Entertainment Lawyers

 Last week, Amazon announced its intention to bring the opt-out Prime video ad-supported ‘upgrade’ to 5 new major markets in 2025. This will build on the once controversial but remarkably lucrative introduction of ads to Prime Video in key anchor markets that began this year. Our Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer , Brandon Blake, has all the details.                                                                                 Brandon Blake 5 New Markets Brazil, India, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Japan will be added to the ad-supported version of Prime Video sometime next year. This tier already operates domestically and in Australia, France, Germany, Austria, Canada, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and the UK. As with these earlier rollouts, users who want to keep their ads-free experience will also have the option to upgrade to the new premium tier. An Unusual Strategy Amazon’s decision to use an opt-out model for their ad-supported tier, rather than the opt-in new t

 According to the latest data from FilmLA, only a fifth of scripted projects released in 2023 were filmed in the greater Los Angeles area. However, more than a quarter of industry workers still call LA home. Brandon Blake, our entertainment lawyer Los Angeles and industry insider from Blake & Wang P.A., looks at this thorny issue in greater depth.                                                                           Brandon Blake A Talent and Incentive Mismatch As of 2023, 18% of scripted productions released were filmed in LA. This is a notable drop from 2022 (22%) and 2021 (23%). However, 27% of industry workers still operate from LA. Of course, some of that can be attributed to the strikes, but low tax incentives/rebates and high location costs are also key issues. Plus, the strikes weren’t local to LA alone, and other areas have maintained, or even boosted, their numbers in the same frame. In a state where entertainment is one of the primary industries, that’s a cause for

 It’s been a year for competitive tax incentives, as both states and countries seek to compete with the “classic” choices and get themselves a share of the entertainment industry’s budgets and spending. Now Ireland is joining the fray. Brandon Blake, entertainment attorney  at Blake & Wang P.A., analyzes this latest competitor on the tax incentive scene.                                                                          Brandon Blake Boosting Homegrown Talent Dublin will introduce a 40% tax incentive for its 2025 budget. Interestingly, this incentive is aimed at mid-range and lower-budget films with a maximum budget of $22M (€20M) and will need a significant management presence from Irish talent. This would boost the existing Section 481 film tax incentive by roughly 8%. The broader Irish film scene has been buzzing of late, with Small Things Like These featured on the Berlinale and Kneecap taking home the Berlin Film Festival’s Audience Award and Sundance awards. It’s curren

  Joker: Folie à Deux has managed to net itself a Chinese release date, which is still notably difficult for many newer Hollywood properties to leverage in the post-pandemic entertainment environment. This new development is, perhaps, most notable because the original Joker movie itself was never launched on Chinese shores. Brandon Blake, entertainment attorney at Blake & Wang P.A., has the full details for us.                                                                          Brandon Blake October Release The movie will open in Chinese cinemas on October 16, two weeks after its widespread release date, shortly after the so-called Golden Week for that market. The film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, made its global debut at the Venice Film Festival, earning a 12-minute standing ovation. It's slated for an international rollout starting October 2, with a US release on October 4. What is particularly surprising about the announcement is that the film has an