By Andrew MARSZAL Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Tens of thousands of Hollywood actors will go on strike at midnight Thursday, effectively bringing the giant movie and television business to a halt as they join writers in the first industry-wide walkout for 63 years. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) issued a strike order after last-ditch talks with studios on their demands over dwindling pay and the threat posed by artificial intelligence ended […]
Tag: television
Golden Globes journalist group to be dissolved as awards taken private
By Andrew MARSZAL Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The scandal-hit association of foreign journalists that created the Golden Globes will be wound down as the Hollywood award show is formally purchased by private investors including US billionaire Todd Boehly, it was announced Monday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association — a group of around 100 entertainment writers with links to overseas publications — has handed out the Globes to A-list film and television […]
Netflix says subscriber numbers hit record high
Netflix on Tuesday said that its number of subscribers hit a record high 232.5 million in the first quarter of the year and that its nascent ad-supported tier was faring well. The streaming television giant reported a quarterly profit of $1.3 billion, in line with expectations, but said it had delayed a broad crackdown on sharing of account passwords “to improve the experience for members.” Netflix said it expects to begin rolling out its options […]
Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill reveals blood cancer diagnosis
Wellington, New Zealand | AFP | Saturday 3/18/2023 Actor Sam Neill has revealed he is being treated for stage-three blood cancer, writing in a memoir that he was “possibly dying” from the illness diagnosed a year ago. The New Zealander, who burst to fame after starring as Dr Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster “Jurassic Park”, said he began treatment last March for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Neill, 75, makes the revelation in his book “Did […]
Digital video viewing to top traditional TV in US: forecast
San Francisco, United States | AFP | For the first time ever, US adults will spend more time this year watching digital video on platforms such as Netflix, TikTok and YouTube than viewing traditional television, Insider Intelligence forecast on Wednesday. In the historic first, the market tracker expects “linear TV” to account for less than half of daily viewing, dropping to under three hours while average daily digital video watching climbs to 52.3 percent with […]
Golden Globes to unveil nominations as censured awards eye comeback
Los Angeles, United States (AFP) by Andrew MARSZAL Boycotted by A-listers and studios last year, the Golden Globes will attempt to rebuild their reputation as one of Hollywood’s top award shows with organizers unveiling this year’s nominees on Monday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which organizes the film and television awards, has scrambled to reform itself since long-harbored criticisms of the group’s practices went public in early 2021. Tinseltown completely distanced itself from the […]
Russian TV presenter apologises for calls to burn Ukrainian children
Moscow, Russia | AFP | A presenter with state-funded Russian television channel RT apologised on Monday after being suspended for calling for the burning of Ukrainian children. “I apologise to everyone who was stunned by this. I apologise to Margarita, to everyone who found these comments wild, unthinkable,” Anton Krasovsky, a 47-year-old pro-Kremlin pundit under Western sanctions, said on Telegram. Margarita Simonyan, the chief editor of RT, formerly called Russia Today, during the night from […]
Netflix subscriber numbers re-ignite after chilly start to year
San Francisco, United States | AFP | by Glenn CHAPMAN Netflix on Tuesday reported that it gained more than 2 million subscribers in the recent quarter, calming investor fears that the streaming giant was losing paying customers. The company said it ended the third quarter with slightly more than 223 million subscribers worldwide, up some 2.4 million, after seeing subscriber ranks ebb during the first half of the year. Netflix shares shot up more […]
Netflix to debut subscription with ads
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Netflix on Thursday said a subscription option subsidized by ads will debut in November across a dozen countries as the streaming service strives to jumpstart stalled growth. Netflix reported a loss of 970,000 subscribers in the second quarter along with stagnant profits, and its share price is down 63 percent from this time last year despite rising slightly on the ad-tier news. The new “Basic with Ads” subscriptions will […]
‘Squid Game’ in focus as Emmys kick off
by Huw GRIFFITH Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The glitzy Emmy Awards kicked off in Hollywood on Monday with A-listers in their gowns and tuxedos for the first full gala honoring television’s best after several years of Covid-limited productions. Host Kenan Thompson opened the proceedings with a dance number set to a medley of TV show themes, including “Friends” and “Game of Thrones,” before bringing on talk show legend Oprah Winfrey, who […]
‘Thrones’ and ‘Rings’ fans ready for battle as Comic-Con returns
by Andrew Marszal Agence France-Presse SAN DIEGO, United States (AFP) — Comic-Con finally returns to San Diego this week, where new “Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones” TV series will compete before tens of thousands of cosplaying geeks and nerds at the world’s most famous pop culture gathering. Disney and its Marvel superheroes will also preview their upcoming films and shows to adoring fans at the sprawling convention, which has not taken place […]
Netflix trims staff to weather slowing growth
San Francisco, UNITED STATES (AFP) — Netflix on Tuesday said it laid off about two percent of its staff in a belt-tightening move after growth slowed at the once-booming streaming television service. “These changes are primarily driven by business needs rather than individual performance, which makes them especially tough, as none of us want to say goodbye to such great colleagues,” a spokesperson told AFP. About 150 employees have been laid off, most of […]





