"Duvall’s participation was a surprise to everyone. As well as being officially retired since 2002, she was using a wheelchair, couldn’t travel and struggled to remember lines. But such was her keenness that what was originally a cameo role … was significantly expanded." - The Guardian
The major studios wouldn’t touch “Megalopolis,” the ambitious passion project from octogenarian Oscar-winner Francis Ford Coppola. Now it’s clear why. - Los Angeles Times
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of manslaughter for the accidental shooting of the film's cinematographer by star Baldwin, who presumed that a prop gun would not contain live ammunition. After charges against Baldwin were vacated last week, Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys asked that her case be similarly dismissed; they were denied. - The Hollywood Reporter
“'The air has come out of the content bubble,’ says Matthew Belloni, the founder of Puck News, which covers the entertainment industry. ‘Crisis is a good word. I try not to be alarmist, but crisis is what people are feeling.’” - BBC
Why? Money. “Just to be straight up, a lot of the companies wanted to figure out ways to invest less in programming. Narrative podcasts are very expensive to make.” Chat podcasts? Not so much. - Wired
DirecTV, founded in 1994 by Hughes Electronics, is owned by AT&T Inc. and TPG Inc., and has about 11 million customers. Dish, started in 1980 by billionaire Charlie Ergen, is part of his EchoStar Corp. and has about 8 million subscribers. - Los Angeles Times
The Trust’s newsrooms earn revenue from traditional sources: advertising and reader revenue, with events, commercial printing jobs, and branded content in the mix as well. Membership programs — and the small-dollar donations that hopefully come with them — “take time to build." - NiemanLab
Research from Oracle indicates that 90% of consumers are more likely to recall a product or brand associated with a humorous treatment, and 72% would choose a brand that uses humor over their competition. - Fast Company
The series, titled The Takeover, covers the overhaul of the Houston Independent School District by state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles. The lead reporter's long-term partner is a Houston ISD teacher, and HPM management decided just before release that this was too big a conflict of interest. - Texas Monthly
The case against Baldwin, who accidentally shot the movie's cinematographer because the prop gun he was handling turned out to have live ammunition in it, was dismissed due to prosecutors' serious mishandling of evidence. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed had already been convicted; could she now be freed? - The Hollywood Reporter
In some ways, the event had the trappings of a normal short film festival. There were awards and prizes, as well as appetizers, poke boxes and wine. But in other telling respects, it was a clear product of Silicon Valley’s incursion into Hollywood’s territory. - Los Angeles Times
