Entertainment Lawyers

  Dune has surged ahead of Godzilla vs Kong to give WarnerMedia it's best domestic opening of the pandemic era. This is despite it being available on streaming through HBO Max, too. We turned to an entertainment attorney with Blake & Wang P.A, Brandon Blake, for more details.                                                                   Brandon Blake It isn’t hyperbole to say that Dune has been one of the most anticipated 2021 releases. Nor that the hybrid release schedule WarnerMedia created for it did not sit well with the director, who has been a loud supporter of big-screen releases.    While WarnerMedia has backtracked in its approach to cinematic releases a lot this year, Dune still saw a simultaneous release across platforms. It was estimated to pull in between $30M-35M and has trium...

Seeing classic cartoons mined by cryptocurrency collectors probably wasn’t on many people’s predictions a few years ago, but here we are. ViacomCBS, in conjunction with Recur, will be developing digital collectibles based on IP from their brands for sale as NFTs. We asked Brandon Blake of Blake & Wang P.A for his expertise.                                                              Brandon Blake ViacomCBS certainly has assets that will prey on Millennial nostalgia. With Spongebob Squarepants , Star Trek, and Mission Impossible , alongside many other franchises, there’s plenty to cultivate if you’re trying to tempt collectors. They may even lure a few first-time collectors to the table, too.                    The collection will la...

  After Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ring’s remarkable climb from nothing to something, we’ve seen Venom: Let There Be Carnage tie it in a critical pandemic milestone. Brandon Blake, entertainment attorney Los Angeles and resident expert, lays out what you need to know. Shang-Chi gave the exhibition industry a much-needed revival, springing to the $100M domestic marker in the shortest time of the pandemic so far. This was, of course, very against the predictions for its performance at the time. Venom 2 has now made that benchmark in 5 days, tying for the title.                                                              Brandon Blake It’s worth noting, of course, that Shang-Chi had the power of the Labor Day weekend to boost it. Venom 2 has done so with no holiday in sight. It has also pulled that record off quicker...

  This year has been tough on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Since February, we’ve seen the HFPA undertake near-complete reform. This comes only after pressure from Golden Globes broadcaster, NBC, alongside other interested parties including Amazon, Netflix, and Warner Media. The issue? The organization has been accused of being anachronistic and severely lacking in diversity, with not one black journalist on the roll at the time. The issue reached a head when NBC canceled the 2022 Golden Globes in order to allow the HFPA time to reform. Brandon Blake, entertainment lawyer , examines the new reformations for us.  Brandon Blake - The Entertainment Lawyer The enforced reformation hasn’t been without protests, of course. Primarily around the fact that all members had to reapply under new, strict criteria, including proof of active employment. This reapplication will need to happen every year, too. Rejected applicants hav...

There have been suggestions of a looming IATSE strike for several weeks, and it finally looks like the matter will go to a general vote as of October 1st. Should it be authorized, the strike will lead to a national shutdown across the film and TV industries. We turned to entertainment attorney and industry expert, Brandon Blake, for all the details to know for now.                                          Brandon Blake - Managing Partner at Blake & Wang P.A There’s no secret that conversations around worker’s rights (as well as wealth inequality) have been holding the headlines of late. Below-the-line workers’ issues have been highlighted, especially through a key anonymous social media account, over the last year and a bit, exacerbated by the pandemic.  IATSE’s concerns center on a contract-negotiation impasse between them and studios, compelling the union to move ahead w...

                                                                                            Brandon Blake Amazon has canceled HBO Max subscriptions as of last week, as WarnerMedia leaves its bouquet of channels. Anticipating significant subscriber loss with the move, HBO Max has announced a dramatic price cut to head off the potential hemorrhaging. With such a major entertainment business move afoot, we asked entertainment lawyer Los Angeles and industry expert, Brandon Blake, to weigh in on the implications.  Amazon Prime Video subscribers accounted for just north of 5 million HBO subscribers, so this is no small shift. Will the lure of 50% off for the first 6 months be enough to entice these lost subscribers back, or at least to bring in replacements? ...

Marketing in the digital era can be a double-edged sword. While smart social media tie-ins are a relatively cheap way to gain a lot of traction, it’s also easy to get lost in the crowd. It’s almost inevitable that film marketing will have to evolve for the new century if their IPs want to stay relevant and draw crowds who have a ton of entertainment options competing for their attention. This week we’ve seen some innovative and daring marketing for the fourth installment of the Matrix franchise hit the screen-  Brandon Blake, an entertainment lawyer with decades of experience in the industry, explores one of the most interesting trailer launches we’ve seen in years. Brand Blake - Managing Partner at Blake & Wang P.A. With The Matrix ’s strong takes on tech, social engineering, and society as a whole, perhaps it’s not all that surprising to see something novel emerge from its marketing stable. Fans are being offered a sneak peek at film footage through the site WhatIsTheMatrix...