along the way.

Photo Credit: United Press International

‘Let It Be,’ the Beatles documentary that spent five decades in the vault, is getting a remaster treatment by Peter Jackson for its new life on Disney+ beginning on May 8.

For the first time in over 50 years, Beatles fans will be able to watch director Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s film, which initially premiered in May 1970 — just a month after the Fab Four parted ways. Originally intended as a television special ahead of the band’s return to live performance in 1969, the film’s debut after the Beatles broke up inevitably cast a shadow on the public’s perception of it.

The remastered release follows Peter Jackson’s 2021 docuseries, “The Beatles: Get Back,” which included footage originally shot for “Let It Be.” The series’ popularity led to the band’s imprint Apple Corps asking Jackson’s Park Road Post Production to handle a meticulous restoration of the film from its original 16mm negative. That effort included remastering the sound using the same technology Jackson used in the “Get Back” series.

The original film was produced by Neil Aspinall, with the Beatles acting as executive producers, and Anthony B. Richmond as director of photography. The film features the famous studio session in January 1969 where the band, joined by keyboardist Billy Preston, wrote and recorded the “Let It Be” album and performed on Apple Corps’ London rooftop.

“‘Let It Be’ was ready to go in October/November 1969, but it didn’t come out until April 1970. One month before its release, The Beatles officially broke up,” said Lindsay-Hogg. “And so the people went to see ‘Let It Be’ with sadness in their hearts, thinking, ‘I’ll never see The Beatles together again,’ ‘I will never have that joy again,’ and it very much darkened the perception of the film.”

“But, in fact, how often do you get to see artists of this stature working together to make what they hear in their heads into songs?” Lindsay-Hogg continued. “And then you get to the [Apple Corps rooftop performance], and you see their excitement, camaraderie, and sheer joy in playing together again as a group and know, as we do now, that it was the final time, and we view it with the full understanding of who they were and still are and a little poignancy.”

“I was knocked out by what Peter was able to do with ‘Get Back,’ using all the footage I’d shot 50 years previously,” he concluded.

“I was so lucky to have access to Michael’s outtakes for ‘Get Back,’ and I’ve always thought that ‘Let It Be’ is needed to complete the ‘Get Back’ story,” said Peter Jackson. “Over three parts, we showed Michael and The Beatles filming a groundbreaking new documentary, and ‘Let It Be’ is that documentary — the movie they released in 1970. I now think of it all as one epic story, finally completed after five decades.”

The remastered “Let It Be” will air on Disney+ starting on May 8.

Photo Credit: Ice Spice’s Instagram

After skyrocketing to fame in the hip-hop world, Ice Spice is set to make her acting debut in Spike Lee’s Apple and A24-backed upcoming crime thriller ‘High and Low’ starring Denzel Washington.

“High and Low,” an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 police drama, is the fifth collaboration between actor Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee, but it will mark hip-hop sensation Ice Spice’s acting debut. A24 and Apple Original Films are partnering on the project, which will see a theatrical release through A24 before a global launch on AppleTV+.

Ice Spice rapidly became a household name following her breakthrough single, “Munch (Feelin’ U),” and collaborations with Pink Pantheress, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift. She received four Grammy nominations this year, including Best Rap Song and Best New Artist. Her debut studio album, Y2K, is due out later this year.

Apple Original Films teased photos of Washington and Lee on social media to announce that production for “High and Low” was already underway. Ice Spice has also reportedly begun shooting for the film, the script for which was written by Lee alongside Alan Fox.

The fifth collaboration between Spike Lee and Denzel Washington (“Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” “He Got Game,” and “Inside Man,”) and the first since 2006, the film also marks the latest collaboration for Washington and producer Todd Black, following their work on “The Equalizer” franchise, “Fences,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

The project will be produced by Todd Black for Escape Artists, and Jason Michael Berman with Jordan Moldo for Mandalay Pictures. Lee will serve as executive producer through his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, while Mandalay’s Peter Guber will also executive produce alongside Juniper Productions’ Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington.

Kurosawa’s original 1963 Japanese film was based on the novel “King’s Ransom” by Ed McBain, which tells the story of a businessman’s financial ruin following a ransom payment to kidnappers.

Photo Credit: Trafalgar Releasing

Trafalgar Releasing and CJ 4DPlex have just inked a partnership to deliver a series of four K-pop concert experiences in cinemas this year after the phenomenal success of Taylor Swift’s in-theater experience.

Global cinema distributor Trafalgar Releasing has teamed up with CJ 4DPlex for the launch of a strategic partnership to produce and deliver four K-pop cinema releases worldwide this year, utilizing a combination of ScreenX / 4DX / Ultra 4DX, and traditional cinema locations.

The partnership follows the phenomenal success of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour as an in-theater experience with AMC Theatres, which itself follows the 2018 debut of Trafalgar Releasing’s BTS box office show. The company has since generated over $120 million in box office revenue from K-pop releases.

The first project to launch the partnership is “aespa: World Tour” in cinemas, a special presentation capturing aespa’s acclaimed global tour, Live Tour 2023 SYNK: Hyper Line, which will screen in over 45 countries on April 24 and 27. The additional three titles will be announced throughout the year.

“We are delighted to reaffirm our robust relationship with Trafalgar Releasing,” said Jong Kim, CEO of CJ 4DPlex. “CJ 4DPlex’s production expertise, special formats, and global network alongside Trafalgar Releasing’s excellence in event cinema distribution continues to expand the realms of cinema and fan culture alike.”

“Building on our deep and established relationship working alongside CJ 4DPlex on theatrical releases for artists including Coldplay, Blackpink, and NCT Nation, we are excited to announce a four-film production and distribution deal in the K-pop genre, starting with the theatrical release of aespa next month,” said Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing.

“K-pop has firmly established itself as a dominant force in event cinema, and we are eager to expand opportunities for the genre to flourish. With our commitment to investing in the co-financing of these projects, we aim to fully maximize their long-term prospects.”

Trafalgar Releasing distributes event cinema releases to over 130 countries worldwide, ranging from high arts like the Royal Opera House, award-winning theatre productions, legacy music acts, and international musicians including Billie Eilish, Metallica, Dolly Parton, and many more in 2023 alone. The company recently handled the distribution of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, and Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce across Europe, Asia, and South America in partnership with AMC Theatres.

Photo Credit: AFM Musicians (Central Florida Association)

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) has ratified the Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and basic Television Motion Picture Agreements contract, according to details shared with Digital Music News this morning.

The new agreement was unanimously recommended by the bargaining committee and represents a significant victory for musicians who work in film and television. The contract is tailor-made with new media in mind and delivers a comprehensive package of benefits for AFM members.

• Streaming Residuals | Musicians will now receive residuals for content made for streaming—acknowledging the increasing importance of streaming platforms in the entertainment industry.
• Enhanced Healthcare | New healthcare contributions on content made for streaming, providing greater financial security for musicians and their families.
• Performance Bonus | A performance bonus for working on the most successful streaming shows, further recognizing the crucial role musicians play in captivating audiences.
• AI Protections | The contract incorporates new protections to safeguard against the encroachment of generative artificial intelligence (gen AI), providing compensation for musicians when their performances are used in conjunction with AI tools, and ensuring human creativity remains at the heart of the industry.

“This agreement is a monumental victory for musicians who have long been under-compensated for their work in the digital age,” relayed AFM International President & Chief Negotiator Tino Gagliardi.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without our members’ unwavering strength and unity, along with the tireless organizing efforts that led up to this historic contract. Their dedication was instrumental in achieving a favorable agreement after just 12 days of negotiations.”

The contract sets a new standard for musicians working in film and television, ensuring fair compensation, improved working conditions, and a secure future in the face of evolving technologies. AFM reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) back in February after contract negotiations began in January.

WavMaker, a music licensing startup designed with video creators in mind, has launched. Photo Credit: Jakob Owens

WavMaker, a music licensing startup geared towards video creators, has officially launched and announced $5 million in seed funding.

Tennessee-based WavMaker reached out with word of its formal debut and multimillion-dollar backing today. Founded by former Soundstripe higher-up Matt Arcaini (who doubles as CEO), industry vet Mark Stuart (director of label services), and Wavy Records co-founder Caleb Grimm (director of marketing), WavMaker bills itself specifically as “a next-generation music licensing platform.”

On the capital front, Vicky Patel, co-founder of film production house Monarch Media and “a principal” in the aforementioned Wavy Records, led WavMaker’s $5 million seed raise.

Moving forward, subscription-based WavMaker says it’ll use the involved capital to bankroll expansion initiatives, bring on additional team members, and bolster customer-outreach efforts.

Bigger picture, WavMaker has emphasized the belief that video creators are grappling with “inconsistent or stagnant libraries with high costs and confusing licensing structures.” As such, it intends to afford the professionals access to a pre-licensed library that’s “refreshed constantly” with new music.

“As a musician and creator myself,” CEO Matt Arcaini said, “I understand the constant struggle to find affordable, quality music for video content. Sifting through a platform to find the right music can be frustrating and limit creativity.

“We created WavMaker to offer creators and musicians a mutually beneficial and frustration-free solution. Our platform frees creators from worrying about acquiring high-quality music and allows them to focus on producing incredible content. Musicians have a new outlet for their music. It’s a win-win for all,” concluded Arcaini.

Touting WavMaker’s technical capabilities in separate remarks – the platform wasn’t live at the time of writing but is expected to open up this month – CTO Jack Whitis pointed to “an intuitive user interface” and more.

“Our team has put tremendous care into building an intuitive user interface that makes finding and acquiring high-quality music easier than ever,” the former Soundstripe and Rosie engineering exec communicated in part. “Our platform abstracts away the inherent complexity of music licensing and makes finding the right song part of the creative process. We’re constantly trying to put ourselves in the creator’s shoes and anticipate the things that might slow down their workflow.”

In other funding news, social-focused remix startup Hook earlier in March expanded its own seed round, while musician-collaboration platform BeatConnect disclosed an additional $1.86 million in funding, elevating its total capital raised to roughly $4.3 million.

Photo Credit: The Walt Disney Company

Taylor Swift continues to break records with her Eras Tour concert film, this time with 4.6 million views on Disney+ in only three days, crowning the show the No. 1 music film to grace the platform.

The three and a half hour Taylor’s Version of the film available exclusively on Disney+ features fan favorite “cardigan” and four additional acoustic songs: “Maroon,” “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “You Are in Love,” and “I Can See You.” Over its debut weekend, Swifties watched 16.2 million hours of the concert film, with 4.6 million views across three days.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour grossed more than $261 million at the global box office, a record-smashing feat for a music film event. Now with the most “complete” version available to stream on Disney+, fans can relive their favorite moments from the concert over and over again. In addition to the five bonus songs not available in previous editions of the film, fans can enjoy “Our Song” and “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” in the 26-minute Acoustic Collection extra feature.

The Eras Tour debuted on the service on Thursday, March 14, at 6 PM PT. To commemorate the premiere of Taylor’s Version of the film, Disney+ did a Taylor Swift takeover during the film’s debut day, with the service’s homepage featuring sets of titles inspired by each of the superstar songstress’ eras.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is far and away the biggest showing of a music film on the platform, but Disney+ notably offers an array of concert film experiences, including Elton John: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, Black Is King: A Film by Beyonce, and The Beatles: Get Back. Swift fans will be keen to know that her previous film offering, folklore: the long pond studio sessions, is also available to stream on demand.

Disney reportedly paid over $75 million for exclusive worldwide streaming rights to the Eras Tour film, which was produced by Swift’s own company.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Uppendahl

AMC Theatres saw an 11.5% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue which its CEO attributes to the release of Taylor Swift and Beyonce concert films. Here’s the latest.

AMC’s Q4 results are still grim as the company fights to maintain cash flow while posting a $182 million loss. Despite that, concessions revenue increased by $39 million year-over-year to $370 million, while admissions revenue surged by $53 million YoY to $614 million. AMC CEO Adam Aron attributes this growth entirely to the release of concert films from Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

“What is particularly noteworthy is how much AMC benefitted from our trailblazing industry leading efforts with our highly successful distribution of two concert movies—Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour and ‘Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce,’” Aron told investors.

“Despite a diminished box office overall, in the fourth quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago, AMC’s revenue grew by 11.5% and AMC’s adjusted EBITDA almost tripled. Literally, all of that increase in AMC’s revenue and EBITDA is attributable to our having shown these two movies in our theatres in the U.S. and internationally.”

“These two movies added greatly to movie theatre ticket sales across our entire industry, as just these two films represented fully one ninth of the complete Q4 domestic industry-wide box office. This is a stunning result given that neither of these films were on anyone’s drawing board until mid-year and that they were the first movies ever distributed by AMC in our entire 103-year history.”

“To that end, our praise for Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles Carter has no limit, and we offer our boundless thanks to those two world class artists for entrusting AMC to collaborate with them as the theatrical exhibition of their two masterpiece creations.”

‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour pulled in $179.8 million domestically, becoming the highest-grossing film in North America for Q4. Meanwhile, the Beyonce concert film ‘Renaissance’ pulled in $33.8 million in December alone.

Photo Credit: Tim Mossholder

Universal Music Group Nashville has announced the launch of Sing Me Back Home Productions, a new production arm focused on projects for film and TV.

Focusing on music integration and new ways of storytelling, Sing Me Back Home Productions taps into the deep catalog of artists from throughout UMG Nashville’s history as well as celebrating both newly discovered talent and stories. The production arm will be led by UMG Nashville Chair & CEO Cindy Mabe and SVP of Digital Business and Creative Development Dawn Gates.

This new division will focus on developing a content slate for a variety of documentaries, original scripted and unscripted television, feature films, and short form content. It will also be heavily involved in securing production partners, music supervision, and distribution.

“Country music has always been the home of the richest storytellers in music. Storytellers like Merle Haggard whose song ‘Sing Me Back Home’ helped frame the intent and name behind our production company,” says Mabe. “Songs and stories can transport people and literally sing them back home no matter where they are in the world.”

“Creating a new canvas for our storytellers to paint was a natural next step for our artists to talk to their fans in a new way. With several productions underway, this new endeavor fits prominently into what we are sustaining and building as a music company—roots, legacy, music discovery, and storytelling. We are finding faith, family, and heartland at the core of our business and we are making sure we are building generational content for different mediums across a variety of platforms and shepherding it into the homes of our audience.”

Sing Me Back Home Productions has partnered with ITV America’s Thinkfactory Media to develop and produce a new docuseries that will follow the personal and professional lives of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, the husband-wife duo known as The War and Treaty. The show will document the duo’s success as musicians and their homelife—which includes 13 family members living under the same roof.

Also on the horizon is the release of the critically acclaimed documentary ‘Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive’ in partnership with Storyville Entertainment. The film follows the eight-year journey of the disco icon as she writes and records a gospel album. The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was the opening night film at the Nashville Film Festival.

Photo Credit: Venti Views

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) resumed today, with the former releasing a series of statistics about how the industry has changed for musicians since the 1930s.

AFM says strikes and agreements made by the organization in the ‘30s paved the way for introduction of residuals for live radio performers who were faced with reduced wages as recorded replays became commonplace. Residuals were seen as a solution to this displacement caused by technology—exactly what writers, actors, and musicians seek today.

Residuals are calculated in one of two ways, either a fixed fee per ‘run’ for reuse of the material, or a percentage of the license fee for reuse in a different medium. Payments per run decrease over time as the value of older shows declines. The AFM highlights that the fight for residuals has been an ongoing one since the 1950s, as each new entertainment medium has sparked a fight over them. Video cassette tapes, DVDs, and streaming have all sparked residual battles.

Studios have resisted granting musicians a residual payment for original series, movies, and other programming made specifically for streaming services. That’s one of the AFM’s key demands, alongside regulation and protection against AI. The AFM went to the table for negotiations on January 22. Some stats shared by the AFM highlight why the battle is ongoing.

Wages for theatrical films have declined precipitously in the last decade. In 2013, movie calls constituted 65% of an AFM members’ work. By 2022, that number had dropped to just 20%. Traditional TV work has dropped similarly, plunging from 46% in 2014 to 21% in 2022. Meanwhile, recorded music for streaming originals has skyrocketed musicians’ workload, jumping from 2% in 2016 up to 59% in 2022.

With residuals from older movies and TV declining and no streaming residuals to replace them, musicians are rapidly making less than they did in the past. According to Local 47, the average L.A. studio musician played on 91 sessions for streaming originals in 2022, but wages are “below the poverty line.” Without residuals to augment recording session payments, these musicians cannot sustain their careers.

Photo Credit: Iberia Airlines / CC by 2.0

Sony Pictures preps four feature films about the Beatles — one from each band member’s perspective — for a global theatrical release in 2027.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), together with Sam Mendes and Neal Street Productions, have announced a new creative project to tell the story of the Beatles with four theatrical feature films — one for each band member. The endeavor marks the first time that Apple Corps Ltd. as well as remaining Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.

In a concept that was conceived by Mendes, who will direct the films, each movie will focus on another band member’s point of view. The four films will intersect to tell “the astonishing story of the greatest band in history.” SPE will finance and distribute the project worldwide, with full theatrical releases in 2027.

The details of the release dates of the films will be revealed closer to their actual release, and “will be innovative and groundbreaking.” Presumably, these will coincide with significant dates for the band and its members — perhaps birthdays, or notable release dates from the band’s body of work.

“I’m honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,” said Sam Mendes, who, in addition to directing the four films, will produce them alongside Neal Street Productions’ Pippa Harris and Julie Pastor. Jeff Jones will executive produce for Apple Corps Ltd.

“We intend this to be a uniquely thrilling and epic cinematic experience: four films, told from four different perspectives which tell a single story about the most celebrated band of all time,” said Pippa Harris. “To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege. From our first meeting with Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, it was clear that they shared both our passion and ambition for this project, and we can’t think of a more perfect home than Sony Pictures.”

“Apple Corps is delighted to collaborate with Sam, Pippa, and Julie to explore each Beatle’s unique story and to bring them together in a suitably captivating and innovative way,” added Apple Corps Ltd. CEO Jeff Jones. “Sony Pictures’ enthusiastic support, championing the project’s scope and creative vision from the start, has been invaluable for all of us.”

“Theatrical movie events today must be culturally seismic,” concludes Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group. “Sam’s daring, large-scale idea is that and then some. Pairing his premiere filmmaking team, with the music and the stories of four young men who changed the world, will rock audiences all over the globe. We are deeply grateful to all parties and look forward ourselves to breaking some rules with Sam’s uniquely artistic vision.”

Photo Credit: Sophie Ellis-Bextor / Instagram

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is selling out shows across Europe and in New York City after the successful revival of “Murder on the Dancefloor.” The 2001 song was included in the viral movie ‘Saltburn’ and showcases another sync success following Kate Bush’s “Runnin’ Up That Hill” revival.

Ellis-Bextor sang the song at the BAFTA Awards in the U.K., the equivalent of the Oscars. When asked about the success of the revival, she spoke about returning to when she recorded it. “It’s just wonderful, she told ABC. “I kind of want to go back to 22-year-old me, which is how old I was when I recorded it—and be like, ‘You won’t believe what happened with this.’””

Now she’s taking the show on the road with her first-ever headline tour of North America. Right now there are seven dates set, with the New York City show selling out within a day of the announcement.

“It’s a song I’ve been singing for over 20 years. I still love singing it,” Ellis-Bextor told the BBC after the scene in ‘Saltburn’ went viral, inspiring a TikTok dance trend. “I love the way people react when I do it live. But for new people to be discovering it, for it to be making new memories with people, is kind of beautiful.”

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Europe Tour

March

• 01 | Groningen, NL — SOLD OUT
• 03 | Utrecht, NL — SOLD OUT
• 04 | Antwerp, BE
• 05 | Paris, FR
• 06 | Cologne, DE
• 08 | Oslo, NO — SOLD OUT
• 09 | Stockholm, SE — SOLD OUT
• 10 | Copenhagen, DK
• 12 | Berlin, DE
• 13 | Warsaw, PL
• 15 | Prague, CZ — SOLD OUT
• 16 | Wien, AT — SOLD OUT
• 18 | Zurich, CH

Sophie Ellis-Bextor North American Tour

May

• 30 | August Hall — San Francisco, CA
• 31 | The Observatory North Park — San Diego, CA

June

• 03 | 9:30 Club — Washington, DC
• 04 | Royale Boston — Boston, MA
• 05 | Union Transfer — Philadelphia, PA
• 06 | Webster Hall — New York, NY — SOLD OUT
• 08 | Danforth Music Hall — Toronto, ON

Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ Paramount’s biopic about the reggae legend, hits $44 million in box office receipts over the Valentine’s Day weekend.

Paramount’s biopic, “Bob Marley: One Love,” about the reggae legend and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, stayed high over the Valentine’s Day weekend, raking in $44 million at the box office in the six days since its release. The movie brought in $27.7 million in three days alone — higher than Paramount’s Elton John biopic “Rocketman,” which premiered during the pre-pandemic summer of 2019.

In fact, the Marley film falls just shy of beating Warner Bros.’ Baz Luhrmann-directed “Elvis” in 2022, with a three-day opening weekend of $31.2 million. Comparatively speaking, 20th Century Fox’s 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic, the multi-Oscar winning “Bohemian Rhapsody,” posted a three-day opening of $51 million.

“Bob Marley: One Love” saw a beautiful Valentine’s Day launch, thanks in no small part to its post-production crew, who ensured the film was ready after the actors’ strike prevented the film from hitting its initially planned release date on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

“The date became the kindling to star the fire over the long holiday weekend,” says Paramount Domestic Distribution Chief Chris Aronson. “The movie’s title of ‘One Love’ represented the message of love, hope, and peace, and unity that is Bob’s music, which is emblematic of Valentine’s Day.”

“My family and I are honored with the amazing response to ‘Bob Marley: One Love.’ Like my father’s music, this movie is meant for the people, and his message of peace, love, and unity is clearly connecting with audiences around the world,” says Ziggy Marley, who produced the film. “We thank the people for embracing this film, and in so doing, helping to highlight the message of one love.”

Data from box office firm EntTelligence reports that the film saw 3.8 million patrons, compared to the 1.8 million brought in by the film “Madame Web,” which debuted concurrently. The most dominant demographic for the movie is the 35-44 bracket with 22%, but it’s showing large cross-generational appeal, with 21% in the 18-24 range, 17% in the 25-34 range, 16% at 45-54, and 14% at 55 or over.

Photo Credit: Lander Pauwels / CC by 4.0

Sony Music sues the producers of a Whitney Houston biopic, claiming the companies never paid for the use of her music.

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) is suing the producers of the 2022 Whitney Houston biopic, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, alleging that although they signed a sync licensing deal, the companies failed to pay for the use of 20-plus of Houston’s songs that appear in the film. As a result, Sony calls the use of the songs in the film “willful and deliberate infringement” of its copyrights.

According to the lawsuit filed on Thursday (February 15) in New York federal court, Anthem Films, Black Label Media, and a number of other entities behind the Houston biopic, signed deals for sync licenses to allow the use of songs like “I Will Always Love You” in the film, but still haven’t paid Sony a penny for their use, more than a year later. Sony alleges that the companies signed a sync licensing agreement on December 5, 2022 — just a few days before the film’s release.

“Unlike other types of films, musical biopics by their nature require use of the subject musician’s music, as it is nearly impossible to explain the importance of a musician’s creative genius or unique style and talent without the use of the musician’s music,” wrote Sony lawyer Christine Lepera of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp. “To date, Anthem has not paid the fees, or any portion of the fees, due under the agreements.”

Sony says it notified Anthem of the problem in August, after nearly nine months of non-payment. The company allegedly told Sony that it was waiting on funds from a tax credit owed by the state of Massachusetts — but Sony says that payment never came.

“As a result of Anthem’s failure to pay the fees to SME, it is clear that there was no license or authorization to use the SME recordings used in the film,” write Sony’s attorneys. “Nevertheless, the film embodying the SME recordings was, and continues to be, exhibited, distributed, and exploited.”

The lawsuit names Boston-based Anthem Films, NYBO Productions LLC, Los Angeles-based Black Label Media, and the Black Label-owned WH Movie LLC as co-defendants.

Black Label asserts in a statement to Billboard that the company was “one of many investors in this film, should not have been named in the lawsuit, and looks forward to being dismissed from it promptly.” Representatives for the other companies have not responded to media requests for comment.

Photo Credit: Trafalgar Releasing

‘Hate to Love: Nickelback,’ a feature-length documentary about the Canadian rock band, is coming to select theaters worldwide for two nights only, on March 27 and 30.

Trafalgar Releasing, together with Gimme Sugar Productions and Submarine Entertainment, have announced plans to bring their feature-length documentary film, “Hate to Love: Nickelback,” to theaters worldwide for two nights only on March 27 and 30.

“Hate to Love: Nickelback” premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and tells the “authentic story about the band from their humble beginnings in Hanna Alberta, to their explosive global success in 2001 and the highs and lows that followed.”

Directed by Leigh Brooks and produced by Ben Jones, the film celebrates the loyalty of Nickelback fans, delving into years of online vitriol and exposing the personal impact it had on each of the band’s members. The film also unveils the group’s decision to return after a five-year hiatus with a new album and a hugely successful sold-out tour.

“Nickelback has been such an influence on our music culture throughout the years,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP of Programming and Content Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing. “We are thrilled to bring the story of their journey to stardom and the importance of their passionate fans’ support through the decades to cinemas worldwide.”

“We are very excited to finally bring this film to theaters this Spring,” said Nickelback. “It’s been a long road to get this project across the finish line and we must thank Ben Jones and Leigh Brooks for all of their hard work. We hope everyone enjoys our story — fans, friends, or otherwise.”

Tickets for the global theatrical release of “Hate to Love: Nickelback” go on sale starting on February 22 at 10 AM ET, with the film distributed to over1,350 locations across 30 countries. The 90-minute film combines never-before-seen archival footage, concert footage, interviews, and “enthusiastic celebrity advocates” such as Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and actor Ryan Reynolds.

Photo Credit: EJ Hersom for DOD News Feature / CC by 2.0

Eminem is co-producing a documentary on the phenomenon of ‘Stans,’ fanatical and sometimes delusional superfans. Stans has become the universal name for the phenomenon of a ‘stalker fan.’

Nearly 25 years after the release of his song “Stan” that would lead to the term of the same name for fanatical superfans, Eminem is co-producing a documentary on the phenomenon — also called “Stans” — via his Shady Films, in association with DIGA Studios and Hill District Media, with initial distribution from Paramount and MTV. Directed by Steven Leckart, the film is slated for a 2025 release.

According to a report from Variety, “Stans” is currently only a working title, but the film is set to be “a revealing, edgy, and disarmingly personal journey into the world of superfandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans that worship him.”

“‘Stans will be the opportunity for us to turn the camera around and ask the audience about being fans — and in some cases, fanatics,” said Shady Films’ Stuart Parr and Eminem’s longtime manager, Paul Rosenberg. “This is a study of the relationship between fanbase and artist through the lens of one of Eminem’s most fascinating songs and one of the world’s most important entertainers.”

“Paul Rosenberg and I have known each other since my days on MTV’s ‘TRL,’ a show that was driven by the power of fandom, bringing artists and their fans together,” adds Tony DiSanto, DIGA CEO and a former top MTV executive. “So when he told me about the idea for this film, it felt like we had come full circle. ‘Stans’ will explore the complex relationship between fame and superfandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic artists, Eminem, his music, and especially, his most extreme fans.”

The film’s director, Steven Leckart, is credited with writing such documentaries as “What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali,” the Hulu series “Legacy: True Story of the LA Lakers,” on which he also served as executive producer, and directing credits for “Challenger: The Final Flight.”

Photo Credit: Warner Chappell Production Music

Warner Chappell Music and Warner Chappell Production Music have launched a new label, Run4Cover, offering fresh arrangements of beloved and recognizable hits.

Warner Chappell Production Music (WCPM) and Warner Chappell Music (WCM) have launched a new label, Run4Cover, combining WCM’s catalog with WCPM’s production expertise to offer new arrangements of instantly recognizable and beloved songs across numerous genres and eras. Designed for both widely distributed productions and independent content creators, the label also minimizes licensing complexities.

In an era in which older songs are constantly finding new fans through social media platforms like TikTok, evolving the discovery of timeless hits through covers offers endless freedom to introduce new variations and interpretations, breathing new life into catalog classics.

Run4Cover’s repertoire features new renditions of classic global hits from artists like Radiohead, Curtis Mayfield, Kool & The Gang, and Donna Summer. The label showcases these covers in diverse styles, including interpretations by string quartet, big band, nu-disco, and “haunting trailerizations.”

“We’re thrilled to work with the WCM team to reinterpret both the hits and the deep cuts in their incredible music catalog. Being able to provide a one-stop cover option also saves clients a lot of time,” said Pat Weaver, Head of Production at Warner Chappell Production Music.

“Great songs have so many different facets and guises, and this is a fantastic way for our clients to tap into covers of iconic classics and bring out different dimensions,” added Rich Robinson, EVP Global Synchronization and Media Original Music, Warner Chappell Music.

All label compositions are controlled by WCM, with the original master recordings owned by WCPM. Clients will benefit from a streamlined clearance process through a single point of contact, creating a convenient one-call solution and one-stop shop. Additionally, Run4Cover offers custom covers tailored to individual preferences.

A worldwide leader in the production and custom music space, WCPM has over 35 years of experience and success under its belt. Owned by WCM and part of the Warner Music Group family, WCPM releases over 500 new albums across more than 135 catalogs each year, representing over 210,000 unique tracks across countless genres.

Photo Credit: Paolo Villanueva / CC by 2.0

According to a new report, Taylor Swift sold exclusive streaming rights to her Eras Tour concert film to Disney+ for over $75 million.

Disney is paying Taylor Swift more than $75 million for exclusive streaming rights to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” on Disney+, having outbid Netflix and Universal Pictures, according to a report from Puck News. Universal Pictures had previously handled the film’s digital and video-on-demand distribution.

The “Taylor’s Version” of the concert film will include five songs not heard in previous versions of the movie, including fan favorite cottagecore hit “cardigan” from 2020’s folklore, plus four acoustic songs not yet revealed. Representatives for neither Swift nor Disney have responded to media requests for comment.

“We know audiences are going to absolutely love the chance to relive the electrifying ‘Taylor Swift: Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)’ whenever they want on Disney+,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday, February 7.

After its theatrical release on October 13, 2023, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” brought in an astounding $261.7 million at the global box office, crowning it the highest-grossing concert film in history. The movie was shot at the first three Los Angeles show of Swift’s Eras Tour, from August 3-5, 2023.

At two hours and 45 minutes of runtime, the version of the film seen in theaters omitted several songs from the performances. The digital release, distributed by Universal Pictures, debuted on Swift’s birthday, December 13. That version had a runtime of just over three hours, and included three songs not seen in the theatrical run: “Long Live,” “The Archer,” and “Wildest Dreams.”

Based on the three shows used for the film, the most likely candidates for the four acoustic songs that will be included in the Disney+ Taylor’s Version are “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” and “You Are in Love.” Fans will be able to find out for sure what those songs are when the newly expanded version of “The Eras Tour” debuts on March 15 on Disney+.

Photo Credit: Mercury Records / RIAA

Post Malone and Swae Lee’s “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)” is a massive hit, becoming the first single to be certified ‘Double Diamond’ by the RIAA.

The track also holds the most certifications of all-time, going 20x Platinum, also contributing to Post Malone’s personal record of the most RIAA Diamond Certified Singles artist, ever. Post Malone is performing at the Super Bowl LVIII and will be singing “America the Beautiful” before kick-off.

Last year, Posty released his fifth full-length album, AUSTIN. It reached #2 on the Billboard 200 and was his fifth consecutive Top 5 album on that chart since 2016. He now has 8 RIAA Diamond-certified records including:

• “White Iverson”
• “Congratulations” ft. Quavo
• “I Fall Apart”
• “rockstar” ft. 21 Savage
• “Pyscho” ft. Ty Dolla $ign
• “Better Now”
• “Circles”
• “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)”

“Post Malone and Swae Lee have officially raised the bar on what creative partnerships and infectious collaborations have the power to accomplish,” adds RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier.

“‘Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)’ has now been streamed or downloaded more than 20 million times in the United States alone—and they’ve earned this custom hardware to prove it. Congratulations Post, Swae Lee, and Mercury/Republic Records for making history with the first 2x Diamond single!”

Post Malone has sold out numerous arena tours and hosted and curated his own music festival, the popular Posty Fest in 2018 and 2019. In 2020, he also performed a massively popular Nirvana tribute concert on YouTube, raising over $10 million for the World Health Organization’s fight against COVID-19.

Following the release of beerbongs & bentley’s, Post Malone crushed a 54 year old record. He charted nine songs in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100—achieving the most in the Top 20 of the Hot 100 chart, ever. He also trounced the record for most simultaneous Top 40 songs on the Hot 100 list with 14.

Photo Credit: Paolo Villanueva / CC by 2.0

Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ concert film is heading to Disney+, including fan favorite ‘cardigan’ and four songs previously unreleased in the theatrical or video-on-demand editions.

Taylor Swift’s celebrated Eras Tour concert film is headed to Disney+ in a special edition exclusively available on the service beginning on March 15. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) will include the fan favorite song “cardigan” as well as four acoustic songs previously not included in the theatrical or video-on-demand releases.

Disney CEO Bob Iger broke the news during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday (February 7). “The Eras Tour has been a true phenomenon that has and continues to thrill fans around the world, and we are very excited to bring this electrifying concert to audiences wherever they are, exclusively on Disney+,” said Iger.

The decision to partner with Disney+ means fans who already subscribe to the service won’t have to pay yet another fee to see the film again. But fans who aren’t subscribers will be keen to do so, something Iger is banking on.

The concert film proved to be one of the biggest box office sensations of 2023, taking the crown for top-grossing concert documentary movie of all time. It grossed over $180 million domestically and nearly $81 million internationally for more than $261.1 million in total.

The Eras Tour film was among the movies up for consideration for the first Golden Globe award for best cinematic and box office achievement, though Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film won the inaugural award. Films are eligible for the category if they earn at least $150 million at the worldwide box office, including $100 million or more in North America.

Using AMC Theatres to distribute the film rather than the traditional movie studio system was unorthodox, but arguably so was the film itself — and Swift proved her business savvy yet again by taking the road less traveled. AMC would also distribute Beyonce’s Renaissance concert film shortly thereafter.

During its box office run, The Eras Tour greatly benefitted from repeated viewership, only showing Thursday through Sunday and attracting Swifties in droves. Its video-on-demand run also proved lucrative, though some fans balked at the comparatively steep rental price.

Photo Credit: Kreepin Death / CC by 4.0

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis is the next on the music biopic train, with Universal optioning the film based on his 2004 bestselling memoir.

Anthony Kiedis of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame is the latest to show up on the music biopic train, with Universal Pictures optioning the rights to a feature film project based on Kiedis’ New York Times bestseller “Scar Tissue.” Brian Grazer will produce the film through Imagine Entertainment, alongside Kiedis, and Guy Oseary, who has managed the Chili Peppers since 2021.

The book provides a candid look at Kiedis as the frontman of Red Hot Chili Peppers, as an artist, and as an addict. Set against the drug-fueled Los Angeles punk scene of the 1970s and 1980s, “Scar Tissue” portrays an “unconventional father-and-son story,” and how Kiedis’ experiences led to the music embraced by millions of fans worldwide.

Universal promises an adaptation of the book providing “a shockingly candid portrait of an artist, addict, and ringleader,” and a story that examines “without judgement, how all of his experiences shaped (the band’s) music.” The book was released in 2004, written by Kiedis with Larry Sloman, and was a New York Times bestseller.

Born in Grand Rapids, MI, Anthony Kiedis moved to Los Angeles when he was 12, providing an early exposure to the LA music scene and helping lay the foundation for his music career. He co-founded the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1983 with guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Flea (Michael Balzary), and drummer Jack Irons. Kiedis’ energetic stage presence, coupled with the band’s fusion of funk, punk, and rock, rapidly gained the band a devoted fan base.

Red Hot Chili Peppers has had nine Top 10 albums, 15 No. 1 Modern Rock singles, and six Grammy Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. The band is scheduled to play dates scheduled from late May through late July, including headlining appearances at Bonaroo in June.

Photo Credit: Constru-centro / CC by 4.0

Lionsgate and Universal will release a new Michael Jackson biopic in 2025, promising to profile a ‘brilliant yet complicated man.’

Lionsgate has announced the beginning of production on director Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael,” a new Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson. Production starts January 22, with the film slated for an April 18, 2025 release.

Scripted by John Logan (“Gladiator,” “The Aviator,”) and produced by Graham King (“Bohemian Rhapsody,”) the film follows “the complicated man who becomes the King of Pop, from triumphs to tragedies, from his human side and personal struggles to his creative genius.” John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Michael Jackson Estate, also serve as producers.

“Michael” has been in the pipeline since late 2019, with King having secured the rights from the Michael Jackson Estate to all the late singer-songwriter’s music. Lionsgate snatched up the project in February 2022, and will release the movie stateside, while Universal handles international distribution.

Jaafar Jackson, the 27-year-old nephew of Michael and son of former Jackson 5 member Jermaine, landed the title role in January last year. Director Fuqua says it’s “uncanny how much he’s like Michael… sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.”

“I’m so honored to tell Michael’s story,” says King. “It’s been a long journey and I’m excited for the film to show audiences around the world a perspective of Michael that they’ve never seen.”

“Michael Jackson was inarguably one of the greatest entertainers of all time. His impact on music, video, art, fashion, culture — and so much more — was extraordinary and is still profoundly relevant,” adds Adam Fogelson, Chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. “I can’t wait for audiences to be able to see this film in theaters worldwide next year.”

Lionsgate insists the film will cover “all aspects of Jackson’s life,” but it remains to be seen how or if it might address Michael’s various controversies, particularly given the estate’s involvement. Jackson’s estate has vehemently defended him against accusations of sexually abusing children, even when HBO’s 2019 documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” returned those accusations to the public eye.

Photo Credit: Taylor Swift (YouTube)

What’s the highest grossing in-theater concert film? Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ concert has nudged Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is it’ out of the top spot.

AMC Theatres has confirmed that Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ concert film is the highest grossing film in box office history, among concert & documentary films. The concert film already held the box office record for highest-grossing film, earning $8.7 million in China after opening on December 31. The film’s combined international and domestic performances, the film has now made $261.6 million globally.

That record surpasses the previous record holder, Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’, which earned $261.2 million globally after its release in 2009. The film was nominated for the inaugural Cinematic & Box Office Achievement award at the Golden Globes.

“On behalf of all of us at AMC Theatres, I send my congratulations and eternal gratitude to Taylor Swift for her remarkable record-setting box office performance with Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour concert film,” says Adam Aron, Chairman & CEO of AMC Entertainment.

“Her spectacular performance delighted fans around the world and serves as another strong reminder about the power of extraordinary filmmaking and magic of movie theaters.”

Chinese theater-goers affectionately refer to Taylor Swift as ‘Meimei’ and lined up to see the concert film over the new year. Swift topped the charts in China last year as the top-selling foreign artist, with Midnights selling nearly 250,000 copies in China on its first day of sales. She’s also one of the few foreign stars to have more than 10 million followers on Weibo—the Chinese version of Twitter.

The release of the ‘Eras Tour’ concert film in China is one of the few American films to make the cut for foreign films released in China. In the past, 30 to 40 American films were released per year in China, but after the pandemic that number has dwindled drastically. In 2021, only 28 American films debuted in the country. By August 2022, only 18 American films debuted in China.

Photo Credit: HBO

Lil Nas X jumps on the concert documentary train with ‘Long Live Montero’ debuting on HBO on January 27, a film that captures his first global tour across 60 days.

HBO has announced the debut of Lil Nas X’s concert documentary, which had its world premiere last year at the Toronto Film Festival. “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” releases on the network on January 27 at 8 PM ET, and will also stream on demand on Max. The documentary follows the artist across 60 days as he performs his “Long Live Montero” tour to support his 2021 debut album, Montero.

Lil Nas X, born Montero Hill, discusses his career and his place in the pop and rap world as a queer Black performer. Zac Manuel (Alone, Buckjumping, Nonstop) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting, Summertime, Raya and the Last Dragon), the latter of whom has, in addition to his filmmaking credits, directed music videos for artists that include Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, and Carly Rae Jepsen, directed the film.

HBO Documentary Films is presenting the film alongside Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records, a production by RadicalMedia in association with Museum & Crane.

“Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” is produced by Dave Sirulnick, Caryn Capotosto, Saul Levitz, Adam Leber, Gee Roberson, Adriana Arce, and Hodo Musa, and executive produced by Meredith Bennett, Jon Kamen, Frank Scherma, Tom Mackay, Ron Perry, and Krista Wegener.

Lil Nas X first broke into the mainstream with “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus, which spent 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the longest-running No. 1 hit in the chart’s lifetime.

He won two Grammy awards for the song: Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Some of his other hits include “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” “That’s What I Want,” and “Industry Baby” featuring Jack Harlow.

Beyonce performing live during the Renaissance Tour. Photo Credit: Raph_PH

Beyonce’s Renaissance film reportedly suffered a 77 percent box office drop during its second weekend in theaters.

The nearly three-hour movie, entitled Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce and centering on the namesake 56-date tour, released theatrically on Friday, December 1st. And as we reported, the AMC-distributed work had an impressive opening weekend, slightly outpacing domestic projections and just failing to hit global forecasts en route to pulling in $21.8 million or so.

According to Deadline, however, Renaissance’s second-weekend showing dipped to roughly $5 million, falling about 77 percent from the same three-day stretch at December’s start.

Consisting specifically of $1.6 million from Friday ticket sales, $2.1 million from Saturday, and the remaining $1.3 million from Sunday, the sum boosted the concert film’s total domestic box office to around $28.5 million, per The Numbers.

The outlet also identified $5.5 million in Renaissance revenue attributable to international ticket sales – the lion’s share of which derived from fans in the UK – for an overall global box office of about $34 million through Sunday.

While Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour film likewise experienced a double-digit box office decline following a strong first weekend, the older project’s opening was far larger than that turned in by Renaissance. All told, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which is still showing in certain theaters, has raked in north of a quarter of a billion dollars since debuting in mid-October.

Needless to say, it’s possible that the Eras Tour movie’s popularity may have impacted the performance of Renaissance, including by rendering some overlapping fans uninterested in spending another three hours watching a concert film in theaters. (The releases have almost identical runtimes, at 169 minutes for The Eras Tour and 168 minutes for Renaissance.)

Moreover, it’s hardly a secret that the Renaissance Tour was extremely popular, generating a reported $579 million; fueled by a seemingly endless collection of psyched Swifties, the ongoing Eras Tour has reportedly pulled in over $1 billion.

Consequently, it stands to reason that more than a few fans, having already been entertained by the in-person shows, are uninterested in the concert films – or, at the very least, are committed to waiting until they hit streaming services.

Even for the months-old Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, though, this presumably much-anticipated streaming service arrival (on monthly subscription platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Max, that is) hasn’t yet come to fruition. Rather, the Eras Tour movie is scheduled to become available to rent on-demand for a cool $19.89 beginning this Wednesday.

Those who shell out the sizable sum will have 48 hours to watch the rental-only film, complete with three songs not included in the theatrical release, per reports.

Warner Music Group has partnered with the estate of Edith Piaf to create an AI-powered animated movie about the French singer’s life. Photo Credit: Warner Music

Months after making clear its interest in releasing high-profile artificial intelligence projects, Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced an AI-powered partnership with the estate of French artist Edith Piaf.

The Big Three label today detailed its seemingly far-reaching tie-up with the estate of Edith Piaf, who was born in Paris in 1915 and passed away in 1963. Known in particular for tracks including “La Vie en rose” and “Non, je ne regrette rien,” Piaf was at the height of her fame immensely popular in her home country and made commercial waves in nations including the U.S. as well.

Now, Warner Music and Piaf’s estate are looking to build upon the singer’s 20th century prominence 60 years after her death. In pursuit of the objective, WMG says it’s created an “innovative and groundbreaking AI technology which will recreate” Piaf’s “voice and image.”

This AI was “trained on hundreds of voice clips and images,” according to Warner Music, which, with support from Paris-based production company Seriously Happy, intends to utilize the digital re-creation of Piaf to make an “animated biopic” entitled EDITH.

Spanning 90 minutes, EDITH will explore how Piaf “overcame struggles to become a symbol of female empowerment and one of France’s most iconic artists,” per WMG’s description.

While the company didn’t disclose a release window or adjacent plans for accompanying music projects, it did note that “a proof of concept has been created” and that Seriously Happy’s co-CEOs have written the Edith Piaf movie script.

Warner Music Entertainment, WMG also indicated, is preparing to partner “with a studio to develop the full-length film,” which is expected to complement its animation with archival footage. In a statement, Warner Music France head Alain Veille acknowledged the “delicate balancing act” of “combining new technology with heritage artists.”

“Edith is one of France’s greatest ever artists and she is still a source of so much pride to the French people,” the over 22-year Warner Music exec Veille said in part. “It is such a delicate balancing act when combining new technology with heritage artists, and it was imperative to us that we worked closely with Edith’s estate and handled this project with the utmost respect.”

In October of 2022, BTS agency Hybe purchased a majority interest in AI voice company Supertone, having previously invested in the business in February of 2021. Well before soundalike tracks began arriving on the scene in droves, Supertone effectively mimicked the voice of popular South Korean singer Kim Kwang Seok, who passed away in 1996.

Of course, AI works – from authorized projects like EDITH and The Beatles’ “Now and Then” to unauthorized releases like “Heart on My Sleeve” – have become far more prevalent in the interim and will presumably continue growing in number throughout 2024. Against this backdrop, YouTube is reportedly taking steps to crack down on generative AI media.

The Taylor Swift Eras Tour film has brought in over $200 million at the box office, according to newly released data. Photo Credit: Paolo V

Having raked in north of $200 million, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film is now the top-grossing concert movie “in history,” according to AMC CEO Adam Aron. Meanwhile, the theater chain’s stock price spiked by close to nine percent during today’s trading.

Aron took to Twitter/X to tout the latest financial milestone for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which began showing on the 13th. Running a staggering 169 minutes and accompanied by concession items including an Eras Tour “official popcorn tub,” the movie edition of the ultra-popular concert reportedly topped $150 million in global pre-sales.

(On Ebay, more than a few profit-minded sellers appear to be moving a number of the mentioned popcorn tubs, besides exclusive cups and posters. At the time of this writing, one listing had sold an astonishing 66 of the tubs, each priced at $49.98 including shipping.)

Now, on the heels of this massive opening weekend as well as solid ticket sales thereafter, the work has generated over $200 million, as initially noted.

The underlying data looks to have derived from Comscore, which reportedly indicated that the Eras Tour film had earned $203 million at the box office globally. Furthermore, the same source drove home that the total is the largest to date attributable to a concert film.

Regarding AMC’s initially mentioned stock-price boost, shares jumped by 8.85 percent today, to $9.96 apiece when the market closed. And while the meme stock’s still down over 67 percent on the year, its price has improved by about 22 percent during the past month or so.

Needless to say, Swift has benefited financially from the commercial success of the Eras Tour, its movie, and music projects including the newly released 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The latter has broken multiple Spotify records since becoming available to fans last Friday.

To be sure, the 33-year-old has officially achieved billionaire status, according to multiple reports. The Universal Music Group-signed act, who some believe is “one of the most significant generational artists of the last 40 or 50 years,” also seems to be producing commercial results far beyond the live music and film spaces.

Amid a well-documented relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Swift has started attending games, telecasts of which have reportedly drawn record ratings for the NFL by spurring Swifties to tune in for the opportunity to catch a quick look at their favorite artist.

Still from the concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

After the concert film grossed a whopping $39 million on Friday, distributor AMC Theaters estimates The Eras Tour to claim a total between $95 and $97 million at the end of its opening weekend. Earlier estimates hovered between $90-$110 million.

According to AMC theaters, The Eras Tour raked in between $95 and $97 million at the domestic box office. The Eras Tour is playing at 3,850 theaters in North America, and an estimated 4.8 million people have watched the film. The official tally on Monday will reveal whether Swift captured the top spot of openings in October. Joker ($96.2 million) currently holds that record.

Box office analysts and Hollywood studios had estimated blockbuster domestic scores for The Eras Tour, and the film did not disappoint. Even though the concert film didn’t reach the $100 million domestic gross projected initially, numbers coming through place The Eras Tour in the top leagues.

Friday’s $39 million opening had officially crowned The Eras Tour as the second-best domestic opening at the October box office. The cinematic concert film was second only to Joker, which grossed $39.4 million on its opening Friday, and ahead of 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, at $37.4 million, as reported by Deadline.

Taylor Twist: The Eras Tour is the top-grossing concert movie ever made and the widest-released concert film ever. Even though The Eras Tour appears to have missed the $100 million bullseye, it’s currently neck-and-neck with Joker.

Swift has buried 2011’s concert film Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which set a domestic record with a lifetime gross of $73 million. It grossed $26 million overseas, claiming a global total of $99 million. Michael Jackson’s posthumous documentary/concert film This Is It grossed $72 million in North America during its run in theaters.

Produced by Taylor Swift alongside mega-circuit AMC theaters, with production costs between $10-20 million, The Eras Tour has definitely delivered. Estimates for Saturday had placed grosses at $32.3 million (17% lower than Friday’s haul, which included $2.8 million raked in from Thursday’s previews).

During the week leading up to the release, Swift’s in-theater concert film had already raked in over $100 million in domestic pre-sales, with another $50 million internationally, according to data from EntTelligence. In terms of sheer opening night sellouts, that was higher than Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.

Friday’s moviegoers were 82% female, 63% of ticket buyers were between 18 and 34 years old, and 17% of those who turned up in full force were teenagers, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

This primarily female audience gave the movie a rare A+ CinemaScore in exit polls. Only 86 films have received an A+ CinemaScore since the company began in 1986, which include the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther, 1991’s Beauty and the Beast, Avengers: Endgame, Titanic, and E.T. The Eras Tour also boasts a 99% Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

The film has brought with it a lot of other firsts. The Eras Tour represents the first time in modern history that a theater circuit — instead of a Hollywood studio — has distributed a movie. The Eras Tour has already secured the record for being the most significant start for a film distributed by a movie theater chain, AMC.

Paul Dergarabedian, chief box office analyst, said The Eras Tour weekend performance cannot be overstated. He also noted that Swift’s reputation and the unprecedented nature of the release led to a massive outpouring of interest in the film, which undoubtedly contributed to some overblown expectations of a $100 million plus weekend, adding, “But that should not detract from the enormity of this box office achievement. Given its outlier status and unique path to the multiplex, it is made all the more impressive and unexpected that lands in the wake of the Barbenheimer big screen phenomenon.”

Analysts had earlier called the film a ‘unicorn,’ referring to how its unique position and the backing of an incredibly devoted fanbase made box office score estimations highly challenging. Box office analyst Shawn Robbins has said that the film’s debut is an undeniable tent-pole level success despite the challenges of predicting what it might achieve, adding, “Swift, her fans, and theatrical exhibition should all be celebrating the results.”

AMC predicts a global weekend start around the $150 million mark.

The Eras Tour will ultimately take the spot for the seventh or eighth-best opening of 2023 after the actors’ strike pitched some tough economic weeks at the box office.

According to Deadline, The Eras Tour had secured an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA, allowing Swift to post on social media and appear at the movie’s world premiere — where she delivered a three-minute speech alongside shoutouts to her band, dancers, and fans.

“I’ve always had fun doing this,” said Swift, adding, “I can’t believe I get to do music as a career. I’ve never had this much fun in my life as I have had on The Eras Tour. It is far and away just the most electric experience of my life.”

The Eras Tour is only playing in theaters Thursday-Sunday for the three weekends following its release. The cinematic concert clocks in at 169 minutes, taking fans on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, covering selected performances of tracks from Swift’s ten albums.

Photo Credit: Magnolia Pictures

Nick Broomfield presents his new documentary, “The Stones & Brian Jones,” uncovering the legacy of Brian Jones, founding member of The Rolling Stones, who died at age 27.

Filmmaker Nick Broomfield has unveiled his latest documentary, “The Stones & Brian Jones,” releasing this November. Presented by Magnolia Pictures, and produced and directed by Broomfield, the film uncovers the true story and legacy of Brian Jones, the founder and creative driving force behind the early days of The Rolling Stones.

Featuring interviews with all the main players, with unseen archive released for the first time, “The Stones & Brian Jones” explores the musical genius of Jones, key to the band’s early success, and how his death at age 27 left him behind in the shadows of history.

At age 14, director Nick Broomfield met Brian Jones by chance on a train at the height of the latter’s success. The film looks at the relationships and rivalries within the Rolling Stones in the band’s formative years, while exploring the iconoclastic freedom and exuberance of the ‘60s.

“The Rolling Stones were a major influence in my formative years. Brian and Mick were heroes of the day; their rebellion and breaking of the rules were a great inspiration to us,” says Broomfield of his inspiration to create the documentary. “Making this film was an opportunity for me to look at that formative growing-up time, until the shock of Brian’s death in 1969 — the darkest moment in the history of The Stones, when things changed.”

The current lineup of The Rolling Stones — including the incomparable Mick Jagger, who turned 80 in July — will release Hackney Diamonds on October 20. The band’s first studio album of original material in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds, is also the first without founding member and drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in 2021. To tease the album, the band took out a false ad in a local Hackney newspaper, containing plenty of references to The Stones to delight astute fans.

Photo Credit: Venti Views

While Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ all have price hikes on the horizon, WSJ reports Netflix plans to raise its prices after the SAG-AFTRA strike ends.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Netflix is planning to raise the price of its ad-free tier a few months after the SAG-AFTRA strike ends. The company will become the latest streaming giant to increase its costs, following upcoming price hikes from Apple, Disney, ESPN, Hulu, and more.

Netflix is considering raising prices in several markets, most likely beginning with the US and Canada, according to those close to the situation. WSJ says it has yet to learn how much the company will increase its prices or when new pricing would take effect; Netflix has declined to comment.

Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Tuesday (October 3) that the monthly price of the ad-free version of Discovery+ would increase by two dollars, from $6.99 to 8.99. Its ad-supported tier will remain unchanged at $4.99 a month. The company also plans to add live sports to its Max streaming service (formerly HBO Max) for an opt-in tier that will cost $9.99 a month. The base Max offering is $15.99 a month.

Similarly, Disney is looking to launch a new live-sports tier of Disney+ in markets outside the US. The ad-free monthly prices of Disney+ and Hulu will increase beginning on October 12; Disney+ will cost $13.99 while Hulu’s ad-free tier will be $17.99. For now, the ad-sponsored tiers of both services will remain $7.99 a month.

As more services bundle sports into their streaming offerings, Apple launches Major League Soccer’s MLS Season Pass for $12.99 a month to subscribers of its $6.99 per month Apple TV+ service. Those who don’t subscribe to Apple TV+ will have to pay $14.99. Other streaming services to up their prices include Paramount+ and Peacock.

Ad-free streaming services have become about 25% more expensive in the past year and a half, making their ad-supported plans look more appealing to price-wary consumers. Ultimately, entertainment companies benefit from encouraging customers to switch to their cheaper — but more lucrative — ad-based tiers.

An AMC theater, where the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie is scheduled to begin showing on October 13th. Photo Credit: Donreál Lunkin

Fans dropped a staggering $26 million on pre-sale tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film yesterday, according to AMC Theatres, which says that the figure marks the “highest ever single-day advance ticket” revenue in company history.

AMC disclosed the numbers behind Swifties’ app-crashing interest in the pre-sale tickets via a formal release today. Set to begin showing on Friday, October 13th, the 160-minute concert film shattered the previous 24-hour advance-ticket record, $16.9 million, achieved by Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021.

Needless to say, given the astronomical prices behind certain Eras Tour passes and the many fans who have been unable (or unwilling) to buy tickets, there’s likely a sizable number of supporters eager to settle for enjoying the show in-theater.

Additionally, it stands to reason that some diehard followers are moving to relive the concert for a comparatively low cost – especially as ticketholders can receive “a free official mini poster” when the film debuts.

Besides this free mini poster, AMC is poised to offer moviegoers an Eras Tour “official popcorn tub” ($14.99 plus tax, including a large popcorn) and a “collectible cup” ($11.99 plus tax, including a large fountain drink). Meanwhile, higher-ups went ahead and prohibited refunds to “discourage speculation on secondary-ticketing sites,” and bargain-minded customers will be unable to use “free movie passes” to obtain tickets.

In keeping with the decidedly substantial fan demand for the Eras Tour film, AMC, which operates about 900 theaters worldwide, has committed to scheduling “at least four showtimes per day on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.”

Plus, AMC is distributing the nearly three-hour movie outside its own theaters, an arrangement resulting from already-closed “deals with major theatrical exhibitors Cinemark and Regal in the U.S., Cineplex in Canada, and Cinepolis in Mexico.”

The $26 million ticket-sale record has arrived just days after Taylor Swift added her name to the ultra-exclusive list of artists with at least 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

At present, Swift (100.18 million monthly listeners) and The Weeknd (109.29 million monthly listeners) are the only two acts who’ve hit the milestone – and other prominent creators, many of whom have separate streaming records to their credit, have a long way to go before they’ll cross the threshold. Bad Bunny, for instance, ranks behind The Weeknd and Swift with the third-highest monthly listenership on Spotify, at about 78.60 million listeners.

Worth noting in conclusion is that Swift, on top of prepping the Eras Tour film for an October release, is expected to drop a re-recorded edition of 1989 later that same month.

Photo Credit: Cosmopolitan UK / CC by 3.0

The Toronto Film Festival and Sony Music Entertainment announce ‘Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero,’ a documentary about the artist, to make its world premiere next month at the festival.

Sony Music Entertainment and the Toronto Film Festival officially announced that a documentary about rapper Lil Nas X filmed over 60 days during the Grammy winner’s first global tour, will make its world premiere at the festival next month. “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” is a diaristic and intimate portrait of an artist on tour as he navigates identity, family, expectations, and acceptance while reflecting on his newfound place in the legacy of Black, queer performers.

Co-directed by Carlos López Estrada and Zac Manuel, the film will appear in the Gala program of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), running September 7-17. RadicalMedia produced the movie with Sony Music Entertainment’s Premium Content Division, Columbia Records, and Museum & Crane.

“‘Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero’ is a triumphant ode to the extraordinary power of self-expression, music, and identity,” said TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey. “In this groundbreaking documentary, we witness Lil Nas X challenging boundaries and reshaping the artistic landscape. The film’s captivating journey underscores the profound impact of Lil Nas X, who fearlessly brings audiences together through the universal language of music. We are thrilled to host Lil Nas X at TIFF this year.”

Produced by RadicalMedia with Dave Sirulnick and Caryn Capotosto for Museum & Crane, Saul Levitz is also a producer for Sony Music, with Adam Leber and Adrianna Arce for Rebel and Gee Roberson for BPG/Maverick. Meredith Bennett, Jon Kamen, and Frank Scherma serve as executive producers for RadicalMedia, while Tom Mackay and Krista Wegener are executive producers for Sony Music, with Wegener leading global sales.

Lil Nas X’s five-time platinum hit “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” released in March 2021, an LGBTQ+ anthem that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album, “MONTERO,” was released in September 2021.

Photo Credit: Andy Witchger / CC by 2.0

Giorgio Moroder strikes a deal with Iconoclast for his producer royalties and the development and marketing of his name, image, and likeness rights.

The “Father of Disco,” Giorgio Moroder, has signed a deal with Iconoclast to develop and market his image, name, and likeness as Iconoclast acquires the composer’s producer royalties with timeless hits like Blondie’s “Call Me” and Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.”

The Italian producer, composer, and songwriter has collaborated with countless artists, including David Bowie, Daft Punk, and Kylie Minogue. His compositions helped define an era of sound in cinema with scores and songs for films like “Flashdance,” “Scarface,” and “Top Gun.”

“Working with my friend Giorgio is such an incredible honor,” said Olivier Chastan, founder of Iconoclast. “More than 45 years after they were created, songs like ‘I Feel Love’ and ‘The Chase’ still seem like the soundtrack of the future. Giorgio has always had a unique ability to capture the pop sensibility of the times while being at the forefront of sonic innovation.”

“Throughout my career, I took inspiration from the marriage of creativity and technology,” adds Moroder. “Iconoclast shares that same DNA, and I’m thrilled that Olivier and his team will help propel my musical legacy into the future.”

Moroder’s creative relationship with Donna Summer was the focal point of a recently released HBO Max documentary, “Love to You Love You, Donna Summer,” by director Roger Ross Williams and Summer’s daughter with guitarist Bruce Sudano, Brooklyn Sudano.

“We were close, even though at the beginning of our relationship, so much of our time was divided, me mostly in Munich and her mostly in America after her success,” said Moroder in an interview with Variety, expanding upon his collaboration with Summer.

“I think that our musical relationship was really, really good. She believed in what Pete (Bellotte) and I were doing and co-wrote the songs with us while I did most of the music. She was very much involved. It was less of a singer-producer relationship and more like three guys working on songs together. That camaraderie had much to do with the success of our music.”

Photo Credit: Pfonetic

Recently-formed production company Pfonetic, from Greg Richling and Jonathan Sheldon, slates a biopic on legendary Bob Dylan and Velvet Underground producer Tom Wilson.

Film producers and musicians Greg Richling and Jonathan Sheldon announce the launch of their newly-formed production company, Pfonetic. The company unveils an authorized biopic on influential producer Tom Wilson. The new project comes on the heels of the duo’s award-winning rock documentary, “Immediate Family,” to Magnolia Pictures.

Tom Wilson, an incredibly influential but largely unsung producer, is known for producing Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” Simon & Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence, the first Velvet Underground album, and recordings by John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Sun Ra, and many more.

“Pfonetic is a place where we can develop IP from the ground up as we just did for ‘Immediate Family,’ and also (to) field work from the studios to oversee high-level music needs on their projects, handling the creative and business side in tandem,” says Richling, a veteran filmmaker and longtime member of the Wallflowers, the band headed by Bob Dylan’s son, Jakob.

“As Greg and I are both musicians and film producers, we can uniquely get into the DNA of a project as an artist-executive managing the creative side and business as one whole,” adds Sheldon.

Other projects in film and television that Pfonetic currently has in production include “Restless — The Bob James Story,” about the legendary jazz musician, with Wilco keyboardist Mikael Jorgenson directing; “Singers Night,” a singing competition with executive producer Jeff Gaspin; “Here to Eternity: Collective Soul,” reflections from the ’90s rockers on their rise throughout their 30-year career; an untitled documentary on Steely Dan recording engineer Roger Nichols, a nuclear scientist turned audio wizard for Becker and Fagen, some of the most notoriously “sonically perfectionist” artists in the industry.

“Immediate Family” was directed by Denny Tedesco and serves as the follow-up to the “Wrecking Crew” documentary, which focused on the legendary session musicians of the 1960s. “Immediate Family” focuses on the musicians who crafted the singer-songwriter sound of the early ’70s, with interviews from stars like Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Richards, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, and Phil Collins. Magnolia Distribution slated the film for a theatrical release in December 2023.

Warner Bros. Burbank offices. Photo Credit: Junkyardsparkle

Five months back, reports revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery was exploring an over $1 billion sale of its film and TV music library, including (among other IP) the soundtracks behind a number of superhero movies. Now, following some obstacles, the company is reportedly closing in on a comparatively modest $500 million sale.

Word of the rumored half-billion-dollar transaction, which would reportedly cover 50 percent of the catalog, just recently entered the media spotlight. Last time we checked in on the sale effort, anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter relayed that top bids for the song rights at hand had come in at around $1.2 billion – well beneath the $2 billion mark, which Warner Bros. Discovery execs had reportedly been targeting at the outset.

Also complicating the gargantuan deal was the requirement that the purchasing party or parties adhere to certain usage stipulations, sources disclosed. Despite these rumored hiccups and the evidently long sale process, however, the aforesaid $500 million purchase is actively being discussed, per new reports yet.

Specifically, the Max parent “is in negotiations” for the sale, according to Hits, which likewise indicated that the transaction would value the overarching catalog at “north of $1 billion.” As it stands, though, the media conglomerate hasn’t commented publicly on the matter, nor has the identity of the potential buyer(s) been revealed.

But the sale effort is said to represent one component of a broader plan to pay down the debt of Warner Bros. Discovery, which is cutting positions and reportedly exploring the questionable strategy of licensing exclusive HBO programs to Netflix. At the time of this writing, Warner Bros. Discovery stock (NASDAQ: WBD), with a per-share price of $11.78, was down almost three percent from yesterday’s close.

Back to the catalog side, more than a few music-IP sales are continuing to wrap notwithstanding today’s economic uncertainty, and evidence suggests that capital will keep on reaching the space for the foreseeable future.

To be sure, the likes of MusicBird, Cutting Edge Media Music, Larrosa Music Group, Armada Music’s BEAT, Beyond Music, and Lyric Capital have already committed to spending a cumulative total of billions on IP moving forward.

Late February saw the latter entity unveil an $800 million catalog fund, and towards April’s conclusion, Lyric co-founder Ross Cameron communicated that his business was “working on closing multiple transactions which range from $10 million to $250 million.” Additionally, besides acquiring Jason Aldean’s body of work in 2022, the Spirit Music Group owner Lyric is said to have dropped $130 million on the masters and publishing of a “renowned” (but not publicly identified) singer-songwriter in 2021.

Photo Credit: coolcaesar / CC by 4.0

Bad Bunny’s ‘El Muerto’ Spider-Man film has been pulled from Sony Pictures’ release schedule, as the superstar’s tour schedule and the ongoing WGA strike complicate finalizing a release date.

Sony Pictures has removed from its release schedule El Muerto, the Spider-Man spinoff film starring Bad Bunny and directed by Jonas Cuarón. The Columbia Pictures movie is set to be the first time a Latino character leads a Marvel live-action film.

In October, Sony and Marvel announced that Cuarón would direct, with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer writing the script. El Muerto follows a character within the Spider-Man universe, an antihero and “the son of a luchador next in line to inherit the ancestral power of ‘El Muerto.'”

While the film remains in development, the studio had previously planned to release El Muerto in theaters on January 12, 2024. Due to Bad Bunny’s busy touring schedule and the ongoing WGA strike, Sony Pictures says it has been difficult to finalize a release date for the movie.

Although that leaves the release date for El Muerto up in the air, the change shifts the release of several other movies as a result: The Book of Clarence from Legendary Pictures, starring LaKeith Stanfield and directed by Jeymes Samuel, will release on January 12, 2024, as opposed to September 22, 2023; Dumb Money from Columbia Pictures, the true story of the GameStop short-sell, starring Paul Dano and directed by Craig Gillespie, will release on September 22, up from its October 20 slot.

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny recently told Rolling Stone that he felt bad about his reaction the day after he threw a fan’s phone into the bushes when she jumped in front of him for a selfie. But he wishes more people would talk about the fact that the cell phone didn’t break when he threw it.

“Bro, that cell phone didn’t break. It exists. It bothers me that people haven’t said that,” said the Puerto Rican superstar. “I didn’t throw that phone into the water. I threw it into some bushes,” he explains, adding that the woman picked the phone up where it landed. “She has it. She should upload the video.”

Downtown Bangkok, Thailand, where both Major Cineplex Group and M Pictures are based. Photo Credit: Andreas Brücker

Thailand-born rapper and entertainer Khanngoen Nuanual has officially acquired Bangkok-headquartered film distributor M Pictures.

The veteran artist’s M Pictures buyout came to light in a report from Variety and a corresponding regulatory filing, which indicates that the transaction formally wrapped on May 26th. First detailed back in February, the purchase has seen the Thaitanium member Nuanual secure from Major Cineplex Group 1,202,130,480 shares in M Pictures, or 92.46 percent of the company, the mentioned filing shows.

Traded as MAJOR on Thailand’s stock exchange, Major Cineplex bills itself as the Asian nation’s leading movie-theater operator. The 28-year-old business also dabbles in bowling, karaoke, ice skating, and other forms of entertainment. And besides operating in Thailand (population 72 million), Major Cineplex is said to have a considerable presence in Laos (7.5 million residents) and Cambodia (17 million).

Meanwhile, M Pictures (MPIC on the same exchange) has racked up some 600 million views on its YouTube channel and reported ฿‎626.41 million (currently $18.10 million) in assets as of March 31st. Bearing in mind the latter sum, Khanngoen “Khan” Nuanual put up roughly ฿‎650 million ($18.78 million) for the shares in question, the filing shows.

Notably, the figure, reflecting a per-share purchase price of ฿0.54 (nearly two cents American), is well beneath MPIC’s current value of ฿2.54 (about seven cents), which marks an over seven percent falloff on the day but a 77 percent boost from 2023’s beginning. Additionally, Major Cineplex stock was worth ฿15.20 (44 cents) per share, for an approximately two percent slip since Wednesday’s market close and a north of 17 percent falloff from the year’s start.

According to Variety, Nuanual is expected to make an offer for the remaining 7.54 percent of M Pictures before July’s conclusion. At the time of this writing, however, Nuanual didn’t appear to have publicly addressed (at least to stateside media) his exact plans for M Pictures.

But the acquisition arrives amid rapid entertainment industry growth for Thailand and other markets in Asia, where Believe reported a significant jump in 2022 and Q1 2023 revenue. Specifically in Thailand, Live Nation last year bought the live division of TERO, whereas SESAC Digital and Wise Music Australia in February of 2023 unveiled a licensing deal covering the country.

Also worth noting is the continued global expansion of Thai entertainment businesses; Bangkok’s S2O Songkran Music Festival is now preparing to arrive in Sanya (later in June), Seoul (July), and Hong Kong as well as Taipei (both in August).

Photo Credit: Tom Øverlie / CC by 2.0

Snoop Dogg has commented on the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, saying music artists should do something similar. 

Writers are on strike and seeking fairer pay in the streaming era. On a panel earlier this week, Snoop Dogg couldn’t help weigh in. “The writers are striking because [of] streaming; they can’t get paid,” Snoop says. “Because when it’s on the platform, it’s not like in the box office.” Snoop notes that streaming is a highly profitable venture, but those profits don’t seem to make it into artists’ pockets. 

“I don’t understand how the f*ck you get paid off of that shit,” Snoop continues, discussing artists with millions of streams. “Somebody explain to me how you can get a billion streams and not get a million dollars? That’s the main gripe with a lot of us artists is that we do major numbers, but it don’t add up to the money Like, where the f*ck is the money?”

It’s unclear how long the WGA strike will last, with it officially starting on May 2. 11,500 members of the WGA voted to strike on Tuesday after negotiations with studios fell through. Writers want higher compensation across the board. “Ten years ago, 33% of TV writers were paid the minimum rate. Now, according to the WGA, 49% are. Accounting for inflation, writer pay has declined 14% in the last five years. The median weekly writer-producer pay is down 23% over the last decade,” reports the Associated Press. 

Streaming also upended residuals for many writers working on TV shows. Writers were handsomely compensated when shows enter syndication or were sold to new territories. But now series and films hit streaming services and stay there—with no residuals for writers. Streaming services also don’t share analytics data with writers and filmmakers, meaning they don’t know how valuable their work has been for the streaming services. To replace the loss of these residuals, the WGA is seeking more upfront fees.

The WGA is also seeking assurances from Hollywood studios against AI. It wants production companies to agree to a series of safeguards surrounding its use to protect writer’s jobs.  

Photo Credit: 50 Cent Instagram

50 Cent has acquired a 985,000 square-foot studio space for what will become G-Unit Studios.

The rapper shared a short Instagram video of the empty space that he hopes to transform. “Well, would you look at here,” the rapper begins as he pans his camera around the cavernous empty space. “Can you say G-G-G-G-G-Unit Studios?” he asks, simulating an echo in the massive building. “GLG. GreenLightGang G-Unit Film & TV. Boom. I need room to work. I don’t miss [TV] will never be the same.”

50 Cent moved to Texas in 2021 and it’s unclear if the property is located there or in another state. Several of the rapper’s peers congratulated him on the acquisition, with DaBaby giving him a thumbs up emoji and responding “still studying.” 50 Cent is focusing on his future television and film projects following his split with Starz earlier this year.

The producer signed a non-exclusive multi-year broadcast deal with Fox. In that capacity, he will develop scripted dramas, comedies, and animated series for the Fox network. 50 Cent left Starz in September 2022, which co-produced his Power franchise.

“Whether it’s music, film, or television, Curtis always delivers premium entertainment that captivates millions of fans across the globe,” added Michael Thorn, President of Scripted Programming at Fox Entertainment when the deal was announced. “He is a rare multi-hyphenate with a deft hand at storytelling, no matter the format or medium, and we’re looking forward to developing new and exciting series for Fox with him and his team.”

“I am excited to formalize a partnership with Michael Thorn and FOX that will allow G-Unit Film & Television to focus on putting multiple series on Fox, a perfect broadcast destination for [our] content while our premium, streaming, scripted, and non-scripted slates continue to grow in all directions,” 50 Cent added about his deal with Fox. G-Unit Film & Television was founded in 2005 and has produced a wide variety of content across a number of platforms.

Photo Credit: Maryanne Bilham

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the worldwide rights to CARLOS, a feature-length documentary film about Carlos Santana.

The film will be directed by Rudy Valdez (The Sentence, We Are: The Brooklyn Saints). It is jointly financed by Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment. CARLOS is produced by Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes along with Lizz Morhaim and executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Documentaries.

Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard also serve as Producers. Meredith Kaulfers is the co-executive producer for Imagine Documentaries and Michael Vrionis serves as an Executive Producer. Tom Mackay and Richard Story are Executive Producers for Sony Music Entertainment.

The documentary CARLOS will feature never-before-seen or heard archival footage and music, offering an intimate and exhilarating look inside the mind of an elemental force in contemporary music. It will tell the incredible story of Santana’s life—from a 14 year-old street musician to a ten-time Grammy-winning, three-time Latin Grammy-winning global sensation.

“Rudy Valdez’s CARLOS showcases the genius behind the musical sensation that has led Carlos Santana’s music to resonate with global audiences across multiple generations. We are so pleased to partner with our friends at Imagine Documentaries and Sony Music Entertainment to help share Carlos’ remarkable story that is as complex, lively, and inspiring as his music,” adds Sony Pictures Classics.

“Imagine is thrilled to bring the band back together and reunite with our partners at SPC on this magical journey with the legendary Carlos Santana and our director Rudy Valdez,” adds Sara Bernstein, President of Imagine Documentaries. “There isn’t a better team to inspire the world with Carlos’ extraordinary life.”

“We are beyond excited to be joining forces with Sony Pictures Classics to bring CARLOS to the big screen,” adds Krista Wegener, Executive Vice President, Premium Content Development, Sales and Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment. “Our incredible partners, Rudy Valdez and Imagine, have created a stunningly beautiful portrait of Carlos Santana that captures his singular artistry and spirit. We can’t wait to share his story with audiences around the world.”

Photo Credit: Michael Marais

Two months back, reports indicated that Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) was looking to offload its music library, including the soundtracks behind several superhero films. Now, a different report yet is suggesting that the company may abandon the sale plans after receiving lower-than-expected offers.

This twist in the rumored Warner Bros. Discovery catalog-sale push just recently came to light in a piece from the Financial Times, which relayed in January that higher-ups were seeking a cool $1 billion+ for the music IP. According to the outlet’s newest article on the subject, however, the HBO and DC Entertainment owner “initially hoped to receive as much as” a staggering $2 billion for the catalog.

Astonishingly, given the massive price tag, FT has specified that the selling company would insist that the buyer adhere to “stipulations over access to and use of certain soundtracks.” In any event, bids for the song rights at hand are said to have come in at approximately $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion, well beneath the $2 billion payday that Warner Bros. Discovery had been targeting.

Against this backdrop, the business is reportedly considering selling only a portion of the works or nixing the transaction altogether. At the time of this writing, Warner Bros. Discovery – which is poised to post its Q1 2023 financials towards April’s end – didn’t seem to have commented publicly on the matter.

It also bears mentioning that the purportedly well-informed anonymous sources cited in reports of music industry sales have proven less than accurate on multiple occasions as of late. Though high-profile transactions are continuing to wrap, a deal for Pink Floyd’s catalog (which was for a time said to be near closing) appears to be dead in the water, and neither Spotify nor Amazon has formally announced plans to buy Audioboom (LON: BOOM).

More broadly, Warner Bros. Discovery’s catalog-sale obstacles may potentially be an early indicator of a song-rights valuation falloff, which some say is brewing amid broader asset devaluations, rising rates, and widespread economic woes.

Of course, it’s hardly a secret that 2020, 2021, and 2022 delivered all manner of ultra-expensive catalog plays. Although a substantial number of deals have come to fruition to this point in 2023, logic suggests that the red-hot space will ultimately join the global economy in cooling.

Until then, with a multitude of companies having each disclosed plans to inject millions (not billions) more into IP, it stands to reason that gargantuan purchase agreements – like those involving the Warner Bros. Discovery catalog and Michael Jackson’s body of work, which his estate is reportedly valuing at around $2 billion – could be the first to dry up.

According to its 2022 earnings report, BMG spent north of $400 million on catalogs across the 12-month stretch, whereas Kobalt communicated that it had dropped over $300 million on music IP as well as advances during its fiscal year. Last month, Cutting Edge, AMR Songs, Larrosa, Shamrock, Mojo Music, and others unveiled song-rights investments and/or related funding.

Photo Credit: Geoffrey Moffett

Last month, Cutting Edge Media Music (CEMM) announced that it had obtained $100 million in new financing and disclosed plans “to help give the next wave of film and TV composers the opportunity to monetize their catalogues.” Now, the company has acquired the catalog of First Score Music.

Cutting Edge Media Music unveiled the “multi-million dollar deal” with the UK’s First Score Music today, and the transaction is said to encompass both the master and publishing rights behind north of 75 film scores. Featured within the latter is the original music from several movies by Andy Serkis and Jonathan Cavendish’s Imaginarium Productions, the forthcoming animated adaptation of Animal Farm among them, according to CEMM.

The Cutting Edge Group subsidiary – which operates a soundtrack arm called Lakeshore Records as well as a namesake publishing unit – likewise relayed that the buyout includes the scores of Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), Midway (2019), and STX-distributed Greenland (2020).

Additionally, Cutting Edge specified that the play extends to the score of Next Goal Wins. Directed by Taika Waititi (who also directed Thor: Love and Thunder and is married to singer-songwriter Rita Ora), Next Goal Wins is slated to debut this September.

In a statement, Cutting Edge Group founder and CEO Philip Moross acknowledged his ambitious vision for CEMM and the associated significance of today’s deal, indicating: “This purchase brings Cutting Edge Media Music closer to its long-term goal in becoming the pre-eminent media music publisher and services provider in the world.”

And in remarks of her own, longtime Cutting Edge Group COO Tara Finegan, who doubles as CEO of music-tech company CAAST, communicated: “Through CEMM and its divisions such as Lakeshore Records, CEMM can continue to invest in productions and provide a range of music services, including publishing the best original scores and releasing the best soundtracks.”

CEMM’s latest music-IP acquisition arrives as more than a few other companies, evidently unperturbed by rising rates and turbulence throughout the broader economy, are also continuing to inject capital into song rights.  

Earlier today, AMR Songs bought the catalog of The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian, while Mojo Music & Media three weeks back touted its purchase of a “trove of classic catalogs,” including the music IP of Duran Duran’s Warren Cuccurullo. Lastly, Reservoir one month ago scored a catalog agreement with Sonny Rollins, and Spirit Music Group owner Lyric Capital concluded February by detailing the close of its second, $800 million music royalty fund.

Photo Credit: Robert Matheu

BMG, Fremantle Documentaries, and Warner Music Entertainment announce ‘DEVO,’ the first full-length feature film about the band, to be produced by Vice Studios and Library Films.

BMG, Fremantle Documentaries, and Warner Music Entertainment (WME) proudly announce the upcoming full-length documentary DEVO, the first fully authorized film on the New Wave group. All three companies serve as executive producers and financiers of the film, with all rights available worldwide.

DEVO chronicles the band’s story from their formation in the aftermath of the Kent State massacre, through their years as politically-driven outsiders, to their jump to the top of the charts with their hit, “Whip It.” Currently in production, the film is produced by VICE Studios and Library Films, in association with Mutato Entertainment, and directed by Chris Smith.

Devo formed in 1973, initially as a group of performance artists, disillusioned and radicalized by the shooting at Kent State, where they were students. Their artistry served as a commentary on corruption in the United States, the perceived “dumbing down” of an entire generation through mass media, and the commodification of a poisoned society.

With a mixture of archival footage, interviews from other prevalent characters in their orbit, and a range of storytelling techniques, the film’s inventive narrative aims to parallel the revolutionary creativity for which the band is known. DEVO explores Devo’s evolution from “hippie artistes” to art-rockers with a message, to their surprising mainstream success as pioneers of the MTV age.

“Devo was a huge influence on me,” says director Chris Smith (Tiger King, Fyre, 100 Foot Wave). “Their approach to music, film, video, and art was something I had never seen before and was one of the truly formative artistic influences that showed me there were entirely new ways to look at things.”

The film’s executive producers include William Kennedy, Stuart Souter, and Kathy Rivkin Duam for BMG, Mandy Chang for Fremantle Documentaries, Charlie Cohen for WME, and Mark Pinkus for Rhino Entertainment at Warner Music Group.

Among BMG’s recent films is the highest-grossing documentary film of 2022, Moonage Daydream, chronicling the life and art of David Bowie. Fremantle Documentaries is behind such documentaries as Mrs. America, Kim’s Video, and the fashion history series “Kingdom of Dreams.” WME’s latest projects include Love, Lizzo, American Masters: Roberta Flack, and Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers.

Photo Credit: STX Entertainment

Multimedia Music has reportedly purchased the music library of STX Entertainment in an eight-figure transaction.

The deal between London- and Los Angeles-based Multimedia Music and Burbank-headquartered STX Entertainment just recently came to light in a report from Variety. At the time of this writing, however, neither of the involved companies appeared to have confirmed or elaborated upon the development with a formal release.

In any event, Multimedia, which debuted towards 2021’s end and has made clear its objective of buying “music rights from commercially proven films and TV series,” is said to have put up an eight-figure sum for the catalog of STX, as initially noted. The agreement reportedly extends to the latter company’s master and publishing rights alike and arrives about nine months after Multimedia closed a separate deal for the IP of Atlantic Screen Music.

(Atlantic Screen and Reservoir Media in November of 2020 partnered to “invest in a series of film score and soundtrack projects together.”)

Additionally, Multimedia’s newest investment reportedly encompasses the rights to the music from previously released films such as Den of Thieves, The Foreigner, Molly’s Game, and Bad Moms. (STX branched out into television with FBoy Island in 2021.) Excluded from the sizable play are the music rights behind future projects from STX, Netflix’s forthcoming Joey Ramone biopic among them.

Addressing the acquisition in a statement, Multimedia partner James Gibb indicated that the deal had come together “in a very short timeframe.”

“We are thrilled to have secured this library of music created by some of the industry’s leading composers,” Gibb communicated in full. “Over the past 10 years STX have repeatedly produced and released high-quality, commercial feature films. Thanks to [former Arista A&R higher-up and current STX president] Jason Markey and the STX team who were instrumental in getting this deal over the line in a very short timeframe.”

More broadly, besides representing the latest in a long and ever-growing line of catalog sales, the reported Multimedia-STX pact came to fruition just days after Cutting Edge raised $100 million “to help give the next wave of film and TV composers the opportunity to monetize their catalogues.”

Meanwhile, different reports yet indicated one month ago that Warner Bros. Discovery was exploring the possibility of offloading its own music library as part of a wider debt-reduction effort. But the business hasn’t confirmed the rumored pursuit of a sale, which would reportedly come with a $1 billion+ price tag and multiple stipulations concerning the use of the soundtracks at hand.

Photo Credit: Drew H. Cohen / CC by 3.0

A new Michael Jackson biopic is in the works at Lionsgate with director Antoine Fuqua attached.

The film will explore the legendary musician’s life in a biopic simply titled, ‘Michael.’ Graham King is producing along with John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. “For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson,” director Antoine Fuqua told The Hollywood Reporter.

“I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work – the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible.”

The new Michael Jackson biopic will address all aspect of Jackson’s life–but it’s unclear how the controversies may be represented. The film is being made in cooperation with the Michael Jackson estate, which has historically defended the singer against accusations. The estate even sued HBO Max over its role in distributing the documentary Leaving Neverland. 

Bohemian Rhapsody grossed over $900 million worldwide and created a whole new wave of interest in Queen’s music. Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic has generated around $300 million worldwide, further showcasing the appetite for films about past music icons. 

“Antoine’s films provide personal perspectives of larger-than-life characters that continuously captivate global audiences,” adds producer Graham King. “I’m confident that Antoine will make an exceptional and compelling film that will both celebrate and give profound new insights into the life of the King of Pop.”

Michael Jackson’s complicated path to stardom started early with his father Joe, driving the Jackson 5 hard to become pop sensations. Deadline reports that the film may begin later in Jackson’s life and then reflect on the making of his talent and the damage that work ethic inflicted on his life. 

The Burbank offices of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Photo Credit: Junkyardsparkle

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is reportedly exploring a possible $1 billion sale of its music library, including the soundtracks to a multitude of superhero films.

Word of the rumored song-rights sale from Warner Bros. Discovery came to light in a recent report from the Financial Times. In detailing the HBO, DC Entertainment, and CNN owner’s purported pursuit of an IP-fueled payday, the outlet cited information provided by anonymous sources who claim to have knowledge of the matter.

While the potential transaction’s specifics (including possible buyers and the exact scope of the deal) are currently unclear as a result, Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav is said to be considering the catalog sale amid a broader effort to reduce his company’s substantial debt.

Besides posting a $2.31 billion loss for Q3 2022, the business indicated that its gross debt had totaled $50.4 billion as of September 30th. Also in terms of pertinent (albeit implied) background information, Time Warner’s 2004 sale of Warner Music excluded a number of copyrights.

But said anonymous sources have communicated that the hunt for an IP windfall remains in the early stages. And in one potential hurdle, the FT relayed that the selling party would insist on “stipulations over access to and use of certain soundtracks.”

Of course, it bears noting that the aforementioned $1 billion sale price likewise derived from an anonymous source, who logic suggests may not be entirely objective. Furthermore, though there’s no telling which deals the approaching months will bring, several transactions described by different anonymous sources yet haven’t come to fruition.

Specifically, allegedly well-informed parties have spoken off the record about potential catalog sales from Pink Floyd (the long-rumored deal’s status is now up in the air) and Justin Bieber, neither of which has formally closed. Plus, Spotify hasn’t swooped in to buy Middle Eastern streaming platform Anghami, the stock price of which has surged by almost 30 percent since 2023’s start.

Even so, keeping alive the song-rights sales boom that initiated in 2020, 2023’s opening two weeks have delivered multiple high-profile transactions. Meanwhile, catalog music’s listenership share is reportedly continuing to grow.

Reports this week stated that Dr. Dre had sold his catalog to Universal Music Group and Shamrock Holdings in a reportedly $200 million deal, for instance. And yesterday, contrasting the array of multimillion-dollar IP investments spearheaded by companies, Creedence Clearwater Revival founder John Fogerty bought a majority interest in the rights to his own songs from Concord.

Photo Credit: Erik Mclean

Donald Glover will portray the Spider-Man villain Hypno-Hustler in an upcoming film, according to reports. 

The film doesn’t have a title yet, and very little is known about the plot. Deadline reports that the script will be written by Eddie Murphy’s son, Myles Murphy. Hypno-Hustler was introduced in the ‘Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man’ #274 series back in 1978. The character fronts a band called the Mercy Killers, using pieces of hypnotic equipment to rob those who attend his shows. 

Glover is no stranger to the Spider-Man universe, either. He voiced the Prowler in the 2017 film, Spider-Man: Homecoming. He’s also set to star in a forthcoming Prime Video adaptation of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, also starring Pen15’s Maya Erskine. 

Billie Eilish recently closed out the last of her performances in Inglewood, California with Donald Glover as a special guest. Dave Grohl and Phoebe Bridgers appeared one night, while Donald Glover performed his Childish Gambino hit “Redbone” on Friday. He also stuck around long enough to sing Happy Birthday to Eilish, who celebrated her 21st birthday on December 18.

Glover’s hit comedy show Atlanta concluded after just four seasons, with many fans disappointed the show wouldn’t get a fifth season. Atlanta began in 2016 as a comedy-drama starring Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz. In speaking with IGN, writer Olori says the Atlanta team may not be done telling stories in the universe. 

“I’m really happy that everybody got to enjoy the show as a whole and I know a lot of people were disappointed with it ending,” Olori says. “But you know, we still have–we’re gonna put out other stories and more content being in the same world, essentially.” It will be interesting to see if Donald Glover remains involved with any content produced outside the traditional TV structure. 

Photo Credit: Eva Rinaldi / CC by 2.0

A documentary about the life of late actress and singer Olivia Newton-John is officially in the works.

Director R.J. Cutler will explore the life of the singer and her work as an entertainer and animal rights activist. Cutler also worked on the 2021 documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry. Cutler secured full authorized access to Newton-John’s music and personal archives in partnership with the music publisher Primary Wave. 

Olivia Newton-John’s music career started in the country genre before moving into pop by the late 1970s. Her career spans more than 20 albums, with several Christmas albums in the mix. She’s best known for starring as Sandy Olsson alongside John Travolta in the 1978 film Grease. She sang “You’re The One That I Want,” “Summer Nights,” and “Hopelessly Devoted To You” in that film. 

Cutler is working alongside This Machine producers Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith, executive producers John Easterling, Larry Mestel, Natalia Nastaskin, John Mason, and Mark Hartley to help bring the documentary to life. Aside from this new project, Cutler is also busy directing an Elton John Disney+ docuseries called Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend.

Olivia Newton-John passed away on August 8 at her ranch in Southern California. Her songs “Physical,” “I Honestly Love You,” and “Let Me Be There,” were defining hits for the singer. Two of her albums (If You Love Me Let Me Know, Have You Never Been Mellow) reached the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart in 1974 and 1974, respectively. Over the course of her broad music career, she also took home four Grammy Awards. 

“I love to sing; it’s all I know how to do,” Newton-John told CNN in 2017. “That’s all I’ve ever done since I was 15, so it’s my life.”

Photo Credit: ExpressVPN

Unpopular opinion: A TV series or film is only as good as its soundtrack.

The following comes from TechWarn, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Music, after all, can do a lot to elevate a particular scene for viewers, so it makes perfect sense that a composer’s job on a show is just as important as the writers and producers who create the storyline. Think about it, what’s a horror movie without hair-raising eerie music?

Without further ado, we look at some of various TV series with the best soundtracks.

1. Stranger Things

Set in a small suburban town in Indiana, Stranger Things is definitely a show for 80s fans. The costumes, setting, and haircuts all create a sense of nostalgia for viewers. Besides being one of the most-watched shows on Netflix in 2022, the series has an ace soundtrack. Expect tunes from Duran Duran, The Police, and Bon Jovi.

2. Atlanta

This list wouldn’t make sense without Atlanta in it. The rapper Childish Gambino created the series about the lives of a hip-hop artist and his cousin. If you’re a fan of hip-hop and funk, this one’s for you.

3. Gossip Girl

Many artists, including Peter Bjorn and John, have Gossip Girl to thank for their meteoric rise to fame. Millennials who watched this series about the lives of New York’s elites will remember how GG pretty much shaped their listening habits when they were teenagers.

4. Big Little Lies

Let’s be honest, the opening song for this series is already great, so it makes perfect sense that the rest of the series’ songs are also impressive. Elvis, Otis Redding, Frank Ocean, and Sade… do we have to go on?

5. Sex Education

A fan of 80’s UK music? Sex Education will be your jam. While it’s not actually set in the 80s, the outfits and setting force viewers to reminisce. Velvet Underground, Fleetwood Mac, and T.Rex appear on the soundtrack.

6. Money Heist

What’s a global TV phenomenon without some good music? Even if you’re not a fan of the series, you’ll know of the famous Bella Ciao song. While the soundtrack includes classic Spanish hits, Arcade Fire, The Prodigy, and Van Morrison also appear.

7. Suits

A series like Suits definitely needs a strong soundtrack, and that’s exactly what the composers are doing. Seriously, Etta James, Jimi Hendrix, and Nina Simone? The TV series soundtrack reads more like a Grammy Hall of Fame roll call.

8. Empire

Despite the issues the series had with certain cast members, it was a hit, and it’s difficult not to bop to any of its tunes. After all, the series was about a very musical family and their empire. Season one of the series was particularly impressive.

9. Vampire Diaries

Like Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, too, was responsible for the musical choices of teenagers in the past. Some of our favorites on the soundtrack include songs by The Prodigy, MGMT, and The Fray.

10. This Is Us

Need a soundtrack for just about any life event? Consider tuning in to the one by This Is Us. Really, if there’s one other thing the series has managed to do well—besides its storyline—it is to select songs that fit just about any theme. From The Rolling Stones to Lizzo, it’s all there.

Happy listening!

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Elvis just rolled past $100 million at the domestic box office. Exploring Presley’s complicated relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker, the biopic captures Elvis Presley’s turbulent rise and fall.

According to the announcement by Jeff Goldstein, President of domestic distribution Warner Bros Pictures, the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic Elvis has now totaled $170 million worldwide in box office collections. Elvis could very well become the second-highest grossing film of Luhrmann’s career.

Until now, Luhrmann’s most famous movie is The Great Gatsby. Released in 2012, the Oscar-nominated The Great Gatsby netted $355.6 million globally.

For Elvis, it appears that younger audiences born after Elvis’ lifetime are powering the surge. This audience has also done what it does best: created a whirlwind of exciting social media chatter about the biopic.

Engagement on TikTok more than doubled since the release, with 238 million views of content related to Elvis. On Twitter, audiences aged 25-41 present the primary demographic engaged in conversations about the film, which is 47% of the total volume. Younger audiences aged 13-34 represent 25% of the online discussion.

This diverse audience has also triggered chart-topping streaming of Elvis Presley’s digital catalog. With its cross-genre tracks in dance and hip hop, streaming is up by 90%.

Grossing $100+ million at the box office is a milestone usually reserved for superheroes and dinosaur movies. But Elvis seems to have shaken the standard.

While announcing the $100 million milestone, Goldstein said, “We are not only pleased to cross this milestone but truly thrilled to see it happen with a film like ‘Elvis.’ In today’s market and especially in the summer corridor, to see a non-branded IP with an up-and-coming lead create not just box office noise, but also result in a significant spike in other areas is so gratifying, and speaks to the quality of the film on every level.

“With strong playability, positive word of mouth, and cross-generational multiple viewings, we expect ‘Elvis’ to continue to deliver and we congratulate Baz, Austin, and everyone involved in the film and the soundtrack on its ongoing success.”

The Elvis Original Motion Picture Soundtrack remains a chart-topper, with Doja Cat’s ‘Vegas’ currently #7 on the US Spotify chart and #14 on the Billboard streaming chart.

Elvis was undoubtedly an expensive piece of entertainment to create. This Tom Hanks starrer cost $85 million to produce, with tens of millions spent on promotions.

Beating high-profile actors like Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller, a relative newcomer Austin Butler managed to bag the role of Elvis. The story dips into the dynamic of interactions between Elvis and his manager Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks)—a rocky relationship that spanned two decades.

The biopic relays events leading up to Presley’s rise to incredible fame and stardom. Within the backdrop of that journey, the film also dives into Elvis’ relationship with Priscilla Presley (played by Olivia DeJonge).

One week after inking a global publishing deal with Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike, Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) has turned its attention to the film world by closing an agreement with Captain America: Civil War composer Henry Jackman.

New York City-based Reservoir announced this latest music-IP investment today, specifying that the pact “includes rights in Jackman’s entire catalog.” Beginning on the film side, London-born Henry Jackman has composer credits on Monsters vs. Aliens, Kick-Ass, Puss in Boots, Wreck-It Ralph, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and several of the works’ sequels, besides Pixels and Detective Pikachu.

Additionally, Jackman has scored television series like Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and video games such as Just Cause 3, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.

Addressing the deal in a statement, Jackman indicated that the windfall will enable him to solely pursue personally appealing projects moving forward.

“Thanks to this unique and forward-looking collaboration with Reservoir, I am now able to focus exclusively on pursuing whichever projects I find most creatively inspiring. For this, I am exceptionally grateful,” said the former Hans Zimmer collaborator, who has released three albums (Utopia, Transfiguration, and Acoustica) as a solo artist.

Meanwhile, Reservoir took the opportunity to highlight its existing investments in film scores (including stakes in north of 150 such works as of last April) as well as its contract with the aforementioned Hans Zimmer, who tried his hand at ringtones about one year back.

15-year-old Reservoir likewise has “a joint venture” with UK-based music production company Atlantic Screen Music; the “music catalogue” page on the latter entity’s website features Atomic Blonde and Churchill.

As the Jackman-Reservoir deal demonstrates, the red-hot catalog space hasn’t cooled off during 2022’s first quarter, notwithstanding the massive number of high-value music-IP sales that 2020 and 2021 delivered.

To be sure, the prior four or so weeks have brought catalog sales involving the work of Run-DMC producer Larry Smith, Jason Aldean, Neil Diamond, Leonard Cohen, and several others. Additionally, Warner Music Group and BlackRock fronted a combined total of $750 million during the period to buy the rights to “modern evergreens,” whereas Kobalt has reportedly raised another $550 million to spend on catalogs.

During today’s trading hours, Reservoir stock posted a 1.57 percent gain from yesterday’s close, finishing at $9.04. RSVR has rebounded by about 11 percent during the last five business days and 31 percent during the past month, but remains about 10 percent beneath its price as of late March of 2021.

Photo Credit: Jurian Kersten

Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” listens have surged on music streaming services after the release of ‘The Batman.’

Robert Pattinson’s emo take on the caped crusader also includes the Nevermind deep-cut – twice. The inclusion of the song has earned it 3.1 million on-demand streams in the U.S. within the first four day’s of the film’s release (March 4-7).

In the four days before the film’s release, the Nirvana song only saw 372,000 on-demand streams. That’s a 734% increase in music streams over the given period after the release of ‘The Batman.’

Those streams continued to wrack up on March 6 to March 7, increasing from 808,000 to 1.5 million. By March 9, the song appeared in the top five list of Spotify’s Daily USA Top 50 Songs. The increase in listeners also propelled the song into the Billboard charts, reaching #6 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Song chart, #20 on the Digital Song Sales chart, and #27 on the Billboard Streaming Songs chart.

“Something in the Way” was first featured in a trailer for ‘The Batman’ in 2020. It serves as a background for Bruce Wayne’s monologues in the movie. When the first trailer for The Batman dropped, the song also saw a massive boost in relevance on the charts, reaching #2 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart.

Director Matt Reeves says Kurt Cobain inspired the direction of this depiction of Batman. “Early on, when I was writing, I started listening to Nirvana, and there was something about ‘Something in the Way,’ which is in the first trailer, which is part of the voice of that character,” Reeves says.

“What if some tragedy happened and this guy becomes so reclusive, we don’t know what he’s doing? I this guy some kind of wayward, reckless drug addict? And the truth is that he is kind of a drug addict. His drug is addiction to this drive for revenge. He’s like a Batman Kurt Cobain.”

Jadakiss, who’s set to perform live at the premiere event for ‘Mixtape.’ Photo Credit: Def Jam Records

One day following the announcement of Sony Music Entertainment’s visual-media pact with Sandbox Productions, Universal Music Group (via its Universal Music Group for Brands division) and Tribeca Enterprises have partnered to organize “a series of music-driven events taking place throughout 2022.”

Universal Music and Tribeca Enterprises – which is set to host its namesake film festival in June – unveiled their agreement via a formal release today. Previously, UMG artists including The Weeknd and Billie Eilish debuted film projects with Amazon and Apple, respectively. And the Big Three label kicked off 2022 by bringing The Beatles’ rooftop concert to streaming services; footage of the 40-minute show appeared in last year’s The Beatles: Get Back docuseries.

But the Universal Music-Tribeca union will center on “an array of new film, television and podcast projects,” some of which will be crafted by UMG’s “record labels,” according to higher-ups.

Beyond these label-specific works, UMG’s Mercury Studios (which is creating an Abbey Road Studios documentary) and Polygram Entertainment (the company behind Apple’s The Velvet Underground and HBO’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) will put together projects for the six functions that are currently scheduled under the partnership.

Featuring “a live performance by legendary rapper Jadakiss,” Mercury Studios’ Mixtape premiere event is set to kick off the UMG-Tribeca union at New York City’s United Palace on Thursday, April 7th. Tickets cost between $35 and $75 apiece, a seating chart on Tribeca’s website shows.

Omar Acosta directed and produced the “feature documentary,” which “tells the story of mixtape culture and its role in spreading hip-hop around the world,” per the official description. 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, Funkmaster Flex, 2 Chainz, and others will appear in the film, and UMG’s “Def Jam Recordings will also release a new soundtrack/mixtape,” execs specified.

Addressing the Tribeca Enterprises agreement in a statement, Universal Music for Brands EVP Richard Yaffa underscored the perceived potential associated with film and music tie-ups.

“This new partnership between UMGB and Tribeca demonstrates how two entertainment-driven brands can elevate new levels in storytelling through a joint music and film experience,” said the former Sony Music exec Yaffa. “We’re excited to create these opportunities for artists, creators and partners within UMG’s ecosystem to showcase their stories through this unique partnership with the Tribeca Enterprises community.”

Regarding the aforementioned podcasts that the Tribeca-UMG collaboration encompasses, it’s worth highlighting in conclusion that Warner Music Group signed an “innovative podcast development deal” with Spotify about 11 months back. Additionally, Sony Music Entertainment last summer went ahead and bought Somethin’ Else, “the UK’s leading podcast publisher.”

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) has officially inked a “multi-year agreement” with Sandbox Productions (SP), which will work with the major label “to produce a slate of original long-form projects across multiple platforms and distributors.”

Sony Music unveiled its deal with Sandbox Productions – a division of Jason Owen’s Sandbox Entertainment artist-management company – today. Founded in 2010, Nashville-headquartered Sandbox Entertainment counts as clients Faith Hill, Kacey Musgraves, and Little Big Town.

Sandbox Productions, for its part, previously coordinated with SME (and specifically the Big Three label’s “Premium Content Division”) to create Paramount+’s just-released Love, Tom. Other SP projects include Fox’s Monarch and the upcoming Icon, an “anthology drama series profiling some of the world’s biggest music legends.”

But under the newly finalized pact with Sony Music, Sandbox Productions is set to “collaborate on the creation, production and distribution of scripted and unscripted content across TV, film and digital formats,” higher-ups indicated, with an emphasis on “stories from America’s south.”

In terms of the latter, the involved companies are already developing “the definitive June Carter Cash documentary film.” (Kingsland, Arkansas, native Johnny Cash has his own holiday in The Natural State.) Featuring “never before heard interviews with Cash family members,” archival footage, and more, “the film will trace June Carter’s roots and showcase her incredible journey to country music superstardom,” SME relayed.

Regarding the operational nuances of the SME-SP partnership, the entities made clear that Sony Music’s aforementioned Premium Content Division “will distribute and finance all joint-venture” releases. And Sandbox is poised to collaborate “with a wide network of writers, directors, on-screen talent, musical artists, and visual artists to provide creative direction.”

More broadly, the agreement between Sandbox and Sony Music arrives amid a greater major-label focus on visual media – and especially gaming and film.

August of 2021 saw Warner Music Group (WMG), through its Warner Music Entertainment division, announce a production deal with Lightbox, which was founded by the producers of Tina and released Hip Hop Uncovered on FX last year. Additionally, after dropping a reported $400 million on 300 Entertainment in mid-December, WMG one month ago rolled out a “content and film” unit, 300 Studios, within the subsidiary.

Beyond the majors, SoundCloud recently debuted an original film, The Day Ones, featuring the music of Kid Quill, SoFaygo, Pa Salieu, Sofia Mills, and other artists who rose to commercial prominence on the music-sharing platform. Lastly, Amazon over the weekend released a “fully immersive music special” based on The Weeknd’s Dawn FM.

The Weeknd. Photo Credit: Pari Dukovic

Amazon is officially set to debut a “fully immersive music special” based on The Weeknd’s Dawn FM this coming Saturday, February 26th.

The Seattle-headquartered ecommerce giant, which was just recently removed from the U.S. government’s list of “notorious” counterfeiting and piracy platforms, unveiled the details of the “theatrical performance event” today.

According to the corresponding announcement message, The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience is “inspired by” the namesake album, Dawn FM, and will expand The Weeknd’s 16-track effort “into a mesmerizing visual.”

After dropping Dawn FM in early January, the vocal Grammys critic developed the biggest following of any artist on Spotify, with a staggering 86.34 million monthly listeners to his credit weeks later. The figure has since dipped to 81.69 million – still enough to elevate the “Save Your Tears” singer-songwriter above second-ranked Justin Bieber and his 78.33 million monthly listeners. And Amazon is evidently attempting to attract some of The Weekend’s many fans to its suite of services.

On this front, perhaps the most noteworthy component of The Weeknd’s upcoming Prime Video work – “please refer to our streaming service as Prime Video and not Amazon Prime Video,” the platform’s release requests – is the planned tie-in across Amazon Music and its artist-merch store.

The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience is scheduled to debut “exclusively” on Prime Video on Saturday, as mentioned at the outset, and fans will also be able to stream the project “as an eight-track live EP exclusively on Amazon Music,” higher-ups said.

Additionally, Amazon intends to launch “an exclusive merch capsule celebrating the special” at 12 PM PT on Friday, via its artist-merch shop. Needless to say, these items underscore one key advantage – access to a massive shipping and processing infrastructure – that Amazon Music has over competitors like Spotify and Apple Music.

Addressing the music special’s imminent premiere in a statement, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke emphasized the perceived creative advantages that artists enjoy when partnering with her company to craft visual media.

“With The Weeknd x The Dawn FM Experience, Prime Video and Amazon Music continue to be destinations where artists can present their most ambitious projects without limits or bounds,” indicated Salke, who reportedly oversees an $8 billion content budget for Amazon Studios.

More broadly, The Weeknd’s Prime Video special represents the latest in a long line of diversification-minded plays from Amazon, which rolled out a limited-edition Billie Eilish Echo Studio last year.

Amazon Music itself, meanwhile, has scored an exclusive interview with Eddie Vedder, a livestream performance from Ed Sheeran, a 3D-audio edition of Taylor Swift’s Folklore, and “an intergalactic audio-visual experience” featuring Coldplay, to name some.

And with the major labels having pushed the streaming space away from service-specific music releases, Spotify has spent many millions of dollars on podcasting in an effort to stand out from the crowd. Apple Music, for its part, has embraced DJ remixes, high-definition audio, exclusive livestreams, and even (in coordination with Apple TV+) big-budget music documentaries.

Photo Credit: 300 Entertainment

300 Entertainment – the Lyor Cohen-founded label that Warner Music Group bought for a reported $400 million last month – has officially launched a “content and film division” called 300 Studios.

WMG’s 300 Entertainment, the label behind Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, and Fetty Wap, unveiled the debut of 300 Studios via a formal release this morning. Kevin Liles, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of the overarching 300 Entertainment, is set to head the visual-media operation, with longtime BET senior director of music programming Kelly G. Griffin signing on as head of creative strategy.

Also on the personnel side, 300 Studios has enlisted former Viacom exec Nolan Baynes – who, like Griffin, worked for the film-focused division for some time before this public announcement – to serve as general manager. The 300 Studios release further acknowledges that the entity has already posted north of 85 Unplugged episodes to YouTube.

Moving forward, 300 Studios will look “to develop multi-format, feature, and episodic content through a cultural point of view,” according to higher-ups.

The just-revealed division has “signed, managed, mentored, and partnered with hundreds of artists, producers, and content creators,” execs indicated, with more than 20 projects, including independent films, “music-lifestyle series, episodic content, and podcast initiatives,” currently in development.

(On the latter front, it’s worth reiterating that Warner Music Group and Spotify inked an “innovative podcast development deal” back in April of 2021, agreeing to jointly create “a series of original podcasts built around WMG’s vast and diverse artists’ and songwriters’ catalogs.”)

300 Studios’ “debut project,” however, is a six-episode Netflix docuseries entitled RACE: Bubba Wallace. The program “follows the only full-time African American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, Bubba Wallace, against the backdrop of a post-George Floyd America” and “provides exclusive access to Wallace as he competes on Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI racing team and uses his platform to speak out about racial injustice,” the release states.

Besides the aforementioned podcast pact between Warner Music and Spotify, the official launch of 300 Entertainment’s film and content division arrives about six months after WMG finalized a visual-media production deal with Lightbox.

Founded by Tina producers Simon and Jonathan Chinn, Lightbox is crafting movies and TV shows about “WMG’s current global superstars, songwriters and iconic legacy acts,” the parties said upon announcing the agreement, with the Big Three label poised to “co-produce, co-develop and co-finance” the works.

Two weeks ago, SoundCloud released a film, The Day Ones, featuring tracks from Kid Quill, SoFaygo, Pa Salieu, Sofia Mills, and other artists who rose to prominence on the music-sharing platform.