Hollywood Breakdown

Disney has announced that its Anaheim-based theme park will close from March 14 until the end of the month. Elsewhere in Hollywood, more movies continue to delay their release dates, including “A Quiet Place Part II” and “Fast & Furious 9.” 

As anxiety over coronavirus increases, Hollywood has already lost $5 billion from a diminished international box office and production stoppages. That’s likely just the beginning. Disney is in an especially tough spot. The company has already closed some theme parks in Asia. Will it do the same in the U.S.? 

Bob Iger spent 15 years as Disney CEO, overseeing huge acquisitions and unparalleled box office success. So it came as a massive surprise when Iger announced this week that he was stepping down immediately. He’s handing the reins to Bob Chapek, who had been chairman of Disney Parks since 2015. 

The jury in the Harvey Weinstein criminal trial began deliberations this week. They've made several requests to review information and to relisten to certain of witness testimonies. It's hard to know how long deliberations will take because there have been relatively few comparable trials. 

The Universal satire-horror film "The Hunt," from prolific producer Jason Blum, was pulled before its release last fall, following back-to-back mass shootings. Now the film is getting a new release date in March, and Universal is leaning into the controversy in its marketing.

Since the #OscarsSoWhite movement kicked off five years ago, the Academy has worked to make its membership more diverse. A breakdown of the numbers shows they have made some progress, but there's still a long way to go to achieve anything close to parity. 

As Disney continues to dismantle Fox, more changes emerge at the Mouse. Emma Watts was the executive behind a lot of great films, including "Ford v Ferrari," "Deadpool," and "The Martian," but there appears to not be a home for such kinds of movies at Disney.

With the jury set, the Harvey Weinstein trial is underway in New York, and the first few days have provided some dramatic and emotional testimony, especially from actress and alleged rape victim Annabella Sciorra.

NBCUniversal revealed details of its new streaming service Peacock, which will have several tiers and pricing options.

In a closely-watched trial, Weinstein has won himself no favors with the judge after bringing in two cellphones and texting during court proceedings.