The AI Scare at Cannes, Screenwriters' Strike Worries and the Revenge of IRL Events

The business hustle continues, but with new fears ["Killers of the Flower Moon"]( [WaxWord: Cannes 2023 and the Shaky Movie Business – Film Finance Beckons but AI Terrifies]( By Sharon Waxman The current state of the movie business was belied by the hundreds of people crowding the streets in the south of France during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. If you didn’t know better you’d think it was hurly burly, business hustle and deal-making all over the place. But business isn’t booming, it’s still pretty darn shaky. The people swarming the Croisette are not the power players of years past, when Harvey Weinstein hosted an annual press event at the Carlton Hotel to present his upcoming films, always teasing an Oscar-worthy title or three with talent in attendance. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [writers-strike-sign]( [Screenwriters Worry That Film Concerns Are Taking a Back Seat in Hollywood Writers' Strike]( By Jeremy Fuster Since the WGA strike began, TV writers have been front and center, with late-night shows canceled, picket lines outside studios and questions lobbed at executives at upfronts about the strike’s impact on their prime-time lineups. But film writers who joined in the strike effort say they face the same struggles, and some worry they’re being left out of the conversation. Some flashpoints in the tense negotiations that led to the strike, like the use of mini-rooms, are specific to TV. But film screenwriters have seen their pay stagnate, too, the Writers Guild of America said. Many film genres have become more viable as streaming titles than as theatrical releases, leading feature writers to work on projects that often have less favorable pay scales. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Keanu Reeves performs at the 2023 BottleRock music festival in Napa, Calif.]( [Keanu Reeves and BottleRock Show Us a Way Out of the Matrix | PRO Insight]( By Peter Csathy The BottleRock music festival in Napa, Calif., just wrapped up, kicking off the summer festival season with headliners Lizzo, Post Malone and the return of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This high-end, three-day music event, now a decade old, featured the products of the finest wineries from the region alongside gonzo gourmet food. You’re never going to get that in virtual reality. As if to punctuate that point, Keanu Reeves also shared the stage with his band Dogstar. BottleRock is a gem among festivals, offering a unique, vineyard-spirited experience that’s always a standout. More importantly, it underscores the lasting power of live music and shared experiences in an increasingly ephemeral, heads-down, mobile-obsessed digital world. That’s the increasingly isolating environment in which AI thrives, presenting the latest major tech threat to musicians, artists and the entire entertainment community. [Read More]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Street Fighter 6 by Capcom]( [‘Street Fighter 6’ Enters PC Games Top 10 | Chart]( [fubar-arnold-schwarzenegger-netflix]( [Schwarzenegger’s ‘Fubar’ Debuts at Top of Netflix List]( [succession-kendall-finale]( ['Succession' Finale Hits Series High With 2.9 Million Viewers]( [cathy-nam-universal]( [Universal Hires Cathy Nam as SVP of Global Communications]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Wrap Pro logo] Discover why entertainment executives and professionals rely on the WrapPRO platform daily for exclusive coverage, analysis, deeper reporting, and access to VIP events & screenings throughout the year. [Subscribe Today]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( TheWrap | 2034 Armacost Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](