Entertainment Lawyers

 On trend with their peers, AMC+ will be getting a cheaper ad-supported tier. With a new CEO, and the company emerging from a tumultuous period of layoffs and changes, the news that they’re launching a new data platform along with it is reasonably exciting, too. Entertainment lawyer with Blake & Wang P.A, Brandon Blake, brings all the details to the table. Brandon Blake 2023-24 Upfronts While there is no launch date or pricing for the service currently available, it is being pushed as part of their 2023-24 Upfront pitch and sales process, so we are anticipating a fast rollout. Rather than one central platform, AMX offers a wealth of niche streaming services, with AMC+ the cornerstone and largest among them. Bundle subscribers will also be included in the ad-supported options. The wider ramifications of the streaming business model have been front-and-center of the conversation for the last two years. AMC, rather uniquely, focuses specifically on scripted, adult-aimed content. ...

 Paramount has made itself a rather confusing part of the wider streaming world. At a time where we are seeing most studios and brands aim for streaming growth, they can’t quite seem to decide if they are in or out of the industry. With the revelation that they’re seeking to jettison not only Showtime, but also BET, the waters are murkier than ever. Do they even really know what they’re aiming for? Expert entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, with Blake & Wang P.A, attempts to clear up some of the mystery. Brandon Blake Too Many Platforms While they also seem to have an unclear approach to their streaming position, there can be little doubt that Paramount also has control of too many small platforms. In addition to Paramount+, their strongest performer by far, they have had the solid FAST service, Pluto TV. But add to that Showtime OTT, BET+, Noggin, and so on- and that is rather too many to juggle, especially without a clear frontrunner. The solution? Jettisoning most of them...

 China’s most prestigious cinematic event, the Shanghai Film Festival, is finally back to normal. Since the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has either been shelved, or simply been near-impossible to access for the international industry. Fittingly, this year will also mark the 25th Anniversary for this key part of the international film festival circuit. Entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A, has more. Brandon Blake The Beleaguered Post-Pandemic Era The last time the festival has been a solid entry in international calendars was 2019. While it was intended to offer a 2022 event, it was canceled in the wake of a month-long resurgence of the COVID-19 virus and its accompanying travel restrictions. Technically speaking, the event did run in both 2020 and 2021, but due to the difficult climate and, again, those travel restrictions, it was nearly entirely a domestic Chinese affair. The 2023 Edition This year, the Shanghai Film Festival will run Jun...

In the last year or so, we’ve seen the battle of the filming locations heat up significantly. From increasing tax incentives for shoots in the area, right through to a boom in the development of soundstage space and other production hubs, the days when LA and New York dominated the location industry may well be drawing to a close. For now, LA remains the area with the greatest availability of soundstage space- but will it keep that title for much longer? Entertainment lawyer from Blake & Wang P.A, Brandon Blake, analyzes the stats. Brandon Blake 6.2M Square Feet of Space With around 6.2M square feet of soundstage space, LA still tops the global list, but that is a factor that’s evolving fast. We’ve seen a lot of investment from private equity groups as well as other partners into soundstages of late, as the boom in content development for hungry streamers is leading more and more studios to look for near-permanent availability for projects. Currently, the UK is chasing LA quite cl...

 With the 2023 theatrical slate still failing to deliver the hoped-for post-pandemic recovery, and a dismal performance from the latest superhero installment, it’s nice to see some good news for the beleaguered Box Office. The John Wick franchise started in 2014 as a small, reasonably cheap movie that gained surprising popularity, and the franchise now seems to be truly hitting its stride with both domestic and international audiences as the fourth iteration hits the big screen. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment attorney , Brandon Blake, unpacks this new record. Brandon Blake Opening Weekend Box Office Boom John Wick: Chapter 4 looks well set to be the franchise’s best earner to date, with a fantastic opening run. Thursday previews netted it a huge $8.9M, leading industry insiders to predict that it may reach a $70M opening weekend.  They fell short, with the film pulling in a rather dazzling $73.5M domestic opening weekend seemingly effortlessly. Internationally, it has pull...

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has secured a release in the Chinese market, making it the third Marvel title to do so after three-and-a-half years without any traction there. It will join Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania as the first Marvel titles to release there since June 2019. Entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, with Blake & Wang P.A, has all the details. Brandon Blake May Release The film will release for the still-robust Chinese market on May 5, on the day-and-date model. Despite gaining a release in China, neither Quantumania nor Wakanda Forever have seen a lot of interest, although their $39M and $15.6M totals will contribute solidly to their bottom line. Only Avatar 2 has really played well for the market recently, Quantumania seeing a decline from poor early reviews and the glut of offerings over the Chinese New Year, and Wakanda Forever having been released in a variety of other formats since its November domestic premier. However, ...

 With the takeover deal for ICM Partners finally inked, it seems the ramifications have yet to play out in full. This week we see UK-based Primary Talent International, previously an ICM-owned talent agency, break away from the new CAA leadership to go back to its previous indie model. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment attorney , Brandon Blake, has the full details.  Brandon Blake Returning to Roots Primary Talent International was founded in 1990 as an independent agency, but was bought out by ICM just before the disruptions of the pandemic hit. While the CAA’s $750M deal to acquire ICM Partners completed last year, the smaller talent agency will now breakaway once again, with a buyout offer made to the CAA for the firm. With them will go 460 clients, mostly in the music industry and including names like Lana Del Rey, The Cure, and Patti Smith. The original acquisition was part of a bid by ICM Partners to extend their international reach, especially in the live events and to...