Entertainment Lawyers

  As streaming popularity goes, 2023 has been the year of Suits . While it’s rare indeed to see a show not currently in any production cycle gain such a stranglehold on viewership numbers, it seems there is at least one, more modern, rival to consider- Netflix’s The Fall Of The House Of Usher . Our Entertainment attorney Los Angeles Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A., looks at the figures. Brandon Blake Second Consecutive Week of Chart Dominance While no one is quite sure what has powered Suit’s indisputable dominance of this year’s Nielsen streaming charts, The Fall of the House of Usher managed to unseat it from No. 1 supremacy in the Oct 9-15 chart. Now, it’s kept that coveted No. 1 space for a second week on the Oct 16-22 charts, with an impressive 1.5B viewing minutes. This also represents a 19% increase in numbers from its initial Netflix debut. Since Suits first rose to its dominant place in the charts in June this year, that makes The Fall Of The House Of Usher on...

 With the news that Disney has officially committed to buying out Comcast’s remaining one-third stake in streaming platform Hulu dropping last week, it seems that Disney is keen to fast-track its integration into the wider Disney ecosystem even as formal valuation processes still need to be completed. Brandon Blake, our expert entertainment lawyer Los Angeles from Blake & Wang P.A shares what we know to date. Brandon Blake Addition to Disney Bundles The Hulu streaming platform will begin integration with existing Disney+ services from December 2023, ahead of the formal buyout formalization anticipated for early 2024. It will be available to all viewers currently holding a Disney Bundle subscription. Disney has already taken full control of Hulu from Comcast. Currently, they are anticipating being able to offer a full ‘one-app experience’ for Disney+ subscribers from March 2024. This means that Hulu originals, as well as ABC assets, will be on offer as part of the ‘Hulu o...

 Despite an odd choice to switch back to the day-and-date streaming release model for its Halloween-centric launch, Five Nights at Freddy’s has proven to be a box-office success for Universal and Blumhouse. Our local expert, Blake & Wang P.A.’s Brandon Blake, weighs in with an entertainment lawyers perspective. Brandon Blake A Cinematographic Experience Despite a 34% drop on Sunday from Saturday’s performance and a concurrent release on Peacock, Five Nights at Freddy’s still closes its opening weekend with a juicy $80 million in the bag. For those taking notes, this is just $2.4 million behind Oppenheimer, and vastly ahead of its predicted $50 million launch. While Universal no doubt hoped to pep up Peacock’s lackluster subscriber numbers with the day-and-date release, it seems fans were committed to a vibrant cinema experience for this film. And with Dune: Part Two now pushed back in the release slates, it should have the coming weekend all to itself, too. The only q...

 Lionsgate has its return to the Hunger Games franchise on track for a $50M opening weekend for its Nov 17 debut. Interestingly, the franchise demographics have also widened since the initial film releases. Brandon Blake, our entertainment lawyer with Blake & Wang P.A. takes a closer look. Brandon Blake Lionsgate’s Release Strategy The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is particularly notable in the current box office lineup, as they chose not to move back the release date due to the actors' strike as with many similar properties. This is likely a strategic move, given the shuffling of Dune: Part Two out of the November lineup opens up a lot of screen space- and hopefully less divided audience attention from two key fantasy franchises. Another $3B Franchise? Although based on the prequel novel (by Suzanne Collins) set 64 years into the past of Katniss Everdeen’s story, this return to the Hunger Games universe is also being billed as a ‘reboot’ for th...

 As we all eagerly await the ending of the last major strike action to rock the entertainment industry, we’ve seen an interesting bid from Hollywood A-listers to sweeten the deal. While the court of opinion is divided on whether it will help the negotiation process, it is an encouraging sign that SAG-AFTRA, at least, is keen to see an end to labor disruptions. You could check Entertainment lawyer Los Angeles Brandon Blake covers the unusual offer. Brandon Blake Removal of Dues Caps The suggestion, spearheaded by George Clooney and a number of other A-listers, proposes that SAG-AFTRA remove the dues cap on high-earning members to build the union’s coffers over the next 3-year period. This cap currently sits at $1,000,000 in earnings. It was also proposed that lower-income members get residual payments before those with higher incomes. The idea is that this offer could help bridge the gap in negotiations between the union and studios. Perhaps A Good Sign, If Not A Solution ...

 It’s always good to see an indie or festival title play well to home-viewing audiences. As we take a look at the toppers for this week’s PVOD charts, Netflix’s Sundance acquisition, Fair Play , is holding the fort with a strong start. Blake & Wang P.A.best entertainment lawyer in USA, Brandon Blake, has all this week’s details for you.                                                                       Brandon Blake Fair Play Has a Strong Start Fair Play premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, igniting something of a bidding war between several key players (including Neon and Searchlight Pictures) to eventually go home with Netflix for a cool $20M. It looks like they may just recoup that if its strong start at number 1 on their PVOD movies list is anything to go by. Of course, its true te...

 With the traditional red carpet promenade severely limited by strike action, the fall film festival circuit gave indie movies a near-unprecedented chance to shine to buyers. While some jitteriness around the SAG-AFTRA waiver system caused slower-than-normal sales and some of the larger AMPTP distributors to opt for a ‘wait and see’ policy, there have been some strong acquisitions to keep on your radar. Entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A., highlights just a few to watch. Brandon Blake Festival and Post-Festival Sales Of the titles acquired during the festival itself, we see Sing Sing (to A24) headed to 2024 theatrical release in a seven-figure deal. Sorry/Not Sorry (Greenwich Entertainment) and Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (Wavelengths)also attracted considerable festival attention. Despite the quiet market overall for documentaries, Netflix took home Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa alongside Women of the Hour as th...