The Motion Picture Association has renewed chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin’s contract for another three-year term.
Rivkin joined the MPA in September 2017 as CEO and, after a transition period, also became chairman in January 2018. The new contract started on Jan. 1, marking his third term in the role.
During his recent tenure, the MPA and studios grappled with the Covid pandemic, and Rivkin worked with local groups on retaining or enhancing production incentive programs in states including New York, California, Georgia, New Jersey and Louisiana. Budget allocations totaled almost $8 billion last year, according to the MPA. The trade association also cited production incentives in other countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, India, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain, as well as progress on creating a framework for a program in Mexico.
Rivkin also played a leading role in creating the new Streaming Innovation Alliance, which is focused on regulatory policy in...
Rivkin joined the MPA in September 2017 as CEO and, after a transition period, also became chairman in January 2018. The new contract started on Jan. 1, marking his third term in the role.
During his recent tenure, the MPA and studios grappled with the Covid pandemic, and Rivkin worked with local groups on retaining or enhancing production incentive programs in states including New York, California, Georgia, New Jersey and Louisiana. Budget allocations totaled almost $8 billion last year, according to the MPA. The trade association also cited production incentives in other countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, France, India, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain, as well as progress on creating a framework for a program in Mexico.
Rivkin also played a leading role in creating the new Streaming Innovation Alliance, which is focused on regulatory policy in...
- 1/17/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
When the post-apocalyptic drama Finality of Dusk has its world premiere Friday at the Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles, it’s a good bet co-writer and Deaf filmmaker Katarina Ziervogel will be seated near to the back of the theater.
That’s because Ziervogel and sound design supervisor Daniel Pellerin shaped the sonic landscape for the indie Canadian film with increased bass and rumble to allow Finality of Dusk to not only bridge the hearing world and the Deaf world but also to allow deaf moviegoers to feel the film vibrating through their body in their seats.
“In the sound design, the bass has been increased to amplify vibrations which can be felt more intensely if you aim to sit in the middle to the back rows inside a movie theater,” Ziervogel, who co-wrote the film with director Madison Thomas, tells The Hollywood Reporter.
She and Pellerin were...
That’s because Ziervogel and sound design supervisor Daniel Pellerin shaped the sonic landscape for the indie Canadian film with increased bass and rumble to allow Finality of Dusk to not only bridge the hearing world and the Deaf world but also to allow deaf moviegoers to feel the film vibrating through their body in their seats.
“In the sound design, the bass has been increased to amplify vibrations which can be felt more intensely if you aim to sit in the middle to the back rows inside a movie theater,” Ziervogel, who co-wrote the film with director Madison Thomas, tells The Hollywood Reporter.
She and Pellerin were...
- 11/2/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
President Joe Biden is telling his aides and allies that he intends to run for re-election in 2024, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
“The only thing I’ve heard him say is he’s planning on running again,” former senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who is friends with Biden, told The Post. “And I’m glad he is.”
According to the paper, Biden also told a small group of donors attending a virtual fundraiser this month that he is planning to run again, although some experts cautioned that even if he is not running,...
“The only thing I’ve heard him say is he’s planning on running again,” former senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who is friends with Biden, told The Post. “And I’m glad he is.”
According to the paper, Biden also told a small group of donors attending a virtual fundraiser this month that he is planning to run again, although some experts cautioned that even if he is not running,...
- 11/20/2021
- by Peter Wade
- Rollingstone.com
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-vt), the president pro tem of the Senate and its longest serving current member, announced on Monday that he will not seek another term.
Leahy, 81, told reporters in Vermont that it “is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It is time to come home.”
Leahy is a longtime supporter of the entertainment industry, having chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also appeared in five Batman films, the most recent being Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. Around the Capitol, he frequently carries a camera to capture candid shots of the halls of Congress.
Leahy was first elected in 1974, a member of what was called the Watergate class, or the group of reformers elected in the wake of the scandal that ended in the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
In 2011, Leahy had a role in advising Chris Dodd,...
Leahy, 81, told reporters in Vermont that it “is time to pass the torch to the next Vermonter who will carry on this work for our great state. It is time to come home.”
Leahy is a longtime supporter of the entertainment industry, having chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also appeared in five Batman films, the most recent being Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016. Around the Capitol, he frequently carries a camera to capture candid shots of the halls of Congress.
Leahy was first elected in 1974, a member of what was called the Watergate class, or the group of reformers elected in the wake of the scandal that ended in the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
In 2011, Leahy had a role in advising Chris Dodd,...
- 11/15/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki indicated this week that the White House hopes to name nominees for ambassadorships “soon,” a highly anticipated announcement in L.A. donor circles and among Democratic fundraisers across the country.
Only adding to the chatter of who is in line for what was an Axios report this week that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was under consideration to be ambassador to India, but Garcetti’s staff labeled the story as speculative.
Comcast executive David L. Cohen is seen as a leading candidate for Canada, while The Washington Post reported last month that Cindy McCain was a potential nominee for the United Nations World Food Program and Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s first chief of staff and the former mayor of Chicago, for Japan. Bob Iger, executive chairman of the Walt Disney Company, has been floated as a possible ambassador to Great Britain, but that...
Only adding to the chatter of who is in line for what was an Axios report this week that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was under consideration to be ambassador to India, but Garcetti’s staff labeled the story as speculative.
Comcast executive David L. Cohen is seen as a leading candidate for Canada, while The Washington Post reported last month that Cindy McCain was a potential nominee for the United Nations World Food Program and Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s first chief of staff and the former mayor of Chicago, for Japan. Bob Iger, executive chairman of the Walt Disney Company, has been floated as a possible ambassador to Great Britain, but that...
- 5/7/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
When you hear the phrase “the opioid crisis,” it can sound like it’s referring to a natural disaster with a beginning and an end. But as Alex Gibney’s shattering two-part, four-hour HBO documentary “The Crime of the Century” makes devastatingly clear, the opioid crisis is more than a human tragedy that has claimed half a million lives. It’s part of what America has become. We’re a nation of addicts, fueled by scuzzy alternating currents of pleasure and despair; a nation of corporate malfeasance; of doctors who knowingly trash the credo of “do no harm”; of regulatory agencies that no longer function as they were designed to; of politicians who allow laws to be written for them. “The Crime of the Century” is a saga of addiction that could have been entitled “What We Did for Greed.”
Gibney is our most avid and deep-drilling documentary muckraker, and...
Gibney is our most avid and deep-drilling documentary muckraker, and...
- 5/3/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Richard Bates, the longtime head of government relations for Disney, died Dec. 31 at his home outside Washington, D.C. He was 70.
Disney said the executive’s death was sudden. Bates had represented Disney in the halls of Congress and other public policy arenas since 1991.
Disney insiders are “heartbroken” over Bates’ death, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger and CEO Bob Chapek said in a joint statement. Friends and co-workers described Bates as a “gentleman” who was extremely knowledgable about governmental issues.
“As head of our Government Relations team in Washington, D.C., Richard was second to none in his field — widely respected for his incredible achievements and beloved for his extraordinary kindness, compassion, and irresistible wit,” Iger and Chapek said in a statement. “He was passionate about his work and approached it with the same astuteness and unwavering enthusiasm he demonstrated when he first joined Disney three decades ago. For those...
Disney said the executive’s death was sudden. Bates had represented Disney in the halls of Congress and other public policy arenas since 1991.
Disney insiders are “heartbroken” over Bates’ death, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger and CEO Bob Chapek said in a joint statement. Friends and co-workers described Bates as a “gentleman” who was extremely knowledgable about governmental issues.
“As head of our Government Relations team in Washington, D.C., Richard was second to none in his field — widely respected for his incredible achievements and beloved for his extraordinary kindness, compassion, and irresistible wit,” Iger and Chapek said in a statement. “He was passionate about his work and approached it with the same astuteness and unwavering enthusiasm he demonstrated when he first joined Disney three decades ago. For those...
- 1/2/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
With a newly elected Democratic president, this is the season of speculation, where names are being floated as potential ambassador picks. And this time around, Disney’s executive chairman Bob Iger is getting attention as a prospect for one of the highest profile foreign posts, China.
But while there is a lot of talk of Iger and others (including Comcast’s David L. Cohen and former MPA chairman Chris Dodd), it’s still just that: talk.
Not only is it premature, but the polarization in the Senate could make things dicey for any nominee, much less one who comes from the ranks of Hollywood, a favorite punching bag of the right.
Joe Biden’s team is said to be concentrating right now on its top-level cabinet picks. Team Biden has been sending out word that the speculation is premature and that nominations won’t be considered until after January 20. Last week,...
But while there is a lot of talk of Iger and others (including Comcast’s David L. Cohen and former MPA chairman Chris Dodd), it’s still just that: talk.
Not only is it premature, but the polarization in the Senate could make things dicey for any nominee, much less one who comes from the ranks of Hollywood, a favorite punching bag of the right.
Joe Biden’s team is said to be concentrating right now on its top-level cabinet picks. Team Biden has been sending out word that the speculation is premature and that nominations won’t be considered until after January 20. Last week,...
- 12/18/2020
- by Ted Johnson and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Charles Rivkin, the chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, was paid $3.1 million in salary and bonus in 2019, a 37% jump from the prior year.
Rivkin’s salary was revealed in the organization’s annual tax filing. According to the document, Rivkin was paid $2 million in base salary plus $1.1 million in bonus compensation.
Rivkin took the helm of the film industry’s preeminent lobbying organization in September 2017, succeeding former Sen. Chris Dodd. Dodd was paid $3.9 million in his final year with the organization.
The organization recently extended Rivkin’s contract for an additional three years through the end of 2023.
Rivkin received a $250,000 bonus in 2018, which reflected the partial year of work in 2017. The 2019 bonus reflected his first full year on the job, in 2018.
The second-highest paid employee in 2019 was Steven Fabrizio, the general counsel who was fired in August 2019. Fabrizio was arrested after allegedly coercing a woman he met on...
Rivkin’s salary was revealed in the organization’s annual tax filing. According to the document, Rivkin was paid $2 million in base salary plus $1.1 million in bonus compensation.
Rivkin took the helm of the film industry’s preeminent lobbying organization in September 2017, succeeding former Sen. Chris Dodd. Dodd was paid $3.9 million in his final year with the organization.
The organization recently extended Rivkin’s contract for an additional three years through the end of 2023.
Rivkin received a $250,000 bonus in 2018, which reflected the partial year of work in 2017. The 2019 bonus reflected his first full year on the job, in 2018.
The second-highest paid employee in 2019 was Steven Fabrizio, the general counsel who was fired in August 2019. Fabrizio was arrested after allegedly coercing a woman he met on...
- 12/1/2020
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Donald Trump was a showman whose election in 2016 was in part due to his fame from The Apprentice, but President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will come into office with much closer ties to the entertainment industry.
The new administration will likely usher in a much more receptive vibe from Hollywood figures, reminiscent of Barack Obama’s presidency, when the White House routinely hosted movie screenings, celebrity-led workshops and In Performance at the White House concerts.
But beyond the prospect of a revived Hollywood-d.C. social scene, Biden has a history of working on entertainment-centric issues like piracy and trade that are atop the agenda of Hollywood studios.
Perhaps the biggest asset for the industry is that a number of Biden’s advisers have ties to the Motion Picture Association. Kate Bedingfield, his deputy campaign manager, and T.J. Ducklo, his national press secretary, formerly worked for the trade...
The new administration will likely usher in a much more receptive vibe from Hollywood figures, reminiscent of Barack Obama’s presidency, when the White House routinely hosted movie screenings, celebrity-led workshops and In Performance at the White House concerts.
But beyond the prospect of a revived Hollywood-d.C. social scene, Biden has a history of working on entertainment-centric issues like piracy and trade that are atop the agenda of Hollywood studios.
Perhaps the biggest asset for the industry is that a number of Biden’s advisers have ties to the Motion Picture Association. Kate Bedingfield, his deputy campaign manager, and T.J. Ducklo, his national press secretary, formerly worked for the trade...
- 11/11/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Kamala Harris will be Joe Biden’s running mate against Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
After months of speculation, the former vice president announced Tuesday that California’s junior senator was his pick for the Democrats’ vice presidential nomination.
Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
A former top-tier presidential contender herself for a spell last year, Harris will have her name formally put forth at the party’s mainly virtual national convention running from August 17-20.
Whether she and the currently poll-topping Biden win the White House in November, Harris already has made national election history as the first African-American woman to be...
After months of speculation, the former vice president announced Tuesday that California’s junior senator was his pick for the Democrats’ vice presidential nomination.
Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
A former top-tier presidential contender herself for a spell last year, Harris will have her name formally put forth at the party’s mainly virtual national convention running from August 17-20.
Whether she and the currently poll-topping Biden win the White House in November, Harris already has made national election history as the first African-American woman to be...
- 8/11/2020
- by Dominic Patten and Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Nonprofit Pen America on Wednesday issued a moral clarion call to Hollywood to step up its efforts to resist Chinese censorship and increase transparency, criticizing studios and the MPA for appearing to defend free speech at home only when financially convenient.
The New York-headquartered free speech advocacy group detailed the mechanisms by which China influences decision-making in Hollywood and offered recommendations for how to mitigate pernicious complicity with the world’s most censorious regime in an unsparing 100-page report entitled “Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing.”
It comes as American politicians have recently turned up the heat on Hollywood on the matter amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China.
“The Chinese Communist Party is increasingly shaping what global audiences see,” said Pen America’s deputy director of free expression research and policy James Tager.
Changes, however small, to U.S. films made at Beijing’s behest “cut against artistic and cultural freedom,...
The New York-headquartered free speech advocacy group detailed the mechanisms by which China influences decision-making in Hollywood and offered recommendations for how to mitigate pernicious complicity with the world’s most censorious regime in an unsparing 100-page report entitled “Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing.”
It comes as American politicians have recently turned up the heat on Hollywood on the matter amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China.
“The Chinese Communist Party is increasingly shaping what global audiences see,” said Pen America’s deputy director of free expression research and policy James Tager.
Changes, however small, to U.S. films made at Beijing’s behest “cut against artistic and cultural freedom,...
- 8/5/2020
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Motion Picture Association paid Chris Dodd $2.4 million in severance payments in 2018, while its latest financial results also reflected the sale of most of the ownership stake in its Washington, D.C. headquarters.
Dodd, who left the organization at the end of 2017, was paid $2,400,842 along with $11,000 retirement and $4,336 in nontaxable benefits, according to the latest filing to the Internal Revenue Service. The former COO of the MPAA, Diane Strahan, who also left in 2017, was paid $788,931 in severance and benefits.
The organization finished 2018 in the black, with a balance of $628,489. But its total revenue declined to $68.7 million, from $76.2 million a year earlier. That was largely due to the sale in 2017 of an 80% stake in its Eye Street headquarters, just a few blocks from the White House, which gave the Mpa a one-time boost. As part of the sale, developer Trammell Crow redeveloped the property into a modern glassy office complex, shedding...
Dodd, who left the organization at the end of 2017, was paid $2,400,842 along with $11,000 retirement and $4,336 in nontaxable benefits, according to the latest filing to the Internal Revenue Service. The former COO of the MPAA, Diane Strahan, who also left in 2017, was paid $788,931 in severance and benefits.
The organization finished 2018 in the black, with a balance of $628,489. But its total revenue declined to $68.7 million, from $76.2 million a year earlier. That was largely due to the sale in 2017 of an 80% stake in its Eye Street headquarters, just a few blocks from the White House, which gave the Mpa a one-time boost. As part of the sale, developer Trammell Crow redeveloped the property into a modern glassy office complex, shedding...
- 12/2/2019
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Motion Picture Assn. of America chief Charles Rivkin and Independent Film and Television Alliance topper Jean Prewitt presented a united front against piracy Friday in the opening conference at the American Film Market.
The piracy issue dominated in a 45-minute-long conversation at the Fairmont Hotel titled the Global Perspective before 500-plus attendees as both execs expressed frustration over how to deal with theft of content amid evolving technology.
“We are living in an A.I. world with AOL rules,” said Rivkin, who succeeded Chris Dodd as MPAA chairman in December. “We are not seeing enough accountability from the major internet platforms. It’s an ongoing threat that we need to fight. It is a threat that is ever-changing.”
Rivkin, who reps the six majors, warned that the industry may seek help in Washington, D.C.
“We should not rule out the possibility of legislation because the major internet platforms are...
The piracy issue dominated in a 45-minute-long conversation at the Fairmont Hotel titled the Global Perspective before 500-plus attendees as both execs expressed frustration over how to deal with theft of content amid evolving technology.
“We are living in an A.I. world with AOL rules,” said Rivkin, who succeeded Chris Dodd as MPAA chairman in December. “We are not seeing enough accountability from the major internet platforms. It’s an ongoing threat that we need to fight. It is a threat that is ever-changing.”
Rivkin, who reps the six majors, warned that the industry may seek help in Washington, D.C.
“We should not rule out the possibility of legislation because the major internet platforms are...
- 11/2/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
As the international trade wars continue to heat up, especially with China, Donald Trump is looking to Hollywood for advice. The White House said today that the president intends to appoint MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin to the U.S. Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Rivkin has experience in global trade matters. Before taking over the motion picture trade group from ex-sentaor Chris Dodd last year, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs in the Obama administration from 2014-17.
The Actpn appointment, which carries a four-year team, comes as the U.S. and China are locked in a trade war that shows no signs of de-escalating. In a keynote at the U.S.-China Film Summit in November, Rifkin struck a concilatory tone on trade with the Middle Kingdom, saying, “We must continue to open the Chinese market and expand trade between our two industries.
Rivkin has experience in global trade matters. Before taking over the motion picture trade group from ex-sentaor Chris Dodd last year, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs in the Obama administration from 2014-17.
The Actpn appointment, which carries a four-year team, comes as the U.S. and China are locked in a trade war that shows no signs of de-escalating. In a keynote at the U.S.-China Film Summit in November, Rifkin struck a concilatory tone on trade with the Middle Kingdom, saying, “We must continue to open the Chinese market and expand trade between our two industries.
- 9/26/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Trump administration’s latest proposed round of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods includes hundreds of products, and one of interest to the entertainment industry: motion picture film “of a width of 35 mm or more, exposed and developed, whether or not incorporating sound track.”
What that sounds like is slapping tariffs on imports of Chinese movies to the U.S. The U.S. Trade Representative will now enter a period of public comment on its proposals.
Chinese films are only a fraction of the overall imports of goods into the U.S., but the proposed tariff only adds to industry worries that Hollywood will get swept up in the trade war, and that Beijing will respond with its own retaliatory measures on U.S. studio product.
The new tariff comes at a time when Hollywood had actually been hopeful that China would ease some of the restrictions and...
What that sounds like is slapping tariffs on imports of Chinese movies to the U.S. The U.S. Trade Representative will now enter a period of public comment on its proposals.
Chinese films are only a fraction of the overall imports of goods into the U.S., but the proposed tariff only adds to industry worries that Hollywood will get swept up in the trade war, and that Beijing will respond with its own retaliatory measures on U.S. studio product.
The new tariff comes at a time when Hollywood had actually been hopeful that China would ease some of the restrictions and...
- 7/12/2018
- by Ted Johnson and Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
As the MPAA’s new chairman and CEO, Charles Rivkin is tasked with trying to solve one of Hollywood’s most vexing problems: IP theft. “Fighting piracy will be part of our mission for many, many years, but I think we are starting to win that battle,” Rivkin says. The exec, who succeeded Chris Dodd last year as the industry’s chief global champion, makes the case for optimism in a host of areas, including worldwide box office, trade and content protection, despite an era of disruption.
The studios have tried for years to find the magic formula to reduce piracy, whether through public service announcements, legislation or online “copyright alerts.” Lost revenues from online piracy are projected to soar to $52 billion by 2022, almost doubling in the span of six years, according to a recent report from British firm Digital TV Research.
But Rivkin notes the rapid growth of legal...
The studios have tried for years to find the magic formula to reduce piracy, whether through public service announcements, legislation or online “copyright alerts.” Lost revenues from online piracy are projected to soar to $52 billion by 2022, almost doubling in the span of six years, according to a recent report from British firm Digital TV Research.
But Rivkin notes the rapid growth of legal...
- 5/3/2018
- by Ted Johnson
- Variety Film + TV
<!--[Cdata[
Since Jack Valenti retired as MPAA chairman and CEO in 2004 after a four-decade rule, no one has been able to quite fill his shoes. But in April, Charles Rivkin, 55, was named to the top job, and, unlike his two immediate predecessors — former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and former Sen. Christopher Dodd — he has roots in the entertainment world as well as politics. The son of the late William R. Rivkin, an ambassador during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Rivkin worked for 15 years at The Jim Henson Co., rising in 2000 to CEO — the...
Since Jack Valenti retired as MPAA chairman and CEO in 2004 after a four-decade rule, no one has been able to quite fill his shoes. But in April, Charles Rivkin, 55, was named to the top job, and, unlike his two immediate predecessors — former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and former Sen. Christopher Dodd — he has roots in the entertainment world as well as politics. The son of the late William R. Rivkin, an ambassador during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Rivkin worked for 15 years at The Jim Henson Co., rising in 2000 to CEO — the...
- 12/7/2017
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Outgoing Motion Picture Association of America chairman-ceo Chris Dodd — Hollywood's top lobbyist — was warned early on by longtime entertainment mogul Barry Diller that representing the six major studios would not be easy.
"He told me, 'Don't let them all get together in the same room,'" Dodd, who served as the Democratic U.S. Senator from Connecticut for 30 years before arriving at the MPAA in 2011, recalls to The Hollywood Reporter. "At first, I didn't understand what he meant. Then I did. The six major Hollywood studios compete with each other every hour of the day. At the same...
"He told me, 'Don't let them all get together in the same room,'" Dodd, who served as the Democratic U.S. Senator from Connecticut for 30 years before arriving at the MPAA in 2011, recalls to The Hollywood Reporter. "At first, I didn't understand what he meant. Then I did. The six major Hollywood studios compete with each other every hour of the day. At the same...
- 5/1/2017
- by Pamela McClintock,Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Motion Picture Association of America Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd is stepping down from his position on September 4, he announced on Friday. Dodd will be replaced by Charles Rivkin, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. Dodd, who served six years in the position representing, is credited with prioritizing the digital age in his representation Hollywood’s six biggest studios in Washington, D.C. Also Read: MPAA, Weinstein Company Come to Agreement on '3 Generations' PG-13 Rating “Chris has transformed the MPAA into a global association for the digital era and dramatically increased access around the world for U.
- 4/28/2017
- by Matt Donnelly and Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Christopher Dodd, who has served as chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, the film industry's main lobbying group, for the past six years, is stepping down.
Charles Rivkin, the former assistant Secretary of State for economic and business affairs under President Barack Obama, will succeed him, the MPAA announced Friday. The MPAA board will meet Saturday to officially name Rivkin, who is expected to assume his new post on Sept. 5.
Before his stint at the State Department, which ran from 2014 to this year, Rivkin, who speaks fluent French, served as U.S. Ambassador to France and...
Charles Rivkin, the former assistant Secretary of State for economic and business affairs under President Barack Obama, will succeed him, the MPAA announced Friday. The MPAA board will meet Saturday to officially name Rivkin, who is expected to assume his new post on Sept. 5.
Before his stint at the State Department, which ran from 2014 to this year, Rivkin, who speaks fluent French, served as U.S. Ambassador to France and...
- 4/28/2017
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former Us assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs Charles Rivkin named as successor.
Christopher Dodd, the former Us senator who has led the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) as chairman and CEO for the last six years, is to step down in September.
Dodd will cease to be CEO on September 4 and relinquish his role as chairman at the end of the year.
The MPAA board will meet on Saturday (29) to name Charles Rivkin, former Us assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, as Dodd’s successor.
Rivkin will join the MPAA on September 5 and work with Dodd to effect the transition by the start of 2018.
Dodd proved to be a popular and eloquent lobbyist for Hollywood and is credited with helping to bring the MPAA into the digital age.
Under his tenure, he made content protection a priority around the world and took the fight to large pirate sites like MegaUpload...
Christopher Dodd, the former Us senator who has led the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) as chairman and CEO for the last six years, is to step down in September.
Dodd will cease to be CEO on September 4 and relinquish his role as chairman at the end of the year.
The MPAA board will meet on Saturday (29) to name Charles Rivkin, former Us assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, as Dodd’s successor.
Rivkin will join the MPAA on September 5 and work with Dodd to effect the transition by the start of 2018.
Dodd proved to be a popular and eloquent lobbyist for Hollywood and is credited with helping to bring the MPAA into the digital age.
Under his tenure, he made content protection a priority around the world and took the fight to large pirate sites like MegaUpload...
- 4/28/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of GLAAD shot off a letter to the MPAA Chairmen Chris Dodd and Classifications and Ratings Administration (Cara) head Joan Graves saying that the R-rating imposed by the board for TWC’s transgender-themed movie 3 Generations “sends a dangerous message to this already marginalized community” of transgenders. The ratings board slapped 3 Generations with a R-rating earlier this month due to language and some sexual references. TWC said…...
- 4/18/2017
- Deadline
As you might imagine, the MPAA is happy today after New York state lawmakers including Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed over the weekend to include in their $153 billion budget a three-year extension of tax breaks for film and TV producers. “This will ensure stability and predictability for television and motion picture producers that utilize one of the most successful incentive programs worldwide,” MPAA chief Chris Dodd said. “New York will continue to create thousands of jobs…...
- 4/10/2017
- Deadline TV
As you might imagine, the MPAA is happy today after New York state lawmakers including Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed over the weekend to include in their $153 billion budget a three-year extension of tax breaks for film and TV producers. “This will ensure stability and predictability for television and motion picture producers that utilize one of the most successful incentive programs worldwide,” MPAA chief Chris Dodd said. “New York will continue to create thousands of jobs…...
- 4/10/2017
- Deadline
The President of the National Association of Theater Owners made great allusions to President Trump in his CinemaCon address on Tuesday. John Fithian, Nato’s CEO, appealed to the annual convention of movie exhibitors for the continued support of globalization in the film industry, to champion free trade and support immigrant talent. “Open and diverse societies can drive movie attendance,” Fithian said, before displaying several big 2017 titles we’ll see from foreign directors like Luc Besson (“Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”). Also Read: MPAA President Chris Dodd Won't Attend CinemaCon Fiithian then made reference to Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans Pacific.
- 3/28/2017
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
A fractured membership, breaking rank, warring factions — no, it’s not the Republican Party. It’s CinemaCon, the annual exhibitors’ convention that will run March 27-30 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
CinemaCon is always a crucible for change in the motion picture industry. It’s a four-day snapshot of the symbiotic and sometimes difficult relationship between distributors and the National Association of Theater Owners, which represents some 40,000 movie screens in North America and cinemas in 50 countries.
See MoreAwards Roundup: CinemaCon to Fete Naomi Watts, Pflag National to Honor Martha Plimpton and More
However, that partnership has never been more fraught than it is now. Studios seriously flirt with bringing first-run major releases into homes, while exhibitors fight tooth and nail to get the public’s butts back into theaters: Their mutual interests are no longer the same.
See MoreCinemaCon 2017: ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ ‘Baby Driver,” and the New Woody Allen...
CinemaCon is always a crucible for change in the motion picture industry. It’s a four-day snapshot of the symbiotic and sometimes difficult relationship between distributors and the National Association of Theater Owners, which represents some 40,000 movie screens in North America and cinemas in 50 countries.
See MoreAwards Roundup: CinemaCon to Fete Naomi Watts, Pflag National to Honor Martha Plimpton and More
However, that partnership has never been more fraught than it is now. Studios seriously flirt with bringing first-run major releases into homes, while exhibitors fight tooth and nail to get the public’s butts back into theaters: Their mutual interests are no longer the same.
See MoreCinemaCon 2017: ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘The Beguiled,’ ‘Baby Driver,” and the New Woody Allen...
- 3/27/2017
- by Anne Thompson and Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Breaking a tradition that goes back to the Jack Valenti era, MPAA Chairman Christopher Dodd will not attend the upcoming CinemaCon exhibitors’ convention, citing personal commitments. That means John Fithian, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners, will have to make the state of the industry speech solo on Tuesday at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. However, he and Dodd spoke with press on Wednesday via conference call to announce the MPAA’s early release of their annual Theatrical Market Statistics report for 2016.
We knew that box office was virtually flat in 2016: Global box office returns reached $38.6 billion, up just 1 percent from 2015, while in North America, receipts rose by 2 percent to $11.4 billion. However, MPAA 2016 statistics reveal some seismic changes. It supports an increased focus on the domestic market and movies that appeal to women and minorities, which are growing while white audiences decline.
Let’s do the 2016 numbers.
We knew that box office was virtually flat in 2016: Global box office returns reached $38.6 billion, up just 1 percent from 2015, while in North America, receipts rose by 2 percent to $11.4 billion. However, MPAA 2016 statistics reveal some seismic changes. It supports an increased focus on the domestic market and movies that appeal to women and minorities, which are growing while white audiences decline.
Let’s do the 2016 numbers.
- 3/23/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Breaking a tradition that goes back to the Jack Valenti era, MPAA Chairman Christopher Dodd will not attend the upcoming CinemaCon exhibitors’ convention, citing personal commitments. That means John Fithian, president and CEO of the National Association of Theater Owners, will have to make the state of the industry speech solo on Tuesday at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. However, he and Dodd spoke with press on Wednesday via conference call to announce the MPAA’s early release of their annual Theatrical Market Statistics report for 2016.
We knew that box office was virtually flat in 2016: Global box office returns reached $38.6 billion, up just 1 percent from 2015, while in North America, receipts rose by 2 percent to $11.4 billion. However, MPAA 2016 statistics reveal some seismic changes. It supports an increased focus on the domestic market and movies that appeal to women and minorities, which are growing while white audiences decline.
Let’s do the 2016 numbers.
We knew that box office was virtually flat in 2016: Global box office returns reached $38.6 billion, up just 1 percent from 2015, while in North America, receipts rose by 2 percent to $11.4 billion. However, MPAA 2016 statistics reveal some seismic changes. It supports an increased focus on the domestic market and movies that appeal to women and minorities, which are growing while white audiences decline.
Let’s do the 2016 numbers.
- 3/23/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Film industry’s top lobbyist urges observers to apply perspective.
Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd on Wednesday warned against negative portrayals of China and other countries that invest in the Us.
Speaking during a conference call with reporters as he introduced the Theatrical Market Statistics 2016 report, Senator Dodd appealed for a calmer viewpoint.
“Historically we welcome foreign investment in the Us,” Hollywood’s top lobbyist said, adding: “We have benefited from it over the years with sovereign investment funds.
“We have to be careful of branding nation states that want to come and invest as being evil… we need to keep this in perspective.”
His remarks arose after several questions on China – none of which expressly addressed the spate of investments in Hollywood by Chinese giants like Dalian Wanda – that also touched on restrictions on Chinese capital leaving China, and the upcoming trade talks on quotas.
To the latter...
Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) chairman and CEO Senator Chris Dodd on Wednesday warned against negative portrayals of China and other countries that invest in the Us.
Speaking during a conference call with reporters as he introduced the Theatrical Market Statistics 2016 report, Senator Dodd appealed for a calmer viewpoint.
“Historically we welcome foreign investment in the Us,” Hollywood’s top lobbyist said, adding: “We have benefited from it over the years with sovereign investment funds.
“We have to be careful of branding nation states that want to come and invest as being evil… we need to keep this in perspective.”
His remarks arose after several questions on China – none of which expressly addressed the spate of investments in Hollywood by Chinese giants like Dalian Wanda – that also touched on restrictions on Chinese capital leaving China, and the upcoming trade talks on quotas.
To the latter...
- 3/22/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Global box office sales stalled in 2016 as a 2.4% increase in North America barely offset a 0.4% decline overseas, according to the MPAA’s latest annual Theatrical Market Statistics report released today. (It’s available here.) Theaters worldwide generated $38.6 billion in ticket sales, a new high but up just 0.5% from 2015. MPAA Chief Chris Dodd said in a briefing on the report that Millennials in North America increasingly went to the movies while the global business is…...
- 3/22/2017
- Deadline
In a break with a long-standing tradition, Motion Picture Association of America chairman-ceo Chris Dodd won't be on hand to give his usual state-of-the-industry speech at CinemaCon this year.
For decades, the head of the MPAA has shared the stage with the head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, with both lobbyists giving separate industry speeches. This year, Nato president John Fithian will have solo duties. It may be the first time an MPAA chief has missed the show since the practice was instituted.
Dodd, a former U.S. senator and Hollywood's top lobbyist who has run the MPAA since 2011, has a scheduling conflict that...
For decades, the head of the MPAA has shared the stage with the head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, with both lobbyists giving separate industry speeches. This year, Nato president John Fithian will have solo duties. It may be the first time an MPAA chief has missed the show since the practice was instituted.
Dodd, a former U.S. senator and Hollywood's top lobbyist who has run the MPAA since 2011, has a scheduling conflict that...
- 3/13/2017
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Current MPAA chairman and former Democratic senator Chris Dodd says travel restrictions ordered by Donald Trump could negatively affect Hollywood film industry
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the normally conservative organisation that represents the six major Hollywood studios, has joined the chorus of protest against the travel ban ordered by Us president Donald Trump.
MPAA chairman Chris Dodd issued a statement saying that the organisation – which is a trade association, but also administers the Us film ratings system – was “concerned about the impact of the executive order on individuals with legitimate personal and business relationships in the United States”.
Continue reading...
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the normally conservative organisation that represents the six major Hollywood studios, has joined the chorus of protest against the travel ban ordered by Us president Donald Trump.
MPAA chairman Chris Dodd issued a statement saying that the organisation – which is a trade association, but also administers the Us film ratings system – was “concerned about the impact of the executive order on individuals with legitimate personal and business relationships in the United States”.
Continue reading...
- 1/31/2017
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
It waited over the weekend, but today the studio-backed MPAA sent out a signal that corporate Hollywood is not happy with Donald Trump’s executive order signed Friday that halted entry into the U.S. for citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations. In a statement released today, MPAA boss and former Democratic senator Chris Dodd said the organization is “concerned about the impact of the executive order on individuals with legitimate personal and business relationships in…...
- 1/31/2017
- Deadline TV
It waited over the weekend, but today the studio-backed MPAA sent out a signal that corporate Hollywood is not happy with Donald Trump’s executive order signed Friday that halted entry into the U.S. for citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations. In a statement released today, MPAA boss and former Democratic senator Chris Dodd said the organization is “concerned about the impact of the executive order on individuals with legitimate personal and business relationships in…...
- 1/31/2017
- Deadline
“We firmly believe our country can both protect its national security and be a welcoming place for those who respect our values.”
The Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) on Monday joined Hollywood’s chorus of disapproval in the wake of Friday’s executive order by President Donald Trump.
The ban on Us entry to citizens arriving from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan – has drawn from critics across all walks of life around the world, while former President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by the response of Us citizens.
Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild awards show was a highly politicised affair as winners spoke out against the White House’s immigration policy.
The Academy Awards ceremony on February 26 is expected to serve up another platform for Hollywood dissent.
The MPAA’s statement in full (chairman Chris Dodd is pictured):
“The U.S. film and television...
The Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) on Monday joined Hollywood’s chorus of disapproval in the wake of Friday’s executive order by President Donald Trump.
The ban on Us entry to citizens arriving from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan – has drawn from critics across all walks of life around the world, while former President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by the response of Us citizens.
Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild awards show was a highly politicised affair as winners spoke out against the White House’s immigration policy.
The Academy Awards ceremony on February 26 is expected to serve up another platform for Hollywood dissent.
The MPAA’s statement in full (chairman Chris Dodd is pictured):
“The U.S. film and television...
- 1/30/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
“We firmly believe our country can both protect its national security and be a welcoming place for those who respect our values.”
The Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) on Monday joined Hollywood’s chorus of disapproval in the wake of Friday’s executive order by President Donald Trump.
The ban on Us entry to citizens arriving from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan – has drawn from critics across all walks of life around the world, while former President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by the response of Us citizens.
Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild awards show was a highly politicised affair as winners spoke out against the White House’s immigration policy.
The Academy Awards ceremony on February 26 is expected to serve up another platform for Hollywood dissent.
The MPAA’s statement in full (chairman Chris Dodd is pictured):
“The U.S. film and television...
The Motion Picture Association Of America (MPAA) on Monday joined Hollywood’s chorus of disapproval in the wake of Friday’s executive order by President Donald Trump.
The ban on Us entry to citizens arriving from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan – has drawn from critics across all walks of life around the world, while former President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by the response of Us citizens.
Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild awards show was a highly politicised affair as winners spoke out against the White House’s immigration policy.
The Academy Awards ceremony on February 26 is expected to serve up another platform for Hollywood dissent.
The MPAA’s statement in full (chairman Chris Dodd is pictured):
“The U.S. film and television...
- 1/30/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
China’s richest man urges the Motion Picture Association of America to send a message to President-elect Donald Trump. “I’ve invested over $10 billion in the U.S., employing over 20,000 people,” said Wang Jianlin, film mogul and chairman of the Wanda Group. “If something goes wrong, these 20,000-plus people might be out of jobs,” he warned during a Q&A in Beijing on Saturday — repeating a message he asked MPAA chairman Chris Dodd to pass on to Trump. Also Read: Chuck Schumer Latest to Weigh in on China's Hollywood Invasion The president-elect has threatened to place restrictions on China’s business with the U.
- 12/11/2016
- by Meriah Doty
- The Wrap
China's richest man has asked Chris Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Associate of America, to deliver a message to President-elect Donald Trump.
Wang Jianlin, the billionaire chairman of Chinese real estate and entertainment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, says he told the MPAA chief on Friday that any move by Trump to curb Chinese investment in the U.S. could jeopardize the jobs of Wanda's 20,000 American employees.
"I met the president of the MPAA yesterday and he said he would like to meet Mr. Trump and asked me what I wanted to tell him," Wang said Saturday during a forum...
Wang Jianlin, the billionaire chairman of Chinese real estate and entertainment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, says he told the MPAA chief on Friday that any move by Trump to curb Chinese investment in the U.S. could jeopardize the jobs of Wanda's 20,000 American employees.
"I met the president of the MPAA yesterday and he said he would like to meet Mr. Trump and asked me what I wanted to tell him," Wang said Saturday during a forum...
- 12/11/2016
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The studio wants to host Chinese writers with the goal of creating successful co-productions and Hollywood films that appeal to Chinese audiences.
Sony Pictures will host emerging and established writers from China and introduce them to Hollywood executive and screenwriters to foster deeper mutual understanding.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman unveiled the initiative at Tuesday’s 6th Annual China International Co-Production Film Screenings.
Columbia Pictures president Sanford Panitch (pictured) will oversee the programme, developed with Sony Pictures China.
Panitch is the former president of Fox International Productions who worked closely with Rothman when the latter was chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment.
The studio will select four writers at a time to stay for two weeks in Los Angeles at Sony Pictures Studios and embark on a schedule of meetings, mutual education and discussion.
A committee comprised of representatives from Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures International Productions, China, and China...
Sony Pictures will host emerging and established writers from China and introduce them to Hollywood executive and screenwriters to foster deeper mutual understanding.
Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman unveiled the initiative at Tuesday’s 6th Annual China International Co-Production Film Screenings.
Columbia Pictures president Sanford Panitch (pictured) will oversee the programme, developed with Sony Pictures China.
Panitch is the former president of Fox International Productions who worked closely with Rothman when the latter was chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment.
The studio will select four writers at a time to stay for two weeks in Los Angeles at Sony Pictures Studios and embark on a schedule of meetings, mutual education and discussion.
A committee comprised of representatives from Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures International Productions, China, and China...
- 11/1/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Updated with MPAA statement below: Fox CEO James Murdoch needs to “take some time to learn how [the movie business] works,” National Association of Theatre Owners CEO John Fithian says today in a note to Deadline, picking up a gauntlet that Murdoch threw down yesterday. On Friday, the MPAA’s Chris Dodd weighed in the issue, saying, “It is unfortunate that Mr. Murdoch's productive point about innovation provoked such a strong reaction from the National Association of Theatr…...
- 9/23/2016
- Deadline
Motion Picture Association of America chairman-chief excecutive Christopher Dodd confirms opposition to Digital Single Market proposals in CineEurope keynote address.
At the opening ceremony of the CineEurope exhibition conference in Barcelona, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) chairman-chief excecutive Christopher Dodd delivered his strongest battle cry yet against EU proposals for a digital single market.
Backing up comments he made in Berlin in February, the former Us senator declared that “this issue is critically important to the survival of this industry. While the proposals for the digital single market are laudable, offering greater choice for European consumers and strengthening cultural diversity, in reality these ideas could very well do the exact opposite of what they claim to be their goals, causing great harm to Europe’s film industry”.
“This is not mere rhetoric,” he added. “These concerns are very, very real.”
As the organisation representing the six Hollywood studios, the MPAA’s stance has been a welcome...
At the opening ceremony of the CineEurope exhibition conference in Barcelona, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) chairman-chief excecutive Christopher Dodd delivered his strongest battle cry yet against EU proposals for a digital single market.
Backing up comments he made in Berlin in February, the former Us senator declared that “this issue is critically important to the survival of this industry. While the proposals for the digital single market are laudable, offering greater choice for European consumers and strengthening cultural diversity, in reality these ideas could very well do the exact opposite of what they claim to be their goals, causing great harm to Europe’s film industry”.
“This is not mere rhetoric,” he added. “These concerns are very, very real.”
As the organisation representing the six Hollywood studios, the MPAA’s stance has been a welcome...
- 6/21/2016
- by matt.mueller@screendaily.com (Matt Mueller)
- ScreenDaily
Matt Bennett as been appointed executive vice president for corporate communications of the Motion Picture Association of America, chairman and CEO Chris Dodd announced Tuesday. Bennett will replace Laura Nichols, who left the MPAA in February to become senior vice president and chief communications officer at National Geographic Partners. Bennett previously served as the senior vice president and D.C. practice lead for Racepoint Global, an international public relations firm. There, he designed strategic campaigns to advance public policy priorities. Also Read: MPAA Chief Chris Dodd Disses Screening Room, Champions Diversity Prior to that, he was the senior vice president of communications and public.
- 5/10/2016
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Teenagers went to multiplexes at significantly higher rates in 2015 than the year before despite the distraction of home-bound entertainment including Snapchat, Netflix and texting. Teens aged 12-17 went to the movies at higher rates than any other age category, accounting for 7.3 percent of per capita attendance, according to the annual theatrical market report from the Motion Picture Association of America. That’s up from 6.4 percent in 2014, a number that had been largely static since 2011. “Those numbers really jumped out at us,” said former Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman and CEO of the MPAA. “They run counter to public...
- 4/12/2016
- by Meriah Doty
- The Wrap
Nato President John Fithian called Sean Parker’s controversial home viewing concept the Screening Room a “distraction” on Tuesday, following his address to theater exhibitors at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Fithian, who made his remarks in conjunction with MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd, said it’s not up to Parker how theater owners decide to handle release windows. “I view this whole Screening Room debate as a huge distraction,” Fithian told reporters at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino. “It’s not for a third party to decide that.” Also Read: Global Box Office Soars to $38.3 Billion, Chinese Movie Attendance Up 51.2 Percent Dodd,...
- 4/12/2016
- by Matt Donnelly and Meriah Doty
- The Wrap
MPAA CEO and Chairman Chris Dodd gave a concise and forward-looking address to global theater exhibitors at CinemaCon on Tuesday — one that included a reference to Sean Parker’s Screening Room concept and a salute to Hollywood’s diversity efforts. Dodd first celebrated 2015’s record global box office haul of $38.3 billion dollars — saying the cinematic experience cannot be replicated, much to the delight of the theater owners present. “Despite the noisy suggestions otherwise, cinema provides a unique and powerful experience you can’t get anywhere else but your theaters,” Dodd said, alluding to rampant convention chatter of Parkers’ $50 home viewing service that essentially explodes the.
- 4/12/2016
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Worldwide box-office revenue clocked in at a record $38.3 billion in 2015, up more than 6 percent over 2014. The figure was revealed Tuesday during the State of the Industry Address at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of theater owners in Las Vegas. MPAA chairman Chris Dodd shared the stage with John Fithian, president-ceo of the National Association of Theatre Owners, host of the four-day convention, to talk about the underlying reasons for the growth. In his remarks, Dodd said the numbers prove that the international box office, which turned in a record $27.2 billion in
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- 4/12/2016
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It.s common for reality to influence our motion pictures. Hollywood makes movies based on true stories all the time. What happens much less often is seeing Hollywood consulted on real world issues. Yet that.s exactly what happened when America.s Secretary of State held a meeting with a dozen studio heads in order to discuss the ongoing global battle with Isis. Secretary of State John Kerry ran a meeting at Universal Studios on Tuesday in order to gain the perspectives of Hollywood on how to deal with the hearts and minds that Isis, aka, Daesh, is winning in the Middle East. The meeting included head of the MPAA Chris Dodd, like Kerry a former Us Senator, as well as DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Warner Bros. Entertainment CEO Kevin Tsujihara, and Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley, among several others. While it may seem like a strange idea to...
- 2/17/2016
- cinemablend.com
Years in the making, the Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed in New Zealand today by a dozen Pacific Rim countries. The ratification process is next. President Obama calls it “a new type of trade deal that puts American workers first.” The MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd weighed in on the news today: "Today's signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an important step toward enacting a trade agreement of enormous international and economic significance. The core…...
- 2/3/2016
- Deadline
Years in the making, the Trans-Pacific Partnership was signed in New Zealand today by a dozen Pacific Rim countries. The ratification process is next. President Obama calls it “a new type of trade deal that puts American workers first.” The MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd weighed in on the news today: "Today's signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership is an important step toward enacting a trade agreement of enormous international and economic significance. The core…...
- 2/3/2016
- Deadline TV
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