Inside a decade long bull run

The subject of exactly how many homes the British monarch owns has often been the cause of a raised eyebrow – as, over many years, there has invariably been a spare house or country pile lying around and available for any family member deemed in need. However, that looks set to change with the arrival of King Charles on the throne. National press reported last week that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had been asked to vacate their British home near Windsor Castle, and now the Times of London reports other family members will receive the same news. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were informed in January they would no longer have access to Frogmore Cottage, their post-marital home in the UK, although it has been intimated they will be permitted to stay there, should they decide to travel to the UK for Harry’s father’s Coronation in May. Now it seems the new King plans to phase out subsidised rents for other family members, as a way of reducing costs and raising … [Read more...] about Harry And Meghan’s Eviction From UK Home Is Just The Beginning, According To Palace Insiders

Today’s eagerly awaited DGA nominations are out and there are no surprises in the bunch. Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron , Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass , 12 Years A Slave’s Steve McQueen , American Hustle’s David O. Russell and The Wolf Of Wall Street ‘s Martin Scorsese were all odds-on favorites to make the five — and they did. Some might have questioned Scorsese’s chances since the film has become a lightning rod for controversy and was the last major release of the year, meaning the 15,000-member guild voters would have to see it in time to cast their ballot. But c’mon, he’s Martin Scorsese. There would be no denying this achievement among his fellow directors. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the guild and 10 other nominations with 3 wins in 3 different categories ( The Departed in film, Boardwalk Empire in TV a nd George Harrison: Living In The Material World in documentary). He’s a god to this guild. Greengrass, McQueen and … [Read more...] about No Shockers Among DGA Awards Film Nominees: Cuaron, Greengrass, McQueen, Russell, Scorsese

EXCLUSIVE : The British Film Institute , one of the UK’s most powerful movie funding bodies, admitted to a filmmaker of color last year that it is “systemically racist” after apologizing for how it handled his long-running complaint over alleged discrimination. The BFI is making changes to its complaints procedures and has committed to continued anti-racism soul-searching after Faisal A Qureshi, a scriptwriter, producer, and researcher, whose credits include Leaving Neverland and Four Lions , went on record for the first time to detail his experience. Qureshi remains disturbed by his treatment. His case is unresolved after more than two years and, although the BFI has acknowledged his complaint could have been handled better, Qureshi told Deadline he is yet to receive the formal written apology he requested. He is fearful that his pursuit of the BFI could be damaging to his career, despite assurances from the institute that complaints would never compromise … [Read more...] about BFI Admits To Systemic Racism & Vows To Improve After Apologizing To ‘Four Lions’ Producer For Mishandling Discrimination Complaint

Jesse Lee Soffer has returned home to NBC ’s Chicago P.D. but not as Jay Halstead. Instead, he’s making his debut as a director in tonight’s episode “Deadlocked.” The actor announced in late August his 10-season run on the Dick Wolf drama would conclude, making his final appearance on October 5. News followed weeks later that he would reunite with the cast and crew in the director’s chair. “Deadlocked” is the continuation of “The Ghost Inside Of You” which aired on February 15. “This was the perfect episode for me to direct,” Soffer told Deadline during a recent interview. “I love this episode because it was like a throwback episode to old-school PD with Voight [Jason Beghe] going off the rails, Man on Fire kind of stuff, vigilante stuff, and living in the gray area off the books. That’s the story we’ve been telling, especially the foil between Halstead and Voight, for so long—it’s something I really know deeply. So to get to do that kind of story with Jason was really … [Read more...] about ‘Chicago P.D.’: Jesse Lee Soffer Reveals He Almost Made A Sneaky Cameo In Directorial Debut

The mother of one of the Flight 93 heroes wants Carson Daly to know ... gay people ARE brave and tough ... and her son was living proof. TMZ broke the story ... Daly joked on his L.A. radio show that gay people wouldn't have been able to take down a crazed pilot who freaked out on a recent JetBlue flight ... instead, they would have been more interested in going to a "floral convention." Now, Alice Hoagland ... the mother of Mark Bingham ... has a message for the radio host ... saying, "Yes, my gay son was known in our family for bringing me flowers on my birthday and Mother’s Day. He also was known for careening down the rugby pitch, and, on the morning of September 11, 2001, for charging unarmed down the aisle of a doomed Boeing 757 to face knife-wielding Islamist thugs in a hijacked cockpit." She adds, "No one among his pick-up team of fellow passengers was asking 'Are you straight? Are you gay?' No one doubted that a guy who weighed 220 and stood 6’4” … [Read more...] about Mother of 9/11 Hero — My Son Was Gay … And Tougher Than Carson Daly

EXCLUSIVE: First among Hollywood unions this year, the WGA is going face-to-face with the studios starting Monday in what’s expected to be contentious negotiations for a new overall contract. However, the atypical pole position for the hard-hitting scribes this labor round is a consequence of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ rebuke of the DGA efforts to strike a pact a few months ago. In November 2022, the Directors’ Guild sought to spark an early dialogue with the AMPTP by sending over “pre-conditions,” as one studio source called them, for early negotiations. Over the past decade and more, the DGA has gone ahead of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in contract talks with the Carol Lombardini-led group. In that context, talks before official talks are nothing new in Hollywood labor circles. However, unlike the past three contract sit-downs, the DGA had some more weighty than usual caveats it wanted dealt with before it would agree to settling on a date … [Read more...] about As WGA & AMPTP Talks Kick Off, Details Emerge Of DGA’s Attempt To Reach Under-The-Radar Deal With Studios

Sunday AM Update/writethru: Following Saturday 7:28AM post, with final : Warner Bros./Legendary’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu is coming in ahead of its $50M-$55M domestic tracking with a $58M No. 2 opening being called by the studio. They excelled with the first Pokemon movie back in 1999 with a $31M launch, and they’ve done even better with this updated live-action hybrid comedy close to 20 years later. It’s a great comeback for Legendary on the Burbank lot after its five-year deal at Universal. When Detective Pikachu jumped to Warner Bros. last July , it was a sign that Legendary, which was behind such Warner Bros. successes as the Dark Knight and Godzilla franchises, was coming back. Smart dating here on behalf of Warner Bros.: They waited for Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame to calm down, going two weekends after the summer juggernaut, which, as of this morning, continued to top the box office with its third No. 1 in a row, an estimated $63.1M . … [Read more...] about ‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ Grabs $58M In ‘Endgame’ Dominated Universe; Marvel Pic 3rd Highest Domestic With $723M+ – Sunday Update

With demand surging for sports-themed films and TV series, Authentic Brands Group and David Glasser’s 101 Studios have launched Sports Illustrated Studios, an exclusive home for film and TV adaptations of the magazine’s work. Plans call for several scripted or unscripted feature films and TV series per year, as well as podcasts. Their basis will be the magazine’s “unique looks at the culture and characters that transcend the game,” in the words of the official announcement. In charge of all production, distribution and marketing for Sports Illustrated Studios will be 101 Studios, which Glasser started after leaving his longtime post at the Weinstein Company. First out of the gate will be Covers , an episodic look at SI ’s top cover stories of all time, culled from a roster of thousands involving a host of sports figures, teams, celebrities and political figures. “Sports Illustrated has covered every major story in sports since the 1950s and, before the … [Read more...] about Sports Illustrated Studios Launches As Joint Film/TV Venture By Authentic Brands And 101 Studios

Britain’s culture secretary Oliver Dowden has denied a report that the government has asked right-wing commentator Charles Moore and former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre to fill two powerful UK media jobs. The Sunday Times reported that Moore has been tapped to be the next chair of the BBC , while Dacre is set to be installed as the new chair of UK media regulator Ofcom . The government is responsible for recruiting for both roles and the Sunday Times said prime minister Boris Johnson wants the pair, both ferocious critics of the BBC, to usher in a “revolution” in UK broadcasting. Senior government insiders told the newspaper that hiring Moore as a replacement for outgoing BBC chair David Clementi is a “done deal,” while Johnson “wooed” Dacre for the Ofcom job over drinks at Downing Street in February. But speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Dowden denied that any decisions have been made prior to the government launching a formal recruitment … [Read more...] about UK Government Denies Offering Powerful Media Jobs To Ferocious BBC Critics Paul Dacre & Charles Moore

Could Hercule Poirot be headed to this year’s Venice Film Festival ? We hear there’s a chance that 20th Century and Ken Branagh’s A Haunting In Venice could get a fairytale launch on the Lido. Nothing is set but the prospect has been discussed and we understand the film is likely to be submitted to the festival for consideration once it is complete in coming months. The movie currently has a September 14 release date, which would seemingly fit well with a Venice debut given the festival runs August 30 – September 9. The film’s backdrop would also make it a fun choice. Set in an eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, the murder mystery opens with celebrated sleuth Poirot now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the famous city. Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo and when one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets. Branagh pulled in another A-list ensemble … [Read more...] about Could Kenneth Branagh’s Starry Agatha Christie Murder Mystery ‘A Haunting In Venice’ Debut On The Lido?