Disney's streaming business turns a profit in first financial report since challenge to Iger
The Walt Disney Co. moved to a loss in its second quarter, hampered by significantly higher restructuring and impairment charges, but its adjusted profit topped Wall Streetโs view and its streaming business was profitable.
An end in sight? Striking writers and Hollywood studios spend second full day in negotiations
Hollywood studios and striking screenwriters have spent a second full day in talks that could potentially put an end to the nearly five-month dispute that has brought many film and television productions to a halt.
Disney to boost prices for ad-free Disney+ and Hulu services and vows crackdown on password sharing
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger vowed to make its streaming services profitable via a planned October price hike on its ad-free Disney+ and Hulu plans and a crackdown on password sharing expected to extend through next year.
Disney parks at the forefront after Iger's return
Itโs been six months since Bob Iger canceled his retirement and stepped back into the top role at Disney to right a number of perceived wrongs under his handpicked successor, with one hovering right near the top: reconnecting with the Disney theme park die-hards and restoring their faith in the brand.
Iger back on top in a Disney plot twist that few saw coming
Bob Iger, the enterprising entertainment executive who brought Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel under the Disney marquee and challenged the streaming dominance of Netflix, will replace his handpicked successor, CEO Bob Chapek, whose two-year tenure has been marked by clashes, missteps and a weakening financial performance.
Academy Museum to honor Sophia Loren, Haile Gerima at gala
Director Haile Gerima appears at the 65th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 2, 2008, left, and Sophia Loren arrives at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, 2019. Loren and independent filmmaker Haile Gerima will be honored with special awards by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. (Photos by Andrew Medichini/AP, left, and Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is assembling a star-studded cast for its opening gala in September. Italian screen legend Sophia Loren and independent filmmaker Haile Gerima will be honored with special awards, and Tom Hanks, Annette Bening and Bob Iger are being saluted for their efforts to raise $388 million for the long gestating museum, the organization said Monday. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in the historic Saban Building.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may step down without stepping away
Amazon announced Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, that Jeff Bezos would step down as CEO later in the year, leaving a role he's had since founding the company nearly 30 years ago. Amazon says Bezos will be replaced in the summer by Jassy, who runs Amazon's cloud business. (Isaac Brekken/AP Images for NFL, File)Even after stepping aside as CEO, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will likely keep identifying new frontiers for the world's dominant e-commerce company. Tuesday's announcement that Bezos will hand off the CEO job this summer came as a surprise. โBeing the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and itโs consuming," Bezos wrote.
Kingdom of Wakanda destined for Disney + streaming service
Disney on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, announced a five-year exclusive TV deal with Cooglers Proximity Media company that includes development of a series based in the Kingdom of Wakanda from Cooglers Black Panther blockbuster. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES โ The Kingdom of Wakanda is staking out turf on the Disney + streaming service. A TV series set in the โBlack Pantherโ kingdom will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday with filmmaker Ryan Cooglerโs Proximity Media company. Coogler wrote and directed 2018โs โBlack Panther,โ a box-office hit that turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. The Black Panther character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, which became part of Disney in 2009 when the media giant acquired Marvel Entertainment.
Film Academy Museum completes pre-fundraising goal
After 8 years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum director and president Bill Kramer said Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, that the new museum has raised $388 million. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)It took eight years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, but the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum director and president Bill Kramer said Friday that the new museum has raised $388 million. Located in Los Angeles at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, the Academy Museum is set to open on April 30, five days after the 93rd Academy Awards.
California wavers on theme park opening rules amid pressure
But following industry criticism of the proposed rules, state health officials said no announcement was coming Friday as negotiations continue. Amusement park leaders saw a draft of the new rules Thursday and urged state officials to change them, said Erin Guerrero, executive director of the California Attractions and Parks Association. A Disney official said there have been no major reported outbreaks in Florida associated with the companyโs theme parks and declined to say whether any cases have occurred there. Ian Henderson, a spokesman for Steelโs office, said county health officials have worked closely with Disney to prepare for the reopening of its parks. ___Taxin reported from Orange County, California.
Chadwick Boseman, who embodied Black icons, dies of cancer
FILE - In this March 4, 2018 file photo, Chadwick Boseman arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer. When the former playwright suited up as Black Panther, he brought cool intellectual gravitas to the Marvel superhero whose Wakanda forever! salute reverberated worldwide. You dont have the same exact experience as a Black actor as you do as a white actor. Before an auditorium full of actors, Chadwick Boseman stepped to the microphone.
Colin Kaepernick, Disney announce partnership deal
Colin Kaepernick will be featured in an exclusive docuseries produced by ESPN Films as part of a first-look deal with The Walt Disney Co. The deal between Kaepernicks production arm, Ra Vision Media, and The Walt Disney Co. was announced Monday. His deal with The Walt Disney Co. will extend across all Disney platforms, including Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar and The Undefeated. During this unprecedented time, The Walt Disney Co. remains committed to creating diverse and inclusive content that resonates and matters, said Bob Iger, Disneys executive chairman. Developing exceptional storytelling told through a wide array of voices is at the core of who we are at ESPN, ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro said.
Colin Kaepernick to Star in ESPN Docuseries as Part of Overall Deal With Disney
Colin Kaepernick is telling his story. On Monday, Disney announced that it has signed an overall deal with the 32-year-old former NFL player, which will include an ESPN Films docuseries on his journey. The first-look deal will extend to all Disney platforms including Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar, and The Undefeated. "During this unprecedented time, The Walt Disney Company remains committed to creating diverse and inclusive content that resonates and matters," Disney executive chairman Bob Iger added. RELATED CONTENT:Inside Colin Kaepernick's Fight for Racial JusticeColin Kaepernick Teams With Ava DuVernay for Netflix Show on His LifeAl Sharpton Calls Out the NFL: 'Give Colin Kaepernick His Job Back'
Disney had a blockbuster 2019. Hereโs what it has on deck for 2020
The Walt Disney Company is going to have a hard time living up to its record-breaking 2019. First of all, there are no Star Wars or Avengers films on the docket in 2020. In July, it set the record for the highest-grossing studio in box office history. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the parks division's biggest expansion ever, opened to incredible fanfare. What ensued was a global box office windfall that surpassed the $10 billion mark in 2019, shattering Disney's 2016 record of $7.6 billion.