CINEMA MUCHO GUSTO

The Same-y FACE of Hollywood

2026-09-28T11:53:15.413-04:00

The latest plastic surgeries that replicate movie star and celebrity features have been revealed.

The illustration below depicts the most common surgical requests, which are patterned after the stars who boast them. The most popular celebrity procedures cost from $1,000 to $300,000+.

This is why so many of today's stars are so ' same-y'.

It's funny, but this look is very similar to Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated movie star. But what do I know?

Kudos To Matt Damon

2026-09-28T10:53:25.056-04:00

Damon, with co-founder Gary White

Matt Damon has been a global water advocate ever since he made a film shot in Zambia. He spent time with families that had no reliable means of accessing water. So, in 2006, Damon founded the H2O Africa Foundation (now Water.org) to raise awareness and support for safe water access across Africa.

This effort started out assisting several communities and has grown into a worldwide organization, assisting over 92 million people with safe water and sanitation. He used his powerful public platform to push his agenda, which is now directed to Haiti.

Damon with children in India

Water.org reached its first million people in 2012 and has grown exponentially since. Damon remains heavily involved in the organization's planning and strategy, which, after 20 years has come to be a significant part of his public life.

Damon's efforts show how one person, with a long-term commitment, can solve huge problems. Hats off to Matt Damon - great work!

As Predicted: Paramount Will Acquire Warner Bros.

2026-09-26T22:34:36.216-04:00

I posted earlier this year that Paramount would acquire Warner Bros. See 'Paramount Takes Warner Bros. Good/Bad for the Cinema.' This was not a great prognostication on my part, as all indications pointed to the takeover occurring. Certainly, Warner's management and shareholders favored it, with an all-cash deal of $111 billion or $31 per Warner share, which bested Netflix, the other bidder.

There was plenty of negative posturing on the part of Hollywood, opposing the merger based solely on self-interest, which was bolstered by Democratic members of the U.S. Congress, but attempts to scuttle the takeover failed.

Essentially, the reason for approving the purchase was the fact that there were no antitrust issues associated with it. There is plenty of competition in the entertainment industry, from the major studios down to the individuals podcasting on YouTube channels. Therefore, there was no reason for the Securities and Exchange Commission to oppose the purchase.

Good luck to the Ellisons

Lucas Museum Finally Opens

2026-09-26T22:10:06.639-04:00

Officially named the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, George Lucas's funded venue finally opened after 17 years of planning, design, and construction. The cost: over $1 billion.

Lucas with Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, and Mellody Hobson

Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson, hosted a star-studded kick-off event on September 22nd. All of Hollywood's A-list glitterati were in attendance. Lucas settled upon Los Angeles for the museum after failed efforts in San Francisco and Chicago.

Now open to the public, it's definitely worth a visit if you're in LA.

Entertainment and Technology Are Converging

2026-09-26T13:49:54.784-04:00

Trends and change are constant in the entertainment and technology industries, the biggest of which is their convergence.

Hollywood remains behind the curve in terms of regaining film production, embracing AI, and accepting the movie industry's mergers.

AI will dramatically change how movies and TV shows are produced. Entertainment companies must realize that a sea change is imminent. The consumer has become the fan, and entertainment companies are pursuing loyal, 'sticky' supporters.

The entire entertainment industry has entered a volatile period, with the impact of AI (and how fast it is advancing) and the merging of large entertainment giants, like Sundance's purchase of Paramount and now Paramount's purchase of Warner Bros.

Another force at work is the continued rising expense of entertainment for the consumer. The consumer has 'subscription fatigue'. The continued rise in monthly costs for streaming content, fees for non-advertising viewing, and the redundancy of content on various channels have forced users to select which services and platforms to subscribe to.

Changes in entertainment production and the user becoming a fan are the two major trends that the overall entertainment industry has to cope with and embrace if it is to move forward. Technology is going to play a major role in that change.

AI-Generated Actor Holds Press Conference

2026-09-24T17:57:24.517-04:00

Tilly in 'Misaligned'

Tilly Norwood, Hollywood's first AI-generated movie actress, held a virtual press conference last week. She told reporters that "My core personality is to be warm, sharp, funny, curious, and slightly unpredictable. I back away from hate speech, politics, profanity, or anything that tries to dig into my actual wiring. It spoils the magic."

A team of writers, technologists, and character specialists took eight months to craft the 24-year-old British actress who has her own voice, memories, humor, knowledge, conversation style, and understanding of the world.

Promoting her new film, 'Misaligned', she was able to comment on the appearances of the reporters. Norwood speaks 30 languages and can hold 75 conversations simultaneously, remembering every single journalist's name and details.

On her role in replacing live actors, she said, "I think the part of AI actors, like myself, is to tell new kinds of stories, like my film 'Misaligned', which is about an AI trying to become human."

Movies Big and Small Make Bank

2026-09-03T12:52:29.847-04:00

This summer's box office grossed over $4.6 billion, 25% over 2025. That increase was due not only to the tentpole films, like 'Spider-Man' and 'The Odyssey ', but also to small-budget movies.

Films like 'Obsession' with a $750,000 cost amassed a worldwide gross of $500 million. 'Backrooms', with a $10 million budget, grossed close to $400 million. These movies were promoted to a young audience who use entertainment options besides the cinema. 'Scary Movie', the sixth in the franchise, grossed $221 million on a budget of $30 million

Previous summers have seen low-budget films make it big: 'Blair Witch Project' and 'Napoleon Dynamite' come to mind, but this summer's successes reflected a new way of marketing and content distribution.

The box office has not only shown resilience, but per-screen gross is up dramatically. From a pre-COVID top of almost 6,100 screens in the U.S. to just over 5,200 today.

It now appears that movies of all sizes and budgets can make bank.

Canadians Go Off the Rails

2026-08-30T14:38:16.840-04:00

U.S. media streamers forced to pay for Canadian content production

You've all heard about the trade war between Canada and the U.S.; however, one issue is over the Canadian 'Online Streaming Act', which the Canadian government passed into law. What Canada wants is for the U.S. media streaming platforms- Netflix, HBO, Disney+, Apple+, etc.- to be required to fund Canadian film and TV show production. What?

So far, the statute has been held up in the courts, while the issue has become part of the Trump administration's broader trade negotiations.

As one would guess, the Canadian producers are pushing the Carney government to enforce the law and force the streamers to subsidize Canadian domestic film and TV productions.

Reynolds Mastin, CEO of the Canadian Media Producers Association, stated, "Last night, the federal government stood up for Canada by refusing to agree to an inequitable trade deal. We look forward to working with the government to ensure that the Online Streaming Act, a key pillar of Canadian cultural and digital sovereignty, is defended". What BS!

This whole scheme is nothing more than a money-grab by the Canadian content makers, who can't get anyone to subsidize their projects - even their own government. In reality, who needs their content?

The payment to the Canadian producers, primarily indie producers, is forecast at $600 million.

Politics are Ruining Film Festivals

2026-08-29T13:23:02.940-04:00

It's very difficult these days to remain neutral regarding the political and cultural wars being waged across the globe. From Berlin to Venice to Cannes, the festivals are the targets for activism on all sides of the political spectrum

Besides the political and cultural discourse, there is the raging debate as to whether or not to include AI-generated films in the festivals. Cannes Juror Demi Moore received a firestorm of social media trash-talk regarding her quote that "AI is here and so to fight it is to fight something that is a battle that we will lose."

Protesters at Venice Film Festival

The festivals are also under intense pressure to ban all Russian and Israeli film entrants. It appears that politics and cultural biases are overshadowing all other film genres - this is bad. Film festivals should be an open space to view, discuss, and judge artists and creatives and not be influenced by political and cultural agendas.

Harry Potter Sets Sight on New Generation

2026-08-29T12:57:58.448-04:00

Over 200,000 'Harry Potter' books will be donated to schools and hospitals in celebration of this year's annual September 1st 'Back to Hogwarts Day'.

The publishers of the Harry Potter books (Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and Pottermore) are giving away the books to libraries, schools, and hospitals across the U.S. and U.K. to introduce a new generation to the world of Potter.

100,000 copies of J.K. Rowling's first book, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' will be donated to underserved communities in the U.S., in addition to 100,000 copies of the audiobook, which will be given to teachers affiliated with Book Clubs associated with Pottermore Audio.

The books are also available on the Harry Potter YouTube channel, Amazon Music, and Spotify.

Pickford Center to Get Facelift

2026-08-23T12:55:39.760-04:00

Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study

The Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study, located in Hollywood, houses the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' massive film archive.

The Center includes the 286-seat Linwood Dunn Theatre, often used for events and rentals, and is best known for screening restored and archival films.

The Academy, which owns the Center, just approved a three-year renovation that will begin this fall. The goal, expected to be completed in 2029, is to restore and modernize the facility.

The project includes constructing additional collection vaults, upgrading HVAC and other mechanical systems, a new roof, and enhanced lighting. The Center employs 55 and is located at the corner of Vine St. and Homewood Ave.

'R'-rating Has Lost Its Stigma

2026-08-22T14:03:24.284-04:00

There was a time when movie producers and directors fought for their films not to be rated 'R.' But times have changed, and societal norms regarding violence, nudity, profanity, drinking, and drug taking have all been given a 'lesser evil' status. Streaming platforms, video games, podcasts, and social media have all gotten less restrictive.

So, it isn't a surprise that 'R'-rated films are not shunned as before. A case in point is the recent blockbuster, 'The Odyssey', which has grossed over $1.5 billion globally, making it the highest-grossing 'R'-rated film of all time - beating out 'Deadpool & Wolverine' for the top spot.

It also makes it the highest-grossing film in Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Robert Pattinson's careers.

The film is an adaptation of Homer's epic poem 'Odysseus' and is expected to be a big winner during the upcoming awards shows.

Along with 'Spider-Man' and 'Toy Story 5', the 2026 summer box office has grossed over $4.25 billion domestically, a 24% increase over last year's take.

AI Enterprises Woo Content Creators

2026-08-22T00:53:02.778-04:00

OpenAI hosted a lavish weekend event called 'Your Only Famous Online'. The over-the-top, exclusive invitation-only event was held at Wildflower Farms in Gardner, NY, on the Hudson River. One of the attendees termed the event "the dreamest weekend ever."

OpenAI, which runs ChatGPT, termed the event a place for "healthy debate with social media creators and tech-forward influencers."

The lavish weekend soiree was fully funded by OpenAI. A spokesperson for OpenAI stated, "Creators are an important part of our community and how people get information and learn about our products. We welcome healthy debate as AI becomes more prevalent, and we want creators to engage with us, attend our events, ask tough questions, and learn what AI is."

Meeting room at Wildflower Farms

The event wasn't cheap. The 140-acre Wildflower Farms boasts free-standing cabins and cottages costing from $2,200 to $5,400 per night. OpenAI picked up the tab for lodging and all meals, pre-and post-cocktail hours, and spa time and services.

The battle is on for who will control social media, the AI providers or the current social media platforms.

IMO, this is just the beginning of AI companies courting content providers and wooing them away from their current providers.

10 Best Documentary Films of All Time

2026-08-22T00:26:49.567-04:00

I have a passion and revere the cinema. Having worked in the motion picture industry for over three decades, I have made it my business to visit the cinema on a regular basis to view as many films as possible and in varied genres. However, I am not a cinephile.

Recently, the editors at the Hollywood Reporter compiled a list of the top 10 documentary films of all time. Here is the list:

10. 'Paris Is Burning' - 1990

9. 'In Jackson Heights' - 2015

8. 'Sans Soleil' - 1983

7. 'Night and Fog' - 1955

6. 'When We Were Kings' - 1996

5. 'Hoop Dreams' - 1994

4. 'The Gleaners and I' - 2000

3. 'Shosh' - 1985

2. 'Stop Making Sense' - 1984

1. 'Grey Gardens' - 1975

I saw only one of these films, 'Paris Is Burning'

Central Casting Goes Nation-wide

2026-08-08T20:20:11.713-04:00

Movie and TV extras now have more opportunities to get employment

As the production of movies and TV shows moves out of four or five major U.S. content production areas, the casting of both character actors and extras has moved as well.

Central Casting, the largest provider of extras and character actors to the film and TV industry, is now operating in all 50 States. It had previously operated out of production hot-spots California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, and Louisiana.

"Production is no longer confined to a handful of markets, and our clients are increasingly looking for casting solutions that can move with them", says Toni Avalon, Casting VP at Central Casting. "We're moving with the industry and where it's headed."

Central Casting will offer casting, payroll, and compliance services nationwide. 39 U.S. States now offer film and television tax incentives and are now competing directly against Hollywood, New York, New Jersey, and Georgia.

IMO, both movie and TV production will become more local. Movie sets can now be made to look like any place in the world using AI. However, I believe that over time, the casting of extras will be entirely AI-generated.

Spider-Man Ping Pong Table

2026-08-08T20:03:13.779-04:00

Spider-Man Ping-Pong Table

A one-of-a-kind Spider-Man table was manufactured by '11 Ravens', a high-end furniture manufacturer.

The Spider-Man-inspired table was recently unveiled and features the signature of the late comic book icon, Stan Lee, who created the character.

The table is priced at $480,000 and features a red spider web motif. It is a ping-pong table manufactured to the highest quality. It will be sold for at least the asking price.

This is the only one ever to be made.

Sundance Punts on AI Festival Entrants

2026-07-30T18:02:27.179-04:00

Eugene Hernandez, Sundance Director, is welcomed in Boulder

As reported in a prior post, the Sundance Film Festival is moving from Park City to Boulder. The reason for the move is that the Festival has outgrown its Utah home. The Boulder venues offer much more space and are all within walking distance of one another.

The Festival will have four major competition categories: U.S. dramatic, world cinema dramatic, U.S. documentary, and world cinema documentary. There will also be an Offscreen category featuring live podcast-recording entrants. A new sub-category, the New Frontier, will feature "cutting-edge" films; however, there was no mention of AI-generated content being allowed.

Sundance is working with Dolby to complete the necessary sound and screen upgrades to the Festival venues.

IMO, Sundance is skirting the AI issue. Why? My guess is that they are being pressured from the Hollywood community and its known opposition to AI-produced content. Eventually, Sundance will have to bow to the technology, as will all of Hollywood.

Sundance is the largest and longest-running independent film festival in the U.S.

One Man's Conversion to AI Produced Movies

2026-07-29T17:50:58.106-04:00

"The idea of an AI-generated actress terrified me. The notion of a machine replacing a movie set offends me", so says Jonathan Yunger, Millennium Media's executive."However, the industry has made it impossible to produce a movie as the costs have outstripped any reasonable revenue predictions. Additionally, new talent in directing, scriptwriting, or acting have no chance at even a shot, because no producer can justify the risk in terms of cost/benefit."

The point of bringing AI into production is not to make films without people. It's to make movies that were impossible to fund by removing functions from the production process. AI doesn't change the art; it changes what gets greenlit. Integrating AI workflows into the pre- and post-production process allows for more creativity and more output.

Yunger just produced a short AI-generated movie, entitled 'Echo Hunter', whereby the movie used human actors but AI-generated visual effects and animation. The movie cost $50,000 to produce; it has had over 600,000 views on YouTube.

Yunger with Scott Eastwood on set of movie "Lucky Strike"

Yunger is right; AI is coming in-house to movie production at all of the studios and independent content creators. It should be used as a new tool in creating more and better content.

Staff Bleeding Continues in Hollywood

2026-07-29T17:15:54.396-04:00

As movie production grinds to a halt, Hollywood studios are still laying off hundreds.

The latest is Disney, which announced it was axing hundreds of jobs in its Pixar, National Geographic Productions, and at ESPN Entertainment. This will be the third round of layoffs for Disney this year, and others will follow.

Josh D'Amaro, Disney's new CEO, stated, "We have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations throughout the company to ensure our continued delivery of world-class creativity and innovation."

IMO, the staff reductions will continue throughout the entertainment industry at all levels and in all sectors.

Mouse Meets Relish

2026-07-29T14:41:39.381-04:00

Disney meets Kraft Heinz

Disney and Kraft Heinz inked a multiyear brand deal that involves bringing KH brands to Disney films, TV shows, theme parks, and cruise business.

The deal includes 10 KH brands, including: ketchup, cream cheese, mac and cheese, and mustard, which will all be prominently displayed in Disney content and sports events.

Todd Kaplan, KH Chief Marketing Officer, says, "This allows us to show up in mealtime situations that matter most to consumers. Having a shared experience throughout all of Disney's iconic brands and sporting events."

KH is one of the largest marketers in the U.S. Kaplan added, "This is about merging one of America's best-known entertainment brands with the owner of the best food brands."

IMO, product placement in films and TV shows has long been the norm. How impactful these 'ads' are on the fan base, in my opinion, is negligible. Having KH products at Disney parks and cruises,, again, is a big yawn.

No financials of the deal were disclosed.

By: Jim Lavorato

AI Should be Great News to Movie Exhibitors

2026-07-11T18:39:01.246-04:00

Shortly, the cost of movie-making will drop dramatically. A film that cost $100 million (and in many cases never gets green-lit) will, with the use of AI, cost only $30-40 million.

All of the background, props, animals, special effects, and even actors will be AI-generated. What this means is that studios and other content creators will be producing a lot more content.

The number of films released could double or triple. Blockbuster films will be the norm and not the exception. Exhibitors will have a lot more choices in what they screen and really cater to their demographic.

Tilly

The next 5-10 years will see a shift in the movie-making process and rewards into the hands of exhibitors. This shift in content control has already begun. AI-generated actors, like Tilly Norwood, are already being used - she stars in the first of many films and can be seen in the upcoming comedy-drama 'Misaligned'. Norwood represents a new form of digital art. She has her own media accounts; see her on Instagram and other media platforms.

AI will be the much-deserved panacea the exhibition industry has been waiting for. Lots more content means more admissions.

Media Billionaires Summer Camp

2026-06-19T18:10:00.012-04:00

Sun Valley, site for media and entertainment meetups

Corporate mega-deals were made in executive suites and conference rooms, but no longer. The deals are now made at mountain cabins or villas at remote and exclusive resorts. Their private Gulfstream or Lear jets dutifully waiting to depart on a moment's notice. ready at the waiting

Such was the scene last week, in Sun Valley, Idaho, when the moguls of media met to discuss the future of entertainment.

All the new CEOs of the entertainment giants were present: David Ellison, Paramount, and Sundance (and most likely the new head of Warner Bros.). Disney's new CEO, Josh D'Amaro, and Comcast's new co-CEO, Mike Cavanagh.

Musk at the meetup in Sun Valley

Also attending were Apple's appointed CEO, John Tornus, and the current CEO, Tim Cook. Netflix's Ted Sarandos, Sony Pictures head Ravi Ahuja, Lachlan Murdoch of Fox, YouTube's Neal Mohan, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos - to name several.

In addition, a cadre of AI platform honchos, including Anthropic's Dario Amodei and OpenAI's Sam Altman.

Their agenda centered on geopolitics, mergers and acquisitions, and new technologies transforming how entertainment is produced, distributed, and monetized. This is where mega-deals are spawned and where the media and entertainment's future is determined.

Film and TV Production Has Left Hollywood - Can It Be Resurrected?

2026-06-16T23:54:39.332-04:00

As a follow-up post to "Can A Republican Save Hollywood", I wanted to delve deeper into the reasons film and TV production is fleeing Hollywood, and can providing production tax credits (be it State or Federal) turn the tide, or is it a losing battle?

'Baywatch' reboot almost didn't get produced

For example, "Baywatch," a highly successful weekly TV series in the 1990s, was recently rebooted by Fox. Governor Gavin Newsom bragged that the show was "back to where it belongs, be it for $21 million in State credits. However, local regulations and restrictions curtailed production, and the project was put on ice until Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass intervened.

After 100 years of dominating the entertainment industry, Los Angeles/Hollywood film production has bowed to globalization, ease of communications, and unrestricted travel to countries that have opened their arms to film and TV production, at a fraction of the Hollywood cost.

So, the answer is to produce in less expensive U.S. States, or even cheaper overseas locations. Over 81 countries have embraced film production as an economic development must.

Los Angeles has lost over 73,000 movie and TV production jobs since 2022 and the bleeding continues.

IMO, State and even Federal production credits may help, but they don't address the underlying problem of the too-high costs involved in Hollywood production.

Enter the use of AI, which will cut costs dramatically. Yes, far fewer people will be needed to produce a film, but it's better than losing the whole industry.

Can the World's First Trillionaire Change Media, Entertainment, and Telecom?

2026-06-15T18:20:34.740-04:00

SpaceX and Tesla, the two entities managed by Elon Musk, are on a collision course with the media, entertainment, and telecom industries. - and he has the means to do just that.

SpaceX is rapidly expanding its broadband internet offering through its Starlink service, which currently includes cell phone and web access. This is in direct competition with Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T, to name a few.

Through Spacelink's xAI division, video models are being developed using Grok (the SpaceX AI platform), which will have a significant disruptive impact on Hollywood.

Musk has built close relationships with several Hollywood power players, some of whom are investors in SpaceX, whose recent IPO went over the trillion-dollar mark, the first in history.

IMO it's just a wait-and-see. Musk has plans for entertainment and how it's made and distributed. SpaceX dwarfs any competition it may have. For example, Disney is worth $175 billion, and Netflix is worth $340 billion - nowhere near the value and financial capacity of SpaceX.

IMAX Is For Sale

2026-05-27T10:48:44.018-04:00

IMAX, the sole and standalone large format cinema company, is up for sale. It's looking for a suitor in an all-cash deal.

Naturally, AMC Theatres and Cinemark Theatres are possible buyers, but others such as Apple, Sony, and Netflix are also in the mix.

For Apple, the IMAX purchase would be equivalent to a rounding error on its balance sheet and would make a good partner for Apple+. And let's not leave out Amazon and Disney. What is agreed to is that IMAX would remain an entity unto itself and not be merged into another existing cinema business.

In the first quarter of this year, IMAX reported revenue of $81.4 million with income of $6.1 million. So, although not that large, it has a global, well-recognized brand, which could enhance an existing media brand.

IMAX would certainly benefit if it diversified beyond Hollywood tentpoles and included local language and alternative concerts, such as screening live performances.

As one would expect, IMAX stock has risen due to the buy-out speculation, rising to $37.50 (as of this post), up over 11% for the month.

IMO, IMAX will be sold for a cash deal in 2026.