In one of the most significant antitrust cases in decades, last week a federal judge cleared the way for AT&T to complete its acquisition of Time Warner, ruling that the Department of Justice failed to make a convincing argument the deal would be bad for consumers. The decision opens the door for what many believe will be a wave of corporate mergers as existing media outfits look to thwart off threats from tech giants entering the space such as Amazon, Apple and Netflix.

Evidence of this was apparent within days as Comcast made an official all-cash offer to acquire a majority of Twentieth Century Fox’s assets. The Fox board will meet this week to decide who will wind up acquiring them; Disney or Comcast.

We follow up the Tony Awards to applaud its big winner “The Band’s Visit,” celebrating the success of indie producers on a Great White Way dominated more and more by corporations. We also shoot down the idea that winning the Tony for Best Musical isn’t a boost at the box office.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including how Bryan Singer will wind up with director’s credit on the Queen biopic from which he was fired, Oprah Winfrey signs a deal with Apple and why a tax scandal in China over a major star’s salary has the industry on edge.

comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of June 17, 2018

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-june-17-2018-300667509.html

Cannes Winner ‘Shoplifters’ Sets 2018 Japan Box-Office Record

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-winner-shoplifters-sets-2018-japan-box-office-record-1120070

Fan Bingbing Tax Evasion Probe Sparks Film Industry Crisis in China

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fan-bingbing-tax-evasion-probe-sparks-film-industry-crisis-china-1116723

China Movie Stars and The Two-Contract Problem

http://chinafilminsider.com/china-movie-stars-and-the-two-contract-problem/

Internal Memo Reveals Tighter Regulations On Chinese Films And Television Dramas

https://supchina.com/2018/06/12/internal-memo-reveals-tighter-regulations-on-chinese-films-and-television-dramas/

Bookstore Sales Up Again in April

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/77247-bookstore-sales-up-again-in-april.html

Can a Tony Award Affect a Show’s Path to Economic Success?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Can-a-Tony-Award-Affect-a-Shows-Path-to-Economic-Success-20180612

John Lasseter to Exit Disney at End of the Year

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/john-lasseter-exit-disney-at-end-year-1069547