Taking the Mickey: Disney hikes subscription costs 27 per cent – even as users fall by 11 million August 10, 2023 Disney has upped subscription prices and is rolling out an ad-supported plan despite losing subscribers since February. Current users of the Disney+ advertising-free plan now face a 27 per cent price hike for the streaming service, which features Disney classics and the Marvel franchise movies among other shows. Disney+ is set to launch a new [...]
Sony warns sales will be hit by Hollywood strikes August 9, 2023 Japanese tech giant Sony lowered its full-year sales forecast today warning that the ongoing Hollywood strikes will wreak havoc with movie production schedules. In a trading update, Sony revised its annual movie sales forecast down 50bn yen to 1.47trn yen (£8bn). Sony blamed the potential lower revenues on the impact of actors and writers staking [...]
Sadiq Khan unveils renovated London studio as part of £6m boost to the capital’s film and TV industry July 3, 2023 London mayor Sadiq Khan has visited the newly renovated 3 Mills Studios in east London, revealing the completed £6m development that is set to boost the capital’s film and television industry on a global stage. The project, funded with £3m from City Hall, includes upgrades to several historic buildings, the creation of over 10,000 sq [...]
Meet the man who quit the City to reinvent the film industry, one documentary at a time May 9, 2023 City banker Julian Bird set up Lorton Entertainment to show that investing in films could be profitable, and documentaries on Diego Maradona, Oasis and Wayne Rooney have proven him spectacularly right. “I’m not really a massive film fan,” says City banker-turned-unlikely movie mogul Julian Bird. It’s perhaps a surprising statement from someone who has been [...]
The best upcoming film, art and theatre in London to book now in 2023 January 12, 2023 Thursday is the new Friday! In our new Thursday Going Out section we bring you a list of all the things we’re looking forward to this year from the worlds of art, theatre and film. 2023 already looks like a classic. Theatre A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, 13 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY, ALMEIDA This Almeida production [...]
Locals slam Sky Studios new Elstree movie hub November 14, 2022 Locals have slammed Sky Studios’ plans to expand its Elstree film and TV hub, which could create 2,000 new jobs for the local area according to the media giant. Dubbed Sky Studios Elstree North, the plans – which are subject to planning permission – would take the total number of soundstages onsite to 23, and [...]
Inside BFI London Film Festival’s ‘explosion’ of virtual reality film programming October 13, 2022 Kristen is deciding whether or not to have an abortion. Sat directly opposite me, her hair is dyed blue, her denim jeans are ripped and she’s opening up about her personal story. “How are you feeling?” I ask her, as luscious animations illustrate her changing feelings. She appears genuinely lifelike during our one-to-one conversation, but [...]
Werewolf by Night review: An interesting style experiment from Marvel October 9, 2022 With Werewolf By Night, Marvel Studios have unveiled what’s essentially a Halloween special for the Disney+ network. Based on their Werewolf By Night comics, Marvel aren’t ofay with making these sorts of one-offs, but it comes with low risk. If it doesn’t work, the show can be forgotten as quickly as those Marvel One Shot [...]
Richard Eyre: ‘Usually there’s a dark side to national treasure actors’ October 6, 2022 The number of over-60s around the world will almost double from 2015 to 2050, according to the latest data from the World Health Organisation. Amid this staggering rise, the NHS is facing constant calls for further funding, and health inequality widened significantly under the pandemic. For Richard Eyre, director of Iris and Notes On A [...]
Insolvencies jump for small production firms despite TV and movie boom August 30, 2022 UK film and TV production company insolvencies jumped 69 per cent in the past year, as staff shortages continue to batter indie firms.