Showbiz Sandbox

By J. Sperling Reich & Michael Giltz

Industry pros J. Sperling Reich and Michael Giltz provide insightful analysis, humorous viewpoints and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast features panel di... more

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FAQs about Showbiz Sandbox:

How many episodes does Showbiz Sandbox have?

The podcast currently has 387 episodes available.

Showbiz Sandbox episodes:

July 20, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 589: Should Music Be Produced and Sold Like Fine Art?
In an effort to make music valuable again, producer T Bone Burnett is getting behind a technology that allowed him and Bob Dylan to create a one-off re-recording of “Blowin’ In The Wind” and then auction it off for $1.8 million. But can recordings be treated the same way as paintings are in the art […]
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1h 14min
July 05, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 588: Keeping Track of Ever-Shifting Streaming Strategies
Though the entertainment industry may be infatuated infatuated with streaming, the legacy media companies behind all the new subscription services haven’t quite found the right way to profit from them. NBC/Universal earned nearly a billion dollars in committed ad revenue with Peacock this year, causing them to take a hard look at all of their […]
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58min
June 28, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 587: How To Succeed on Broadway After a Global Pandemic
With this year’s Tony Awards having been doled out, the 29 shows currently running on Broadway are taking stock of what’s working, which ones should stick around and which should stop raising their curtains. At least 14 have announced closing dates or are expected to soon, including some big musical productions. Others are recasting their […]
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1h 21min
June 14, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 586: Tony Awards Help Broadway Get Its Groove Back
After all of the obstacles the pandemic forced plays and musicals to deal with, this year’s Tony Awards looked to raise the curtain on a revived Broadway. The ceremony managed to honor some of the best productions and performances from last season while celebrating the efforts the Broadway community made just to stay in business. […]
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1h 22min
June 08, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 585: Entertainment Industry Stumble Into Sociopolitical Pitfalls
Social justice and political issues have been making life complicated for movie studios, record labels and concert promoters. Whether you’re casting a movie, choosing a director, booking a live performance or releasing a new album, you’ll also be having to deal with their past, present and sometimes even future behavior. Just ask Johnny Depp, filmmaker […]
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1h 11min
June 06, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox: Movies Were the Stars at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival
After the COVID pandemic hampered the Cannes Film Festival over the last two years, the 2022 edition moved back to its usual May time frame with all the glamor and artistry that has made it one of the most important annual cinematic events in the world. Despite critics’ complaints about what was deemed a weak official selection, the festival featured its fair share of impressive films from noteworthy auteurs.
What’s more, many of these movies will find audiences as distributors were rather active in acquiring titles to release theatrically over the next 12 months.
On this special episode of Showbiz Sandbox we are joined by Karen Krizanovich, an independent journalist and broadcaster, not to mention a member of the London Film Critics Circle, as well as Stephen Garrett, the founder of the movie marketing firm Jump Cut who covered the festival for the New York Observer. Both attended this year’s Cannes Film Festival and we’ll discuss the highs and lows of the latest edition, which concluded last weekend.

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57min
May 31, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 584: Cannes Film Festival Showcases Industry Revival
Unlike some years, there was no frontrunner or obvious favorite to win the Palme d’Or at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival which concluded over the weekend. Instead, the social satire “Triangle of Sadness” from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund took the festival’s top prize, the second time he has won the award. We discuss the highlights and big winners from this year’s Cannes.
Meanwhile “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was shown at Cannes, finally premiered in movie theaters setting all kinds of box office records. It is far and away the biggest opening weekend its star Tom Cruise has ever had as it looks to go on and become his biggest hit.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the winner of this year’s Eurovision song contest, Justin Timberlake sells his recording catalog and politicians hope to strip Disney of its Mickey Mouse copyright.

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Is Supersonic With $124M Overseas Opening In Career-Best For Tom Cruise; WW At $248M Through Sunday
https://deadline.com/2022/05/top-gun-maverick-tom-cruise-opening-records-global-international-box-office-1235034560/
Box Office: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Debuts to Stratospheric $124 Million
https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/top-gun-maverick-box-office-opening-weekend-tom-cruise-1235280787/
2022 Cannes Awards: Full Winners List, from Song Kang Ho to ‘Triangle of Sadness’
https://www.indiewire.com/2022/05/cannes-winners-list-palme-dor-2022-1234728775/
Ekko Cannes 2022 Critics Grid
https://www.ekkofilm.dk/stjernebarometer/cannes-filmfestival-2022/
Ukraine Wins Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final 2022
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/14/arts/eurovision-final
Does the Justin Timberlake Song Sale Price Make Sense?
https://www.billboard.com/pro/justin-timberlake-hipgnosis-publishing-song-sale-price-analysis/
Bad Bunny Debuts at No. 1 With Year’s Best Single-Week Tally For ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’
https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/bad-bunny-un-verano-sin-ti-five-burning-questions-1235072390/
Kevin Spacey, James Franco, and More Are Trying to Make Comebacks at Cannes
https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/cannes-canceled-stars-scandal-spacey-franco-besson-baldwin-1357049/
Kevin Spacey Film Producers Respond to U.K. Sexual Assault Charges: “There Are Those Who Wish for Him Not to Act”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/kevin-spacey-film-producers-respond-to-u-k-sexual-assault-cha...
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1h 25min
May 10, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 583: The Long and Winding Road to Box Office Recovery
With each new superhero blockbuster that hits multiplexes it is clear that big well-done movies can score big at the box office. However it is a huge mistake to treat every new release as the barometer of whether cinema is back. Especially when smaller films like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and family movies like “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” are proving just as successful in getting post-pandemic audiences back into theaters.
Meanwhile, record labels and streaming services have been fighting with music publishers over mechanical royalties for years now.
However, in a tentative deal on actual music sales, the mechanical royalty will rise more than 30% from 9.1 cents per track to 12 cents. Moving forward, the royalty will be pegged to inflation.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including this year’s Tony Nominations, Dave Chappelle gets attacked on stage during a performance and a new class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

New Doctor Who Revealed: ‘Sex Education’ Star Ncuti Gatwa Confirmed By BBC
https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/new-doctor-who-ncuti-gatwa-1235261370/
‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’ Opens $450M Global Portal, $265M From Overseas
https://deadline.com/2022/05/doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness-opening-international-box-office-1235016822/
Box Office: ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Debuts to Heroic $185 Million
https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/doctor-strange-2-box-office-opening-weekend-disney-marvel-cinematic-universe-1235261390/
One Blockbuster Does Not a Box Office Recovery Make
https://celluloidjunkie.com/newsletter/one-blockbuster-does-not-a-box-office-recovery-make/
Italy to Mandate Longer Theatrical Window
https://celluloidjunkie.com/digest/italy-to-mandate-longer-theatrical-window/
Fired By Netflix, Frank Langella Refutes Allegations Of “Unacceptable Behavior”
https://deadline.com/2022/05/frank-langella-refutes-allegations-of-unacceptable-behavior-fired-by-netflix-1235017544/
Should Fred Savage, Bill Murray, and Frank Langella Be Cancelled for “Inappropriate Behavior”?
https://kareem.substack.com/p/should-fred-savage-bill-murray-and
Paramount+ Sets U.K., Korea, Europe, India Launch Dates
https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/paramount-sets-u-k-korea-europe-india-launch-dates-1235256960/
2022 Tony Award Nominations
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/2022-Tony-Awards-Nominations-Updating-Live-20220509
Broadway Box Office Up Slightly To $31M As Large Spring Roster ...
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1h 10min
May 04, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 582: Movie Theaters Come Roaring Back at CinemaCon
When cinema operators from around the world gathered in Las Vegas for CinemaCon last week, it quickly became obvious that movie theaters ain’t dead yet. Though a global pandemic may have decimated their business model for several years, audiences seem to slowly be returning to movie theaters. So have Hollywood studios who are starting to realize they can’t survive on streaming revenue alone.
Speaking of streaming, a poor earnings report in which Netflix announced they lost subscribers for the first time in a decade, has served as a moment for self-reflection for the company as well as the industry-at-large.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including an abrupt end to CNN+, “Fast & Furious 10” loses its director and Europe’s new media laws.

‘Fantastic Beasts’ & ‘Sonic’ Top $300M Global; ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ Sets Table Overseas
https://deadline.com/2022/05/downton-abbey-fantastic-beasts-sonic-bad-guys-china-global-international-box-office-1235013921/
Box Office: ‘Bad Guys’ Stays No. 1 as ‘Memory’ Fails Liam Neeson
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bad-guys-box-office-memory-1235138696/
A24’s ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Hits Impressive Box Office Milestone
https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/a24-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-box-office-1235255460/
Netflix to Start “Pulling Back” Content Spend After Losing Subscribers in Earnings Miss
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/netflix-q1-2022-earnings-1235132028/
Netflix Will Face Hurdles in Courting Advertisers, But Biz Abuzz About Streamer’s New Model
https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/netflix-ad-model-commercials-1235236339/
Amid Losses, Netflix Bets on a Bold Strategy Around Video Games
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/04/22/netflix-video-games/
How HBO Kept ‘House of the Dragon’ Costs Under $20 Million per Episode
https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/house-of-the-dragon-budget-episode-cost-1235238285/
HBO Max, HBO Hit 76.8M Global Subs In Q1, Up 3M From Year End; WarnerMedia Profit Squeezed By CNN+
https://deadline.com/2022/04/hbo-max-warnermedia-att-1235007134/
Tony Awards Producers Warn Potential Slappers: You Will Be Removed
https://deadline.com/2022/04/tony-awards-will-smith-chris-rock-no-violence-policy-1235006510/
E.U. Takes Aim at Social Media’s Harms With Landmark New Law
https://www.nytimes.
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1h 35min
April 20, 2022 Showbiz Sandbox 581: Streamers Double Down On Original Programming
A new industry study claims the five largest producers of original content in the United States also happen to be some of the biggest streamers in the world. Nearly half the content offered by Discovery, Disney, Paramount, the former WarnerMedia and Comcast are original productions which increasingly premiere on their subscription streaming services. Turns out Netflix and Amazon license much of their programming from other companies.
Meanwhile, we are delighted to see the Indian film industry leading the world back to moviegoing. And it’s not just Bollywood! Films of every genre and from all parts of the country are topping the worldwide box office.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including a talent shuffle at newscaster MSNBC, the Library of Congress adds recordings to its national registry and how Coachella found itself being censored in China.

‘Fantastic Beasts’ Reaches $150M Overseas; India’s ‘KGF’ Rocks $70M+ Global Start; ‘Sonic’ Speeds To $232M WW
https://deadline.com/2022/04/fantastic-beasts-sonic-kgf-yash-india-china-global-international-box-office-1235004648/
Box Office: ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Opens to Franchise-Low $43 Million
https://variety.com/2022/film/box-office/box-office-fantastic-beasts-3-lowest-opening-weekend-harry-potter-1235234213/
Cuba Gooding Jr. Pleads Guilty to Forcible Touching
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-forcible-touching-1235129795/
Frank Langella Fired From Netflix Show After Misconduct Investigation
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/14/arts/television/frank-langella-fired-netflix-misconduct.html
Rachel Maddow Says She’ll Go To Once-A-Week Schedule In May
https://deadline.com/2022/04/rachel-maddow-msnbc-once-a-week-1235000476/
Megan Thee Stallion’s Coachella “WAP” Performance Causes Headache for Chinese Censors
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/megan-thee-stallion-coachella-china-censorship-1235131347/
The Library of Congress Is Preserving These Major Historical Recordings for Posterity
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/13/1091585574/the-library-of-congress-adds-25-titles-including-alicia-keys-and-ricky-martin
Almost Half of Us Studios’ First-Run Shows Comprise VOD Originals
https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2022041262332/almost-half-of-us-studios-first-run-shows-comprise-vod-originals.html
Michel Bouquet Dies: French Acting Legend Was 96
https://deadline.
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1h 13min

FAQs about Showbiz Sandbox:

How many episodes does Showbiz Sandbox have?

The podcast currently has 387 episodes available.