ACORN TV
Programming from several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, and UK. AMC Networks chief Josh Sapan told The Hollywood Reporter that Acorn TV has "among the lowest churn" among major services owing to its focus as well as viewers' "dedication and affinity" for its content.

New information from industry researcher Guts and Data surveyed 600 active moviegoers, most of whom were not able to distinguish where new movies will first be available to watch. Only 33% were aware that Lionsgate’s action comedy “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” which opened on the big screen last weekend, was being offered exclusively in theaters. Of those surveyed, 39% thought the film would be accessible to stream while it’s also on movie theater marquees. Meanwhile, just 21% of those surveyed knew that the Pixar movie “Luca” is available to Disney Plus subscribers at no extra cost but isn’t available in cinemas. 43% thought “Luca” was also playing in theaters. People are also mixed up about when new films are debuting, according to Guts and Data findings. Only 23% of those surveyed were aware of both the title “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” and knew that it was already screening in theaters. For “Luca,” just 34% were aware both of the property itself and the fact that it had already premiered...

AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest cinema chain, is offering its customers “all you can eat” popcorn with the purchase of any size tub. The promotion, one of several deals that AMC is running through the first-ever Cinema Week, will extend through June 30. It will be available at all AMC locations in the country. Cinema Week, a six-day event that’s aiming to get people back to the movies, is running in partnership with several U.S. movie theater chains and Hollywood studios including Disney, A24, Paramount, Netflix and Universal. As part of the celebration, participating venues will be hosting exclusive in-theater content, giveaways and special guests, as well as sneak screenings of Universal’s “Fast & Furious” sequel “F9” and Disney’s upcoming movie documentary “Summer of Soul.” Events, prizes and activities will vary by location....

George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Eva Longoria and more will co-found a film school for underserved communities beginning in fall 2022. The Roybal School of Film and Television Production will give students robust academic education, practical training and access to renowned storytellers and other industry professionals and experts from Hollywood. The school will also offer a dedicated internship initiative. “This effort will help open the doors of opportunity for a diverse group of students from underserved communities,” Superintendent Beutner said in a statement. “This groundbreaking program will help prepare students for good-paying jobs in the film and television industry by integrating practical industry experience and internships for students into the curriculum. Physics is involved in the choice of a lens by a cinematographer, math is part of the foundation for a musical score in a film, critical thinking skills are needed to design a set, screenwriters needs a foundation in literacy, and a make-up artist needs to know the chemistry of the different materials they might use – all of this will be tied into the curriculum at the school. We are excited to have the support of these extraordinary industry leaders to create opportunity for children in the Los Angeles area.”...

Supporting the U.K. animation industry is one of the key priorities for the recently launched £7 million ($9.77 million) U.K. Global Screen Fund (UKGSF), which is being administered by the British Film Institute. At a time when animation producers can likely secure a maximum of 25% of budget for a commission from a U.K. broadcaster, companies have had to reach out internationally to secure financing for projects. Kate O’Connor, executive chair of U.K. Animation, says: “It’s in the DNA of animation sector that there are international collaborations and partnerships, and a sharing of skills and talents.”...

Nigeria’s Comic Republic, Africa’s largest publisher of independent comic books, has signed a production deal with Emagine Content and JackieBoy Entertainment to adapt its catalog of African superheroes for film and TV. Comic Republic publishes such African-based titles as Ireti, the story of a university student in Ibadan, Nigeria blessed with superpowers, Aje, a fantasy title inspired by Yoruba spirituality and mysticism, and The Vanguards, which focuses on an Avengers-style team of superheroes. Most of the publisher’s titles are rooted in traditional African mythology, folktales, and culture. The new agreement with Emagine builds on the cooperation between Comic Republic and JackieBoy, a Maryland-based entertainment group set up by music executive John Tillery...

James Cameron on Avatar 2: “I put together a group of writers and said, ‘I don’t want to hear anybody’s new ideas or anyone’s pitches until we have spent some time figuring out what worked on the first film, what connected, and why it worked,’” Cameron said. “They kept wanting to talk about the new stories. I said, ‘We aren’t doing that yet.’ Eventually I had to threaten to fire them all because they were doing what writers do, which is to try and create new stories. I said, ‘We need to understand what the connection was and protect it, protect that ember and that flame.’”...