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October 16, 2026
Timothy Busfield Indictment on Child Sex Abuse Charges Thrown Out by Judge
A New Mexico judge on Friday threw out an indictment against actor Timothy Busfield, finding that prosecutors failed to act in an impartial manner during the grand jury proceedings. Busfield was in...
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October 16, 2026
Katie Zacharia, Trump’s Press Secretary, Is Out After Five Days
White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is out after just five days on the job. President Trump told reporters Friday that he would talk to Zacharia about a new role. “I said, ‘When I get back w...
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October 14, 2026
Steve Hilton, Republican Candidate for Governor, Rolls Out Expanded Hollywood Plan
Steve Hilton, the Republican contender for California governor, rolled out a plan Wednesday to revive Hollywood production that includes increased tax credits and state-backed financing for studio ...
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October 14, 2026
Xavier Becerra’s Film Policy Is Vague. Was It Written by AI?
On his campaign website, Xavier Becerra has a page devoted to Hollywood. The 1,600-word policy statement is long on platitudes — “California Is the Home of Film and TV and We Intend to Keep It That...
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October 9, 2026
Michael Ovitz Ordered to Complete Deposition in Julia Ormond Case After Storming Out Over Jeffrey Epstein Questions
A judge on Thursday ordered CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz to complete his deposition in the Julia Ormond sexual assault lawsuit, months after storming out when he was asked about Jeffrey Epstein. Or...
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October 6, 2026
Unions and Democrats Stump for Federal Film Incentive: ‘We Are So Close to Getting This Done’
A delegation of California Democrats campaigned with union leaders on Tuesday for a federal film incentive as they seek to build momentum to pass the measure by the end of the year. Sen. Adam Schif...
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October 5, 2026
Hollywood Unions Warn of 25-Year Decline in U.S. Production Market Share
A coalition of Hollywood unions issued a report on Monday warning that the U.S. has lost significant market share in film and TV production over the last 25 years. The report found that studios spe...
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October 2, 2026
Skydance Says It’s Committed to L.A., but Threat to Leave Has Proved Potent
Skydance is officially L.A.’s newest Fortune 500 company — but for how long? In a message to employees last week, CEO David Ellison said he is committed to keeping the company in Hollywood: “We are...
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October 1, 2026
‘Scrubs’ Writer Eric Weinberg Goes on Trial for Rape and Sex Assault of Seven Women
Jurors were told Thursday that TV writer Eric Weinberg posed as an amateur photographer in order to lure seven women to his Los Feliz home where he sexually assaulted them. Weinberg, 66, was a writ...
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September 30, 2026
Alec Baldwin’s Claims Against ‘Rust’ Prosecutor Dismissed on Immunity Grounds
A federal judge on Wednesday threw out much of Alec Baldwin’s civil rights lawsuit against prosecutors in the “Rust” case, finding they are entitled to prosecutorial immunity. Baldwin sued last yea...
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September 30, 2026
Paramount Deal and U.S. Film Incentive Reflect Hollywood’s Deepening Ties to Government
Last week, politicians decided they could not let Hollywood slip away. First, California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed for a resolution of the Paramount antitrust case out of fear that the studio would ...
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September 28, 2026
Paramount and States Defend Antitrust Settlement From Sen. Booker’s Criticisms
Paramount and a coalition of 12 state attorneys general defended their antitrust settlement on Monday from a series of criticisms raised last week by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. In separate filing...
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September 24, 2026
Backers of U.S. Film Incentive See Window to Pass Bill This Year
Supporters of a federal film incentive are preparing an all-out push to pass the legislation by the end of the year, looking to take advantage of momentum before Congress potentially changes hands ...
variety.com
September 24, 2026
Lawmakers Unveil 20%-30% U.S. Film Incentive in Bid to Restore Hollywood Production
A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled federal legislation Thursday that would create a 20%-30% U.S. film incentive, in a bid to secure American dominance in entertainment production. The incenti...
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September 24, 2026
The Federal Film Incentive Bill: What’s In and What’s Out
A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a bill on Thursday to create a 20% federal film incentive, with bonuses that could bring the total rebate to 30%. Here’s a quick rundown on what’s included ...
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September 23, 2026
Rob Bonta Sued Paramount to Counter Political Influence, Then Fell Victim to It
When Rob Bonta sued to block the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger in July, he said he was doing so because the Trump administration had failed to act for political reasons. “They are greenlighting dea...
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September 21, 2026
Rob Bonta, Facing Skeptics, Defends ‘Very Strong’ Paramount Deal
Rob Bonta defended the antitrust settlement that allows Paramount to merge with Warner Bros. on Monday, saying in a 45-minute press conference that the deal includes independent monitoring and will...
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September 20, 2026
Paramount Settlement Talks With State AGs Reach Critical Stage as Merger Opponents Rally and Urge Rob Bonta ‘Do Not Cave’
Paramount Skydance is moving closer to the finish line of its yearlong pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery as the company’s weekend settlement negotiations with the state attorneys general reach a cr...
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September 19, 2026
Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Creating $10 Million Post-Production Tax Credit
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a measure to create a $10 million tax credit meant to stem the tide of post-production jobs to other states and overseas. The bill, AB 2319, passed the state Assembly a...
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September 18, 2026
Amazon Moves to Toss ‘Criminal’ Production Assistant’s Harassment Suit
Amazon MGM has filed a motion to throw out a suit brought by a production assistant on the upcoming series “Criminal,” saying that his claim that the showrunner pointed a gun at him is “pure invent...
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September 17, 2026
FCC Approves 49.5% Foreign Ownership of Paramount-Warner Bros.
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved Paramount’s petition to allow 49.5% of its equity to be held by foreign entities once the Warner Bros. Discovery deal is complete. Paramou...
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September 16, 2026
Paramount May Be Bluffing About Leaving California, But L.A. Mayor Taking It Seriously
Paramount has been threatening to leave California since July, when the state sued to block it from merging with Warner Bros. Discovery. Attorney General Rob Bonta has called it “blackmail” meant t...
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September 15, 2026
DOJ Takes Paramount’s Side Against States in Fight Over $1.9 Billion Bond
The Department of Justice sided with Paramount on Tuesday, arguing that a coalition of 12 states should be forced to post a bond as the price of continuing to block the Warner Bros. merger. Paramou...
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September 15, 2026
Cinelease Buys Up Grip and Lighting Gear From Quixote
Cinelease, the film equipment rental house, announced Tuesday that it is acquiring grip and lighting equipment from Quixote, which continues to shrink its footprint amid a production slump. Quixote...
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September 15, 2026
MPA and Unions Tout Jobs Gains From Federal Film Incentive: ‘The Story Is Undeniable’
A coalition of unions joined with the Motion Picture Association on Tuesday to unveil a report showing that a federal film incentive would reverse the decline of domestic production and create 143,...
variety.com
September 15, 2026
MPA Projects Federal Film Incentive Would Double U.S. Production and Create 143,500 Jobs
The Motion Picture Association issued a report on Tuesday estimating that U.S. film and TV production would double by 2032 if Congress passes a federal film incentive. The report, prepared by Olsbe...
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September 12, 2026
Paramount Argues States’ Antitrust Suit Will ‘Collapse Under Scrutiny’
Paramount’s lawyers filed a legal response to the states’ antitrust lawsuit against the Warner Bros. Discovery merger on Friday, sketching out arguments and defenses it may use at a trial next Marc...
variety.com
September 11, 2026
Court to Hold Paramount-Warner Bros. Settlement Conference in Late October
A court will hold a two-day settlement conference in the Paramount-Warner Bros. antitrust case in late October. The conference is a standard part of civil procedure and does not indicate whether a ...
variety.com
September 10, 2026
Dan Schneider Loses ‘Quiet on Set’ Defamation Suit on Appeal
The producers of the documentary series “Quiet on Set” have prevailed in a lawsuit brought by former Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider, who claimed that the show implied that he was a child sex ...
variety.com
September 8, 2026
Congress Begins Drafting 20% Federal Film Incentive With Trump’s Blessing (EXCLUSIVE)
Members of Congress are drafting legislation that would create a 20% federal film and TV incentive — with bonuses that could bring it as high as 30% — after President Trump endorsed the idea last w...
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