Generationally wealthy royals: they're just like us!
Queen Elizabeth II's favorite movie was reportedly Mike Hodges' gloriously campy "Flash Gordon." Her son, King Charles, is apparently a fan of morose singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. When Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud isn't ordering the mutilation of journalists, he evidently enjoys pro wrestling.
Entertainment is essential. It's what gets us through the drudgery of day-to-day life, and even the most monstrous people who've ever existed require this escapist outlet. Adolf Hitler was a cinephile. So was Joseph Stalin. Donald Trump reportedly loves Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita."
King Abdullah II of Jordan is no exception. In 2002, the first child of King Hussein visited Hollywood, and, keen on meeting Steven Spielberg, visited the set of "Catch Me If You Can." He was also a fan of "Shrek," which prompted Jeffrey Katzenberg to give Abdullah II a tour of DreamWorks Animation...
Queen Elizabeth II's favorite movie was reportedly Mike Hodges' gloriously campy "Flash Gordon." Her son, King Charles, is apparently a fan of morose singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. When Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud isn't ordering the mutilation of journalists, he evidently enjoys pro wrestling.
Entertainment is essential. It's what gets us through the drudgery of day-to-day life, and even the most monstrous people who've ever existed require this escapist outlet. Adolf Hitler was a cinephile. So was Joseph Stalin. Donald Trump reportedly loves Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Evita."
King Abdullah II of Jordan is no exception. In 2002, the first child of King Hussein visited Hollywood, and, keen on meeting Steven Spielberg, visited the set of "Catch Me If You Can." He was also a fan of "Shrek," which prompted Jeffrey Katzenberg to give Abdullah II a tour of DreamWorks Animation...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Saudi Arabia and its sovereign wealth fund have quietly — and in some cases, not so quietly — built a multibillion-dollar foothold in Hollywood, four years after much of the industry cut ties with the country in response to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
This time around, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, overseen by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and other Saudi-affiliated firms appear to be betting that live entertainment, rich financial investments and sports can be the gateway to the American market.
In January alone, the Pif-backed Liv Golf scored a critical U.S. broadcast TV agreement with The CW, while the government-owned Middle East broadcast giant Mbc Group cut a deal with Vice Media to create Arabic-language content. Earlier, Saudi soccer team Al Nassr signed Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for 200 million a year. And if the second edition of the Red Sea Film Festival,...
This time around, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, overseen by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and other Saudi-affiliated firms appear to be betting that live entertainment, rich financial investments and sports can be the gateway to the American market.
In January alone, the Pif-backed Liv Golf scored a critical U.S. broadcast TV agreement with The CW, while the government-owned Middle East broadcast giant Mbc Group cut a deal with Vice Media to create Arabic-language content. Earlier, Saudi soccer team Al Nassr signed Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for 200 million a year. And if the second edition of the Red Sea Film Festival,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Alex Weprin and Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Two Sundance Institute employees have resigned in response to the hot-button documentary “Jihad Rehab” that played at last month’s Sundance Film Festival, a Sundance representative confirmed.
Brenda Coughlin, director of Impact, Engagement and Advocacy with the Sundance Institute, and Karim Ahmad, director of the Outreach & Inclusion Program, both resigned following the festival in the wake of criticism that “Jihad Rehab” is Islamophobic and promotes jingoism and other stereotypes. And some associated with the movie have sought to distance themselves from their involvement via social media.
As first reported by IndieWire, Coughlin and Ahmad were each tagged on an email sent to the festival’s directors in which a group of Muslim filmmakers voiced their concerns over the documentary. However, neither participated in a Zoom follow-up meeting that staffers had with the authors of the letter to address their concerns.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to both Brenda...
Brenda Coughlin, director of Impact, Engagement and Advocacy with the Sundance Institute, and Karim Ahmad, director of the Outreach & Inclusion Program, both resigned following the festival in the wake of criticism that “Jihad Rehab” is Islamophobic and promotes jingoism and other stereotypes. And some associated with the movie have sought to distance themselves from their involvement via social media.
As first reported by IndieWire, Coughlin and Ahmad were each tagged on an email sent to the festival’s directors in which a group of Muslim filmmakers voiced their concerns over the documentary. However, neither participated in a Zoom follow-up meeting that staffers had with the authors of the letter to address their concerns.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to both Brenda...
- 2/9/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
In 2005, an art scavenger named Alexander Parish bought a High Renaissance painting from a small New Orleans auction house for $1,175. In 2017, Christie’s sold a heavily restored version of that same painting — the provenance of which had since become the art world’s hottest controversy — to the crown prince of Saudi Arabia for a cool $450,300,000 (presumably outbidding Kenneth Branagh’s character from “Tenet”). Mohammad bin Salman’s record-shattering purchase consecrated the idea that “Salvator Mundi” is an original Da Vinci better than any historian ever could, but if the origins of this oil-on-walnut portrait weren’t so intensely disputed, perhaps no one would have spent as much to assert its value. If only Orson Welles were still alive to have a hearty chuckle over the whole thing.
So did it come from the master’s hand, or is it a “fake”? Spoiler alert: Andreas Koefoed’s “The Lost Leonardo” is...
So did it come from the master’s hand, or is it a “fake”? Spoiler alert: Andreas Koefoed’s “The Lost Leonardo” is...
- 8/10/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
It’s strange to conceive of a documentary as an edge-of-your-seat thriller. After all, the events have already passed; moreover, should the events be of recent memory, the viewer should already know how the movie ends. However, Bryan Fogel’s “The Dissident” — a speculative scheme on the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi — is stimulating regardless. In this massive multinational drama juggling state politics, cybersecurity, and the urgency of romantic love, “The Dissident” paints a fuller picture of Khashoggi as not just the state actor or the writer, but also as Khashoggi the man.
“The Dissident” opens in Montreal, Canada. Omar Abdulaziz – later revealed to be one of Khashoggi’s correspondents before his death – begins to explain the difficulties of expressing free speech in Saudi Arabia, especially following the rise of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (Mbs). The narrative then begins to split into several parallel tales from there.
“The Dissident” opens in Montreal, Canada. Omar Abdulaziz – later revealed to be one of Khashoggi’s correspondents before his death – begins to explain the difficulties of expressing free speech in Saudi Arabia, especially following the rise of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (Mbs). The narrative then begins to split into several parallel tales from there.
- 12/30/2020
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Before the pandemic hit, Oscar-winning director Bryan Fogel’s latest documentary “The Dissident” about the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was one of the hottest films at Sundance. But months later it couldn’t find a buyer, and the director now accuses Hollywood of “fear” and “cowardice” for not giving the film a platform.
The premiere of “The Dissident” in Sundance was attended by Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin, among many others. But TheWrap previously reported back in March that Hollywood had shunned the documentary for fear of backlash from the Saudi Arabian government.
Though it was finally acquired by Tom Ortenberg’s Briarcliff Entertainment in September, Fogel said in an interview with TheWrap that not one of the major streamers or distributors “stepped forward” to acquire the film because of the influence that Saudi Arabia has over the entertainment business.
“In terms of the major streamers, it was across the board fear,...
The premiere of “The Dissident” in Sundance was attended by Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin, among many others. But TheWrap previously reported back in March that Hollywood had shunned the documentary for fear of backlash from the Saudi Arabian government.
Though it was finally acquired by Tom Ortenberg’s Briarcliff Entertainment in September, Fogel said in an interview with TheWrap that not one of the major streamers or distributors “stepped forward” to acquire the film because of the influence that Saudi Arabia has over the entertainment business.
“In terms of the major streamers, it was across the board fear,...
- 12/4/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
When documentary filmmaker Ryan White made “Assassins,” he needed his adopted grandmother Dr. Ruth’s support to tell the harrowing and jaw-dropping story of the two sex workers who were on trial in Malaysia for assassinating Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. “She hated that I was doing it, worried for me the entire time,” said White, who received a 2017 Emmy nomination for his film about the death of a beloved Catholic nun in “The Keepers.” “She knew by the end I was compelled to get out the truth about these two women.”
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
When documentary filmmaker Ryan White made “Assassins,” he needed his adopted grandmother Dr. Ruth’s support to tell the harrowing and jaw-dropping story of the two sex workers who were on trial in Malaysia for assassinating Kim Jong-un’s half-brother. “She hated that I was doing it, worried for me the entire time,” said White, who received a 2017 Emmy nomination for his film about the death of a beloved Catholic nun in “The Keepers.” “She knew by the end I was compelled to get out the truth about these two women.”
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
Bryan Fogel won an 2018 Best Documentary Oscar for “Icarus,” which led the Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. For “The Dissident,” he took on the assassination of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi and obtained Turkish intelligence transcripts and audio of Khashoggi’s murder that reveal mind-numbing violence. “This is a fight for freedom of speech,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Washington Post said it will offer a free screening of the Jamal Khashoggi documentary Kingdom of Silence for its subscribers beginning Thursday, the day before the film’s Friday premiere on Showtime.
Friday, October 2 marks the two-year anniversary of the murder of Khashoggi, the dissident Saudi Arabia-born WaPo journalist who had been openly critical of Saudi Arabia’s government and its Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Saudi Arabia and bin Salman denied involvement, but a CIA investigation eventually concluded that the Crown Prince had ordered the murder, which took place at the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
The doc, directed by Documenting Hate filmmaker Rick Rowley and executive produced by Alex Gibney in collaboration with Lawrence Wright, explores the history between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as a backdrop to Khashoggi’s death.
For Thursday’s early screening, WaPo subscribers must register early via the newspaper’s website.
Kingdom of Silence...
Friday, October 2 marks the two-year anniversary of the murder of Khashoggi, the dissident Saudi Arabia-born WaPo journalist who had been openly critical of Saudi Arabia’s government and its Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Saudi Arabia and bin Salman denied involvement, but a CIA investigation eventually concluded that the Crown Prince had ordered the murder, which took place at the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
The doc, directed by Documenting Hate filmmaker Rick Rowley and executive produced by Alex Gibney in collaboration with Lawrence Wright, explores the history between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as a backdrop to Khashoggi’s death.
For Thursday’s early screening, WaPo subscribers must register early via the newspaper’s website.
Kingdom of Silence...
- 9/30/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
President Trump openly bragged about protecting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman from scrutiny after the royal was accused of orchestrating the murder and dismemberment of a Washington Post columnist, Bob Woodward reports in his new book. Trump told Woodward in January that he “saved” the prince’s “ass,” justifying his efforts by noting that the Saudis bought arms from the United States, and explaining the country has oil and “religious monuments” that bestow “real power.”
Asked repeatedly if he believed bin Salman ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Trump answered...
Asked repeatedly if he believed bin Salman ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Trump answered...
- 9/10/2020
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
When Bryan Fogel premiered his new, politically charged documentary “The Dissident” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, he called on potential buyers to “stand up to Saudi Arabia” and show their support for freedom of speech.
Now, nearly eight months after it debuted to strong reviews, “The Dissident” has found its distributor in Briarcliff Entertainment. The film entered Sundance as one of the hotter acquisition targets due largely to the fact that Fogel won an Oscar for his most recent effort, the Russian doping documentary “Icarus.” The extended wait for a deal and the relatively low profile of the buyer, a newbie in the indie film space, may indicate that more established studios were wary of touching a film that probes the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. According to the CIA, the Washington Post journalist was reportedly killed and dismembered at the order of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman...
Now, nearly eight months after it debuted to strong reviews, “The Dissident” has found its distributor in Briarcliff Entertainment. The film entered Sundance as one of the hotter acquisition targets due largely to the fact that Fogel won an Oscar for his most recent effort, the Russian doping documentary “Icarus.” The extended wait for a deal and the relatively low profile of the buyer, a newbie in the indie film space, may indicate that more established studios were wary of touching a film that probes the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. According to the CIA, the Washington Post journalist was reportedly killed and dismembered at the order of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman...
- 9/2/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
In October of 2018, Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to get a marriage license and never walked out. That’s because inside the building, Khashoggi – who had been critical of the Saudi government and the crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman – was assassinated and dismembered by agents […]
The post ‘The Execution’: Murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Will Be the Subject of a Film by ‘Morbius’ Director appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘The Execution’: Murdered Journalist Jamal Khashoggi Will Be the Subject of a Film by ‘Morbius’ Director appeared first on /Film.
- 6/4/2020
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
“The Dissident,” a powerful documentary from Oscar-winning director Bryan Fogel about murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is being snubbed by Hollywood distributors out of fears of upsetting the Saudi regime blamed for its role in Khashoggi’s death, multiple individuals told TheWrap. One independent studio has bid for the film but sought a partner for streaming and premium cable, a knowledgeable individual said. Potential partners including Hulu, Amazon, HBO and Showtime all passed on distributing the film, many of them citing “security measures,” according to the individual. But insiders told TheWrap that buyers are actually steering clear of the documentary because they don’t want to face possible repercussions from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who has been named by U.S. intelligence as responsible for the killing. In particular, companies may be reluctant to alienate a Saudi...
- 3/5/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven and Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
’I want my films to play like a global narrative scripted feature thriller.’
When Bryan Fogel set out to make The Dissident, his searing documentary about the murder in Istanbul of the Saudi Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, he knew the feature hinged on the cooperation of Khashoggi’s fiancée, a young Saudi dissident-in-exile, and the Turkish government.
It took time to win everybody over. What partly earned their trust was how Fogel had handled extremely sensitive subject matter in his 2018 best documentary Oscar-winner Icarus. The Turkish government granted the filmmaker unprecedented access to recount how Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman...
When Bryan Fogel set out to make The Dissident, his searing documentary about the murder in Istanbul of the Saudi Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, he knew the feature hinged on the cooperation of Khashoggi’s fiancée, a young Saudi dissident-in-exile, and the Turkish government.
It took time to win everybody over. What partly earned their trust was how Fogel had handled extremely sensitive subject matter in his 2018 best documentary Oscar-winner Icarus. The Turkish government granted the filmmaker unprecedented access to recount how Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman...
- 1/26/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
There are few international crimes more outrageous than the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, slaughtered by agents of his own government at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul over a year ago.
Time has passed; the world has moved on. But a new documentary about exactly what happened to him is sure to stir renewed outrage, providing excruciating details of the execution itself and deeper context around Saudi Arabia’s manipulation of social media to control and punish those who speak out.
“The Dissident,” by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Bryan Fogel, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday and received a standing ovation before a group that included Khashoggi’s former fiancé, Arab freedom activists and a U.N. official who reported on the atrocity and recommended action against the regime’s leader Mohammad Bin Salman, or Mbs. (None was taken.)
Also Read: Saudi Arabia Sentences 5 People to Death for...
Time has passed; the world has moved on. But a new documentary about exactly what happened to him is sure to stir renewed outrage, providing excruciating details of the execution itself and deeper context around Saudi Arabia’s manipulation of social media to control and punish those who speak out.
“The Dissident,” by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Bryan Fogel, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday and received a standing ovation before a group that included Khashoggi’s former fiancé, Arab freedom activists and a U.N. official who reported on the atrocity and recommended action against the regime’s leader Mohammad Bin Salman, or Mbs. (None was taken.)
Also Read: Saudi Arabia Sentences 5 People to Death for...
- 1/25/2020
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
It’s become common, if not cliché, for a critic reviewing a documentary about a turbulent real-world event to write something like, “It exerts the power of a true-life thriller!” Well, make no mistake: “The Dissident” does. Directed by Bryan Fogel, who in 2017 made the Oscar-winning “Icarus” (about the Russian doping of Olympic athletes), the movie is a full-blown investigation into the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi Arabian Washington Post journalist whose gruesome murder, on Oct. 2, 2018, was in all likelihood conceived and ordered by the highest levels of the Saudi monarchy.
When it comes to edge-of-your-seat intrigue, this is a movie with just about everything. It’s got mystery and conspiracy coalescing around men of unfathomable power. It’s got inside-the-palace-walls homicidal backstabbing. It’s got a freedom-fighting martyr-hero, Khashoggi himself — a worldly and ebullient but increasingly lonely and isolated 60-year-old man who occupies a precarious middle ground between the Saudi regime,...
When it comes to edge-of-your-seat intrigue, this is a movie with just about everything. It’s got mystery and conspiracy coalescing around men of unfathomable power. It’s got inside-the-palace-walls homicidal backstabbing. It’s got a freedom-fighting martyr-hero, Khashoggi himself — a worldly and ebullient but increasingly lonely and isolated 60-year-old man who occupies a precarious middle ground between the Saudi regime,...
- 1/25/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Director Bryan Fogel premiered his searing new documentary “The Dissident,” a timely examination of the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, at Sundance on Friday. The film came to Sundance hoping to secure distribution, and Fogel used the starry debut to implore studios and streaming services interested in buying the project to commit to an unflinching release despite the hot-button topic.
Khashoggi was killed and his body was dismembered after he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The CIA determined that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered his assassination, which he has long denied.
“In my dream of dreams, distributors will not be fearful and give this the global release that this deserves,” Fogel said to applause at Park City’s Marc Theater, before a crowd that included Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin.
“In my dream of dreams, distributors will stand up to Saudi Arabia, [and champion] freedom of speech,...
Khashoggi was killed and his body was dismembered after he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The CIA determined that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered his assassination, which he has long denied.
“In my dream of dreams, distributors will not be fearful and give this the global release that this deserves,” Fogel said to applause at Park City’s Marc Theater, before a crowd that included Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin.
“In my dream of dreams, distributors will stand up to Saudi Arabia, [and champion] freedom of speech,...
- 1/25/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: One of the hottest and most anticipated films of Sundance 2020 is attracting some very big names.
Hillary Clinton is likely to be among the luminaries at today’s Sff world premiere of The Dissident, I hear.
Whether the former Secretary of State speaks at the screening, Clinton’s presence alone is sure to add weight to the Bryan Fogel-directed documentary about Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 grizzly murder in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul Embassy. Alec Baldwin is also expected to be at the film at its screening this afternoon at the Marc Theatre, as well as Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz too.
In Park City this weekend to promote her Hulu docuseries, Clinton has been repeatedly condemned Donald Trump over the past year for role in what she has termed the “cover-up” of the death of the outspoken Khashoggi at what all evidence from the CIA and...
Hillary Clinton is likely to be among the luminaries at today’s Sff world premiere of The Dissident, I hear.
Whether the former Secretary of State speaks at the screening, Clinton’s presence alone is sure to add weight to the Bryan Fogel-directed documentary about Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 grizzly murder in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul Embassy. Alec Baldwin is also expected to be at the film at its screening this afternoon at the Marc Theatre, as well as Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz too.
In Park City this weekend to promote her Hulu docuseries, Clinton has been repeatedly condemned Donald Trump over the past year for role in what she has termed the “cover-up” of the death of the outspoken Khashoggi at what all evidence from the CIA and...
- 1/24/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS Evening News has now made the full transition to Norah O’Donnell as anchor: After her debut in July, the newscast made a move to its permanent location earlier this week, distinguishing itself as the only network evening news broadcast from Washington.
On a new set at the CBS M Street bureau, executive producer Jay Shaylor, who joined in October from CNN, walked through some of its virtual features, including a giant floor screen. “The set is a spectacular,” Shaylor said, adding that it is designed to pull in data, graphics and video “using some brand new technology that other folks don’t have that will allow us to show off some really interesting storytelling.”
But Evening News has a ways to go before catching up to competitors at NBC and ABC. In the most recent November sweeps period, the newscast was in third place, with an average audience of 5.78 million viewers,...
On a new set at the CBS M Street bureau, executive producer Jay Shaylor, who joined in October from CNN, walked through some of its virtual features, including a giant floor screen. “The set is a spectacular,” Shaylor said, adding that it is designed to pull in data, graphics and video “using some brand new technology that other folks don’t have that will allow us to show off some really interesting storytelling.”
But Evening News has a ways to go before catching up to competitors at NBC and ABC. In the most recent November sweeps period, the newscast was in third place, with an average audience of 5.78 million viewers,...
- 12/6/2019
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Norah O’Donnell told viewers on Monday that CBS Evening News was starting a “new era” with its first broadcast since officially moving to Washington, D.C., the only broadcast network newscast to originate from the nation’s capital.
CBS is hoping that leaving New York distinguishes the broadcast from ABC World News Tonight with David Muir and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, both of which beat CBS Evening News in the ratings. In the week of Nov. 18, World News Tonight drew 8.8 million total viewers, compared to 7.9 million for NBC and 5.6 million for CBS.
The move to D.C. has been in the works since O’Donnell was named anchor of the broadcast. Since she started in July, she has landed interviews with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, among others. The network also hopes that the move will help draw more big gets given the proximity to the White House and lawmakers.
CBS is hoping that leaving New York distinguishes the broadcast from ABC World News Tonight with David Muir and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, both of which beat CBS Evening News in the ratings. In the week of Nov. 18, World News Tonight drew 8.8 million total viewers, compared to 7.9 million for NBC and 5.6 million for CBS.
The move to D.C. has been in the works since O’Donnell was named anchor of the broadcast. Since she started in July, she has landed interviews with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, among others. The network also hopes that the move will help draw more big gets given the proximity to the White House and lawmakers.
- 12/3/2019
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
In an earnings call with analysts to discuss AMC Entertainment’s third-quarter results, CEO Adam Aron blasted National CineMedia’s new initiative placing advertisements closer to feature films.
Starting last Friday, Ncm began running a single 30- or 60-second “platinum spot” immediately before the “attached” one or two trailers right before the feature starts. Regal and Cinemark signed on as launch partners in the Ncm initiative, which promises exhibitors a 25% cut of the revenue from each platinum spot.
Aron told analysts the scheme is a non-starter.
“That trailer package is extremely valuable real estate,” he said. “I would so much rather be advertising movies. The value of what we earn both from the paid trailers, where we’re receiving income from studios, and from all the extra...
Starting last Friday, Ncm began running a single 30- or 60-second “platinum spot” immediately before the “attached” one or two trailers right before the feature starts. Regal and Cinemark signed on as launch partners in the Ncm initiative, which promises exhibitors a 25% cut of the revenue from each platinum spot.
Aron told analysts the scheme is a non-starter.
“That trailer package is extremely valuable real estate,” he said. “I would so much rather be advertising movies. The value of what we earn both from the paid trailers, where we’re receiving income from studios, and from all the extra...
- 11/7/2019
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings isn’t backing down from the streamer’s controversial decision to pull an episode of Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act that was critical of the Saudi royal family.
“We’re not in the news business,” Hastings told attendees at the New York Times Dealbook Conference in New York City on Wednesday, according to our sister site Variety. “We’re not trying to do ‘truth to power.’ … We can accomplish more by being entertainment and trying to influence the way people live, rather than being another news channel.”
More from TVLineHasan Minhaj Responds to Saudi Arabia Episode Ban in Patriot Act PremiereSure,...
“We’re not in the news business,” Hastings told attendees at the New York Times Dealbook Conference in New York City on Wednesday, according to our sister site Variety. “We’re not trying to do ‘truth to power.’ … We can accomplish more by being entertainment and trying to influence the way people live, rather than being another news channel.”
More from TVLineHasan Minhaj Responds to Saudi Arabia Episode Ban in Patriot Act PremiereSure,...
- 11/6/2019
- TVLine.com
Stephen Colbert dug into U.S. tensions with Iran on Monday night’s edition of The Late Show.
The CBS late-night host discussed some of President Trump’s comments after oil fields in Saudi Arabia were attacked by drones over the weekend.
“Our top intelligence officials think Iran did it, and so does our top unintelligence official, Donald Trump,” Colbert quipped.
Tonight: Trump's unintelligent Iranian intelligence. #Lssc pic.twitter.com/1i9ywpYp5r
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) September 17, 2019
The comic went on to criticize Trump’s tweet saying the U.S. is “locked and loaded, depending on verification.”
“Hold it there, you don’t get to be ‘locked and loaded’ and wait on ‘verification,'” Colbert said mockingly. “Dirty Harry didn’t say: ‘Go ahead, make my day once you’ve been found guilty by a jury of your peers. Punk.”
Colbert then suggested Trump is a lackey of the Saudi government.
The CBS late-night host discussed some of President Trump’s comments after oil fields in Saudi Arabia were attacked by drones over the weekend.
“Our top intelligence officials think Iran did it, and so does our top unintelligence official, Donald Trump,” Colbert quipped.
Tonight: Trump's unintelligent Iranian intelligence. #Lssc pic.twitter.com/1i9ywpYp5r
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) September 17, 2019
The comic went on to criticize Trump’s tweet saying the U.S. is “locked and loaded, depending on verification.”
“Hold it there, you don’t get to be ‘locked and loaded’ and wait on ‘verification,'” Colbert said mockingly. “Dirty Harry didn’t say: ‘Go ahead, make my day once you’ve been found guilty by a jury of your peers. Punk.”
Colbert then suggested Trump is a lackey of the Saudi government.
- 9/17/2019
- by Anita Bennett
- Deadline Film + TV
The New York City Chief Medical Examiner has determined the cause of socialite sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s jail-cell death as suicide.
A statement by Barbara Sampson released to the media reads:
After careful review of all investigative information, including complete autopsy findings, the determination on the death of Jeffrey Epstein is below—
Cause: Hanging
Manner: Suicide
Epstein, who was found in his cell, reportedly with a bedsheet noose around his neck and in cardiac arrest on Saturday morning, was declared dead at a local hospital shortly after. The cause...
A statement by Barbara Sampson released to the media reads:
After careful review of all investigative information, including complete autopsy findings, the determination on the death of Jeffrey Epstein is below—
Cause: Hanging
Manner: Suicide
Epstein, who was found in his cell, reportedly with a bedsheet noose around his neck and in cardiac arrest on Saturday morning, was declared dead at a local hospital shortly after. The cause...
- 8/16/2019
- by Tim Dickinson
- Rollingstone.com
President Trump’s second meeting with Kim Jong-un didn’t go quite as smoothly as it did when they first met Singapore last June. The two leaders failed to reach a denuclearization deal after convening in Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday, prompting Trump to leave the summit ahead of schedule. “Sometimes you have to walk and I think that was one of these times,” Trump said at a press conference before boarding Air Force One.
"Sometimes you have to walk": President Trump says he and Kim Jong Un weren't able...
"Sometimes you have to walk": President Trump says he and Kim Jong Un weren't able...
- 2/28/2019
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
Hasan Minhaj has broken his silence regarding Saudi Arabia’s “very own Muslim ban.”
During Sunday’s midseason premiere of Patriot Act, the host addressed Netflix’s decision to remove an episode from its service after the Saudi government claimed that Minhaj’s criticism of crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman violated its anti-cybercrime law. The initial Patriot segment in question, which made its U.S. debut back in October, was a direct response to Mbs’ involvement in the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Watch it here.)
After acknowledging the Saudi law, which prohibits “any content that impinges on public order,...
During Sunday’s midseason premiere of Patriot Act, the host addressed Netflix’s decision to remove an episode from its service after the Saudi government claimed that Minhaj’s criticism of crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman violated its anti-cybercrime law. The initial Patriot segment in question, which made its U.S. debut back in October, was a direct response to Mbs’ involvement in the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Watch it here.)
After acknowledging the Saudi law, which prohibits “any content that impinges on public order,...
- 2/10/2019
- TVLine.com
Mohammad Bin Salman and Vladimir Putin high-fiving wasn’t the only notable aspect of the G20 in Buenos Aires yesterday. Argentine news channel Crónica TV’s coverage of the event used an image of Apu from “The Simpsons” to announce the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, captioned with the words “Llegó Apu” (Apu arrives). The move has been widely criticized.
Among those to take notice is comedian and filmmaker Hari Kondabolu, whose documentary “The Problem With Apu” brought increased scrutiny to the portrayal of the Kwik-e-Mart clerk. Apu, last name Nahasapeemapetilon, has come to be seen in an increasingly negative light over the years, with some arguing that the character is doing more harm than good nearly 30 years after debuting on “The Simpsons.”
In an interview with IndieWire at the end of October, producer Adi Shankar said, “I got some disheartening news back, that I’ve verified from...
Among those to take notice is comedian and filmmaker Hari Kondabolu, whose documentary “The Problem With Apu” brought increased scrutiny to the portrayal of the Kwik-e-Mart clerk. Apu, last name Nahasapeemapetilon, has come to be seen in an increasingly negative light over the years, with some arguing that the character is doing more harm than good nearly 30 years after debuting on “The Simpsons.”
In an interview with IndieWire at the end of October, producer Adi Shankar said, “I got some disheartening news back, that I’ve verified from...
- 12/1/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is eyeing a $700M investment in Pacific Rim and Jurassic Park studio Legendary Entertainment, according to reports.
The country’s Public Investment Fund is considering to purchase a stake from Chinese conglomerate Wanda, which bought the company in 2016, according to news agency Reuters.
This comes as Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor charged 11 people over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi but refused to implicate crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
A deal would be the first test of Hollywood’s appetite for Saudi investment following the murder of the Washington Post columnist.
Reuters reports that the Pif is in talks to hire a financial adviser to help with the bid.
This comes after it emerged that Endeavor Content was considering withdrawing from a $400M Saudi investment in the company. Last month, sources told Deadline that the holding company that includes one of the world’s pre-eminent talent agencies,...
The country’s Public Investment Fund is considering to purchase a stake from Chinese conglomerate Wanda, which bought the company in 2016, according to news agency Reuters.
This comes as Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor charged 11 people over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi but refused to implicate crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman.
A deal would be the first test of Hollywood’s appetite for Saudi investment following the murder of the Washington Post columnist.
Reuters reports that the Pif is in talks to hire a financial adviser to help with the bid.
This comes after it emerged that Endeavor Content was considering withdrawing from a $400M Saudi investment in the company. Last month, sources told Deadline that the holding company that includes one of the world’s pre-eminent talent agencies,...
- 11/15/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was coy about whether she planned to return as speaker of the house if Democrats won next month’s midterm elections, saying she was “pretty comfortable” with the idea while lauding her qualities as a politician.
“I feel pretty comfortable,” she told CNN anchor Dana Bash during an interview in New York City on Monday. “But I am a great legislator and one of the reasons I am is because I recognize the contributions of others.
“Self-promotion is a terrible thing, but clearly somebody has to do it,” the California Democrat said. “I have usually been very shy about my own thing. None of us are indispensable but everyone has something to offer for the time and I think I am that person.”
Also Read: Nancy Pelosi Clarifies 'I'm Lgbtq' Comment
Pelosi told Bash that if the election were held today, she was confident that...
“I feel pretty comfortable,” she told CNN anchor Dana Bash during an interview in New York City on Monday. “But I am a great legislator and one of the reasons I am is because I recognize the contributions of others.
“Self-promotion is a terrible thing, but clearly somebody has to do it,” the California Democrat said. “I have usually been very shy about my own thing. None of us are indispensable but everyone has something to offer for the time and I think I am that person.”
Also Read: Nancy Pelosi Clarifies 'I'm Lgbtq' Comment
Pelosi told Bash that if the election were held today, she was confident that...
- 10/22/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Fox Business Network has withdrawn as a sponsor of next week’s Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia amid growing concerns about the kingdom’s involvement in the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
“Fox Business Network has canceled its sponsorship and participation in the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia. We continue to seek an interview with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman,” the network said in a statement Thursday.
A network executive told TheWrap that Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo was also out but might still go to Saudi Arabia if the kingdom grants an “unrestricted interview” with the crown prince, Mohammad Bin Salman. Last year,Bartiromo co-hosted a panel at the event with the crown prince.
Also Read: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Drops out of Saudi Arabia Investment Summit
The network was the last major non-Saudi media sponsor to formally exit the event slated to take place later this month.
“Fox Business Network has canceled its sponsorship and participation in the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia. We continue to seek an interview with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman,” the network said in a statement Thursday.
A network executive told TheWrap that Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo was also out but might still go to Saudi Arabia if the kingdom grants an “unrestricted interview” with the crown prince, Mohammad Bin Salman. Last year,Bartiromo co-hosted a panel at the event with the crown prince.
Also Read: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Drops out of Saudi Arabia Investment Summit
The network was the last major non-Saudi media sponsor to formally exit the event slated to take place later this month.
- 10/18/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a pop-up presser on the White House lawn Thursday about the results of his trip to Turkey and Saudi Arabia to discuss the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.
“We made it clear to them we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously,” Pompeo said of his talk with the Saudi royal family. “They made clear to me they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi.”
Evidence is piling up that Saudi prince Mohammad bin Salman authorized the murder of Khashoggi in that country’s consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, was last seen going into the Saudi government building more than two weeks ago to get papers he needed to marry. The Saudi royal family initially insisted Khashoggi left the building not long thereafter.
“They also have assured me they will conduct a complete,...
“We made it clear to them we take this matter with respect to Mr. Khashoggi very seriously,” Pompeo said of his talk with the Saudi royal family. “They made clear to me they too understand the serious nature of the disappearance of Mr. Khashoggi.”
Evidence is piling up that Saudi prince Mohammad bin Salman authorized the murder of Khashoggi in that country’s consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, was last seen going into the Saudi government building more than two weeks ago to get papers he needed to marry. The Saudi royal family initially insisted Khashoggi left the building not long thereafter.
“They also have assured me they will conduct a complete,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
Turkey, one of the most heavily surveilled countries in the world, reportedly has an audio recording of the torture and murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. According to an unnamed senior Turkish official who claims to have heard the recording, the 15-man hit squad beat Khashoggi, cut off his fingers, chopped off his head, dismembered him with a bone saw and threatened the hapless Saudi consul when he tried to protest. “If you want to live when you come back to Arabia, shut up,” one of the agents told the consul,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Seth Harp
- Rollingstone.com
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has tweeted he’s pulling out of the Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia. This comes in the wake of the disappearance of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi as evidence piles up that the journalist was tortured at the direction of Saudi prince Mohammad bin Salman inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey, that he was murdered during the interrogation, and his body cut up and removed in diplomatic bags.
Mnuchin’s announcement came moments after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stepped out of the White House and told reporters the Saudis had “assured me they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and do so in a timely fashion and that the report itself will be transparent.”
He also said the Saudis asked for a few more days to complete their “investigation, so we too have complete understanding of the facts surrounding that,...
Mnuchin’s announcement came moments after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stepped out of the White House and told reporters the Saudis had “assured me they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and do so in a timely fashion and that the report itself will be transparent.”
He also said the Saudis asked for a few more days to complete their “investigation, so we too have complete understanding of the facts surrounding that,...
- 10/18/2018
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
In the wake of President Trump’s muted response to the suspected murder of Jamal Khashoggi, old reports are resurfacing showing that Khashoggi previously faced consequences for his commentary about the incoming president back in 2016.
The Saudi Arabian Washington Post columnist wasn’t just a fierce critic of his own nation, but also had sharp words for the real estate mogul as well — so sharp in fact that he got himself banned from appearing in Saudi media over the issue, according to numerous contemporary media reports.
“Saudi authorities banned journalist Jamal Khashoggi from writing in newspapers, appearing on TV and attending conferences,” Middle East Eye reported in December 2016, citing Arabic sources. “This came after Khashoggi’s remarks during a presentation he made at a Washington think-tank on 10 November in which he was critical of Donald Trump’s ascension to the Us presidency.”
Also Read: Endeavor to Exit $400 Million Saudi Arabia...
The Saudi Arabian Washington Post columnist wasn’t just a fierce critic of his own nation, but also had sharp words for the real estate mogul as well — so sharp in fact that he got himself banned from appearing in Saudi media over the issue, according to numerous contemporary media reports.
“Saudi authorities banned journalist Jamal Khashoggi from writing in newspapers, appearing on TV and attending conferences,” Middle East Eye reported in December 2016, citing Arabic sources. “This came after Khashoggi’s remarks during a presentation he made at a Washington think-tank on 10 November in which he was critical of Donald Trump’s ascension to the Us presidency.”
Also Read: Endeavor to Exit $400 Million Saudi Arabia...
- 10/18/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Fox Business stands increasingly alone in their decision to continue sponsoring Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative. As of Monday morning, they remained one of only two media organizations partnering with the event. The other sponsor, Al Arabiya, is a Saudi-owned operation based out of Dubai.
Over the last week, The New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Nikkei and the Financial Times all pulled out of the event amid growing questions about the kingdom’s involvement in the disappearance of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
A rep for Fox Business said the matter was still “under review” offering essentially the same response they have given media for the past week.
Also Read: NBC News Contributor Gabriel Sherman Says Trump Emboldens 'Rich White People' to Show 'Lack of Empathy'
On Friday, the conference completely removed the “media sponsor” portion of the website, which had boasted of the big name partnerships...
Over the last week, The New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Nikkei and the Financial Times all pulled out of the event amid growing questions about the kingdom’s involvement in the disappearance of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi.
A rep for Fox Business said the matter was still “under review” offering essentially the same response they have given media for the past week.
Also Read: NBC News Contributor Gabriel Sherman Says Trump Emboldens 'Rich White People' to Show 'Lack of Empathy'
On Friday, the conference completely removed the “media sponsor” portion of the website, which had boasted of the big name partnerships...
- 10/15/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
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