Saturday, December 20, 2025
Donate
Home Blog Page 101

Hollywood Has a New Power Player: Streamer MUBI Picks Up 9 Cannes Films, Owned by Actual Young Turk Efe Cakarel

Roger Friedman
-
0
Hollywood Has a New Power Player: Streamer MUBI Picks Up 9 Cannes Films, Owned by Actual Young Turk Efe Cakarel

This week I mentioned MUBI to a couple of people. They’d never heard of it. I said, “They made The Substance with Demi Moore. It’s an app on your SmartTV.” Again, crickets.

But MUBI is the new power player in Hollywood. In the last week the company — owned by an actual 49 year old Young Turk named Efe Cakarel — has bought a stunning nine movies out of the Cannes Film Festival.

Cakarel is not fooling around. Suddenly everyone’s going to be looking for the MUBI logo on their Smart TVs.

Among the films he bought was Jennifer Lawrence in “Die My Love,” for a shocking $24 million. That’s twenty four million dollars. Cakarel is going to push JLaw for an Oscar the way he did Demi Moore, which means another $20 or $30 million.

Others on the list include all hot titles that were available: Sentimental Value, The Sound of Falling, The Mastermind, The Secret Agent, Alpha, It Was Just an Accident and Sirât.

Cakarel may not be done.

Who is he? According to Wikipedia, Cakarel — “Following his graduation from the American Collegiate Institute in İzmir, Turkey, he earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Prior to founding MUBI, he spent a number of years at Goldman Sachs[8] in investment banking. He was part of Turkey’s national math team and placed third in the European Math Olympiad.[9] He also has two patents related to monetization of web applications.

He’s really not playing around. Reports say MUBI — which started 18 years ago — is already worth a billion dollars. So they have money to spend, and they’re on a tear.

Billy Joel Health Scare Brings Avalanche of Love from Fans: “I’m sorry to disappoint our audience, thank you for understanding”

Roger Friedman
-
0
Billy Joel Health Scare Brings Avalanche of Love from Fans: “I’m sorry to disappoint our audience, thank you for understanding”

Billy Joel has had to cancel all his shows until further notice.

He says he’s been diagnoses with NPH– Natural Pressure Hydrocephalus. There’s been a build of fluid around his brain, and it has to be drained.

I’ve been told all the appropriate measures have been taken including the placement of a shunt.

Can he recover? Yes. He says he’s doing physical therapy now but doctors have pulled him off the stage.

Billy is 76, and has been jumping, running, and pounding on the keys for nearly 60 years. His body needs a rest.

Already almost 35,000 people have posted well wishes to Billy on Instagram. They all agree that health is wealth, and Billy deserves some time off.

Considering he played 100 consecutive monthly shows at Madison Square Garden — not to mention the extra shows around the world — Billy is probably more upset than of us. And we’re concerned, of course. It’s hard to imagine our indefatigable rock stars are human!

Speedy recovery, Billy!

Box Office: Mission May Be Impossible as Tom Cruise Opus Beaten by Disney Kids Movie, “Lilo & Stitch” in Previews

Roger Friedman
-
0
Box Office: Mission May Be Impossible as Tom Cruise Opus Beaten by Disney Kids Movie, “Lilo & Stitch” in Previews

The mission, should you choose to accept it, may be impossible.

Tom Cruise’s three hour opus, “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning,” had a slow start in previews Thursday night.

The final Ethan Hunt saga was trounced by Disney’s live action remake of its kids’ movie, “Lilo & Stitch.”

The latter made around $14 million. The former came in at $8 million.

Numbers will be updated shortly.

“Final Reckoning” cost around $300 million and Paramount has spent around $100 million in promotion. Cruise has flown all over the world for high ticket premieres to push his product.

But the new “Reckoning” only did $1 million more than the previous outing, “Dead Reckoning,” two years ago, in previews. This is surprising because it looked like IMAX theaters were pretty sold out yesterday.

On Rotten Tomatoes right now, “FR” has an 80 rating from critics, but a 93 from audiences. The second number is most important in this case. If audiences love it, nothing can stop Cruise from a top notch weekend.

Holiday weekends are a marathon, not a sprint. Five days from Thursday to Monday may sort this all out. Or, “Lilo & Stitch” may be the next mission for Cruise and co. to take out!

Will We Ever See the Michael Jackson Biopic? Not This Year and Maybe Not Next Because No One Can Agree on What It Is

Roger Friedman
-
0
Will We Ever See the Michael Jackson Biopic? Not This Year and Maybe Not Next Because No One Can Agree on What It Is

The Michael Jackson biopic is not coming out this year.

In 2026? Maybe

What’s wrong? Apparently news of this mess broke on a Lionsgate earnings call today. A number of outlets reported it.

There’s a four hour cut of scenes not edited together, these reports say. But there’s no movie because no one involved can agree on what it’s about.

I’m not surprised. All the reasons the movie isn’t working out are also the ones why “MJ The Musical” is a hit on Broadway. “MJ” stops after “Thriller” and “Bad” are released. It tells the Michael Jackson story right up to the point where weirdness set in.

After “Bad,” the Michael Jackson saga is about molestation accusations, pay offs and settlements, bizarre relationships, and a trial that foreshadowed Michael’s death.

Does anyone want to see of all that? How could it be explained in a positive way? Answer: it can’t.

Starting in 1993, Michael’s life lurched into the bizarre world of Neverland, children staying overnight, in his bed. Then comes the Jordan Chandler scandal, which results in a settlement of $15 to $20 million. Michael starts changing managers, lawyers, gets ripped off by a lot of greedy people. He also begins leveraging the Beatles catalog to stay afloat financially.

“MJ” is a celebration of Michael, telling the Jackson story and how it led to Michael working with Quincy Jones and their outsized success with three solo albums. That’s the same place the movie should end. Going beyond that barrier, there’s no upside. It’s dark, twisted, and there’s no way out. Michael becoming addicted to drugs. His bizarre relationships with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando’s family. It just gets worse and worse.

Lionsgate says they’re considering two movies. That’s a mistake. The second one would be brutal, and not favorable to Michael. No one asked me, but they should make one great concert movie and leave it at that. End it in 1990 with Michael on top of the world. What happened next was deeply tragic, and to tell it truthfully means undermining the music.

When the biopic was announced, an insider insisted to me that they were going to tell the “whole story” warts and all. I was astonished. Would there really be discussion of how the children were acquired, Debbie Rowe, Lisa Marie, hanging the baby out the window, treatments for vitiligo, and so on?

I think by now the Estate sees there’s no way to do it without Michael coming off very badly. That would ruin the Estate’s successes so far with the catalog and the Broadway show. Michael’s legacy would be irreparably tarnished. And the phone call from the “killer” would be coming from inside the house.

Kevin Spacey, James Franco Welcomed by amFAR In Cannes Despite Being Pariahs in the US for Various Sex Scandals

Roger Friedman
-
0
Kevin Spacey, James Franco Welcomed by amFAR In Cannes Despite Being Pariahs in the US for Various Sex Scandals

In the old days, amFAR’s annual gala was filled with A list celebrities. Sharon Stone ran the show, and big stars who’d been in Cannes stayed just for the event.

Not so much anymore. Tonight, the big stars welcomed by the sketchy AIDS fundraiser were none other than Kevin Spacey and James Franco. Those are two names not on the top of any casting director’s list these days. They’ve each been canceled.

Spacey was given a Lifetime Achievement Award this week from another sketchy organization, the Better World Foundation. He read a manifesto claiming his blacklisting in Hollywood was similar to that of famed screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (which is utterly ridiculous). Spacey’s been mostly ostracized after surviving or settling many lawsuits concerning his sexual behavior with young men over the years. He’s managed to avoid conviction or jail one way or the other. But he was sued again, in February.

Franco is basically unhire-after settling a $2 million lawsuit with former female acting students who accused him of sexual malfeasance. He also hasn’t made a movie years. He supposedly plays Fidel Castro, of all people, in a film that’s been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years already.

But for amFAR, Spacey and Franco are a dynamic duo. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. amFAR has been through any number of financial scandals. Their CEO, Kevin Frost, earns a whopping $600,000 and they have many other execs with healthy six figure salaries.

This year, it’s mostly the B list with the exception of Mariska Hargitay, who came to Cannes with a documentary about her mother, Jayne Mansfield. But big movie stars like Natalie Portman or Nicole Kidman, each of whom had been in town, were invisible. Tom Cruise was long gone. Scarlett Johansson and Kristen Stewart? Absent.

Again, in the old days, rock star Bono of U2 — who’d also been in town for his own documentary — would have been persuaded to sing for the well heeled Eurotrash in the audience. But he’s too smart for that. ’80s artifacts Duran Duran performed along with “American Idol” star Adam Lambert, recently a substitute on Broadway in “Cabaret.”

Will appearing at amFAR help Spacey and Franco resurrect their careers? Probably not. But it says a lot about the charity that they were wanted at all. Sad, at this point. As for amFAR itself, their annual tax return is quite a document, as I’ve written in the past.

Tony Winner James Corden is Coming Back to Broadway in “Art” with Bobby Cannavale and Neil Patrick Harris

Roger Friedman
-
0
Tony Winner James Corden is Coming Back to Broadway in “Art” with Bobby Cannavale and Neil Patrick Harris

Bang!

The fall Broadway season is coming into focus now that we’ve survived the Tony Awards parade.

Next up: Tony winner James Corden, who hosted a talk show more recently, is coming back to Broadway. He’s not singing, however. ‘

Corden’s heading up a new production of the play, “Art,” with an all star cast. Bobby Cannavale and Neil Patrick Harris will be his co-stars. Scott Ellis directs the revival coming at the end of August. “Art” is written by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton.

Corden won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play back in 2012. “One Man, Two Guvnors” was directed by Mike Nichols. Corden was absolutely hilarious. Unexpectedly he beat Philip Seymour Hoffman who was playing Willie Loman in “Death of a Salesman.” The other heavy hitter nominees that season were no less than James Earl Jones, Frank Langella, and John Lithgow. Amazing!

And there’s a little bit of trivia: Neil Patrick Harris hosted the Tony Awards that year.

Doing his talk show Corden lost a lot of charm as the show took over his life. He was clever, and his bits like “Carpool Karoake” were genius, but Corden got so out of control that he was banned from a New York Soho restaurant for mistreating the staff. When that happens, you know it’s time to step back.

I’m very excited about James’s return. The combo of him with Cannavale and Harris should strike a chord with Broadway audiences. Looking forward to this one!

Cruise Control: “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” Begins Today with $400 Mil Budget, 79% Reviews

Roger Friedman
-
0
Cruise Control: “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” Begins Today with $400 Mil Budget, 79% Reviews

We are finally at the Moment.

Today begins the run of “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning.”

The $400 million movie has a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. It runs three hours long.

IMAX theaters are marked ‘almost full’ on all the reservation systems. The IMAX theaters are fairly full in advance, with tickets available at regular shows in theaters at the same time.

I would go just for the drink container with the binoculars. That looks pretty cool.

Will “Final Reckoning” break records? No. The length is pre-emptive. Two years ago, “Dead Reckoning,” which had about the same marketing and publicity, took in $7 million for previews. The second day was $8.5 million making the official first day 15.5 million.

“Final Reckoning” should do better if only because it’s the unofficial finale of the 35 year old franchise. Also, it’s like three blockbuster moves in one. While reviews are a little B plus, it’s still a huge entertainment and well worth seeing.

Stay tuned…

UPDATE: New Grandpa Jimmy Kimmel Apologizes to Seth Rogen for Canceling Show, Not Anti-Biden Author Jake Tapper (Watch)

Roger Friedman
-
0
UPDATE: New Grandpa Jimmy Kimmel Apologizes to Seth Rogen for Canceling Show, Not Anti-Biden Author Jake Tapper (Watch)

Jimmy Kimmel canceled his Monday night show because his daughter, Kate, gave birth at the exact moment of taping.

Also, Kimmel was happy to get rid of guest CNN right wing personality Jake Tapper, who was promoting his anti-Biden book.

Need proof? In the monologue below, at 5:00, Kimmel apologizes only to pal Seth Rogen, who was also supposed to be a guest. No mention of Tapper.

The monologue, by the way, is hilarious. Jimmy offers a video from the waiting room of him talking to his famous Aunt Chippie. Eagle eyed viewers will notice that off screen, Jimmy’s beard has a big white spot that is obviously colored in every night when he’s on stage.

We can all relate!

Kanye West Says He’s “Done with Antisemitism” As if It Were a Hula Hoop or Gluten, Has No Apology for Pain He’s Caused

Roger Friedman
-
0
Kanye West Says He’s “Done with Antisemitism” As if It Were a Hula Hoop or Gluten, Has No Apology for Pain He’s Caused

Kanye West declares on Twitter this morning that he’s “done with antisemitism.”

He treats his hatred of jews and embrace of Hitler as a fad that has passed — like Hula hoops or gluten free food.

He has no apology for any of the pain he’s caused, or his incitement of antisemitism for the last several years.

He’s a joke, a sick joke.

Kanye is broke. His new album, “Donda 2,” self released, was a bust. All his fashion contracts are gone. No one will work with him in music or fashion. So is this is his new gambit.

Maybe his meds were changed. But everything remains the same. Don’t believe a word of it. He’s still promoting a version of his record, “Heil Hitler,” on Spotify as the “Heil Symphony.”

Melania’s Memoir Audio Book Made by Artificial Intelligence (Yes, Really) Because 7 Hours of Her Own Voice

Roger Friedman
-
0
Melania’s Memoir Audio Book Made by Artificial Intelligence (Yes, Really) Because 7 Hours of Her Own Voice

If you want to hear seven hours of Melania Trump’s audio book, “Memoir,” here’s some news.

It’s narrated via AI.

After 30 years of being in the US, Melania Kvnauss still sounds like Natasha from “Rocky and Bullwinkle.” Good for her that she never let her voice be gentrified.

But now she’s decided that AI should read her fictional “Memoir” to MAGA so they’re not startled by the sound of a female Dracula.

So the audio is processed. For $25, you can listen to the illegal immigrant say absolutely nothing.

The audio version doesn’t offer an update about where Melania has been since the Inauguration, or her $40 million Amazon doc contract, or any opinions on her husband’s treacherous and punitive policies.

The hardcover version currently stands at a robust number 411 on amazon’s best seller list.

PS If you listen inattentively to the “trailer” for the book, it sounds like the voice is saying she has “eleven readers.”

The advance reviews are in. This is what we’re dealing with:

1...100101102...2,324Page 101 of 2,324

Hollywood to the Hudson

Company

Trending

Categories

© Showbiz411.com