During his first 15 years running Walt Disney Co., Bob Iger had a magical touch. Acquisitions of Pixar Animation, Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm turbocharged the company’s creative engines. Movies minted billions of dollars, sports king ESPN spawned staggering profits, and Disney’s theme parks teemed with delighted guests. Iger embraced the role of celebrity chief executive, flirting briefly with a bid for president. But no longer. In the year and a half since Iger returned as Disney CEO to replace his [...]

We find ourselves in the midst of the pre-summer lull in the movie industry. While movie theaters are eager to continue their recovery from the pandemic, the lasting effects of the 2023 strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild have left noticeable gaps in the release schedule. Several films have postponed their release dates due to the disruption caused by these strikes, leading to a scarcity of new content. However, there is optimism on the [...]

The Beautiful Game, the latest title available for streaming on NETFLIX, presents a heartening portrayal of the rehabilitative potential inherent in team sports. It offers a nuanced exploration of individuals marginalized by circumstance or choice. Filmed in Italy, the movie, penned by esteemed British screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce and helmed by director Thea Sharrock, delicately weaves together the stories of several unhoused men as they vie for victory representing their own countries in the Homeless World Cup. This narrative is meticulously [...]

LOS ANGELES - Newly unsealed court records reveal that in 2016, Facebook initiated a covert endeavor to surveil Snapchat user data, later extending the same surveillance tactic to YouTube and Amazon, purportedly to gain a competitive edge. According to the documents stemming from a class-action lawsuit involving consumers and Meta, Facebook's parent company, the clandestine operation dubbed "Project Ghostbusters" was allegedly initiated at the behest of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The program's purpose, as asserted by the plaintiffs in the [...]

Los Angeles boasts the most proficient and affluent audiovisual industry in the country, and arguably the world. Alongside traditional major studios and emerging streaming giants, numerous independent productions flourish outside the realm of Hollywood commercialism. Yet, the city has grappled with sustaining a high-profile film festival in recent years, marked by the closure of the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2018, the downturn of Outfest, and leadership changes at AFI Fest. The Los Angeles Festival of Movies aims to bridge [...]

Dan Lin, 50, starts his tenure as Netflix's new film head this week. He had spent the last two decades building Rideback Productions, which was behind the recent live-action remake of “Avatar: The Last Airbender, streamed on Netflix. He also contributed to the Oscar-nominated film “The Two Popes'' for the streaming service, and has produced the "It" and "Lego" movie franchises. He’s currently working on the live-action version of “Lilo & Stitch” for Walt Disney. Lin wasn't looking for a [...]