Entertainment Lawyers

  The pending spin-off of Starz assets from the Lionsgate brand may feel like it’s been in the news forever, especially as we see a flurry of preparatory licensing and deal-making between the two, but there does seem to be a date in sight. Finally! To share the news, we have Brandon Blake, entertainment attorney at Blake & Wang P.A.                                                                     Brandon Blake   Spring (at the Earliest)   While the pending deal is still in regulatory review, Lionsgate CEO Jon Felthimer announced last week that they still believe they are on track to see the full separation in spring this year. It may even be as early as April.   There is a small delay currently, as the proxy needs to be updated with last quarter’s financials, which inevitably ad...

  On the back of their recent post-earnings conference call, speculation around the future of NBCUniversal’s cable networks has intensified significantly. Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer Los Angeles at Blake & Wang P.A., shares the news we have so far.                                                                          Brandon Blake   The Spinoff, SpinCo   Comcast has been promising a significant spinoff of its cable assets for a while now. This will, naturally, be most of NBCUniversal's cable networks, which Comcast’s Mike Cavanagh reiterated offers a compelling free-standing business opportunity with “plenty of cash flow generation capability” built in.   Now, we know that the spinoff company, currently billed as SpinCo (pending regulatory procedures), wil...

  Lionsgate and Starz may be separating ways shortly, but it seems they will still be working together for a long while to come. Last week, they announced a new multi-year theatrical deal before their pending split. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney Los Angeles , Brandon Blake, fills in the details.                                                  Brandon Blake   Exclusive Rights   Under the new deal, Starz will retain its exclusive rights to theatrical films from Lionsgate, giving them the first pay-TV and SVOD windows for the properties. Interestingly, the window has been accelerated some, with films set to shift to the streaming service much closer to the theatrical release. Last year, Lionsgate’s SVOD window was in the 136-180-day range, and PVOD was 18-39. Starz also keeps its exclusive second window and has gained a third....

  It’s been a great year for the indie industry, and things are still looking up. As we see plenty of strong action at the specialty box office, the Venice Film Festival's darling, The Brutalist , is even gearing up to net itself a slice of the event cinema pie. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer Los Angeles , Brandon Blake, has the in-depth story for us.                                                  Brandon Blake   The Brutalist Goes Big   It’s not always that we see an over 3-hour long epic period indie film have much of a breakout— but The Brutalist is making it work. This last weekend, the film went into limited expansion, managing to pull in $1.39M from just 68 screens. Add to that its recent successes at the Golden Globes, and you certainly have a reason to celebrate.   Nor are A24 content to expand the film’s run...

 With the first full week of the 2025 Box Office behind us, what can we anticipate for the year ahead? Brandon Blake, our industry insider entertainment attorney from Blake & Wang P.A., unpacks the facts and figures.                                                                             Brandon Blake A Normal Year Ahead? 2024 has been earmarked as one of the first “Normal Years” we’ve seen since the opening of the 2020s. With no surprises (yet) from pandemics, lockdowns, or strike action, most of the industry is predicting a year with normal production pipelines and a generally steady release environment. However, we will still feel a few ripples from the protracted dual strikes of 2023.   So far, so good. The weekend’s box office total is currently estimated at $105.5M ...

 We’re in the thick of the battle of the location destinations, and British Columbia isn’t going down without a fight. As we’ve seen a year with significant shifts in the location landscape, this key Canadian location has significantly improved its offerings. Brandon Blake, our entertainment attorney Los Angeles from Blake & Wang P.A. shares the good news.                                                                           Brandon Blake Tax Rebate Jump The new tax rebate for foreign projects shooting in the British Columbia area will now be 36%. It currently stands at 28%. Additionally, big-budget tentpole productions (expenditure over $200M) will be able to access a further 2% rebate.   British Columbia itself is a well-known destination for Hollywood productions, claiming ...