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Bryan Sullivan Comments on High-Level Executive Departures Following Amazon’s Acquisition of MGM
Category: Press | Thursday, April 28th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Comments on High-Level Executive Departures Following Amazon’s Acquisition of MGM
Bryan Sullivan recently spoke to TheWrap regarding the news that MGM Studios’ motion picture group chairman, Michael De Luca, and president, Pam Abdy, are departing their roles. The announcement comes approximately one month after Amazon closed an $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM.
The article details reactions surrounding the departures of De Luca and Abdy, noting that MGM executives were surprised by the news, but Bryan notes that their decisions to leave could have been foreseen due to Amazon’s large number of high-level professionals and the reality that “there’s only so much room at the top.” According to the article, it is rumored that De Luca and Abdy may not have felt comfortable reporting to Jennifer Salke, who is currently Head of Amazon Studios.
The article also examines the uncertainty around what may happen to MGM’s current film projects, including new films from Guy Ritchie and Luca Guadagnino, and a number of Channing Tatum projects. Bryan explains that it’s unlikely that these projects will be pushed aside, even after the news of De Luca and Abdy’s departures.
After leaving a studio, “most C-level executives remain with the project in some capacity,” shares Bryan. “The executives could also form a production company with financing from Amazon rather than bolt to another studio or streamer.”
Read the full article below (subscription required).
What’s Next for Amazon Studios After Top MGM Movie Execs’ Surprise Exit | Analysis
Devin McRae Sheds Light On Possible Legal Ramifications of Will Smith’s Oscars Slap in The Washington Post
Category: News, Press | Tuesday, March 29th, 2022 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Sheds Light On Possible Legal Ramifications of Will Smith’s Oscars Slap in The Washington Post
In an article published in The Washington Post, Devin McRae weighed in on the recent Oscars incident in which Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face on stage after Rock made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Moments later, Smith went on to win the Oscar Award for Best Actor for his performance as Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams, in “King Richard.”
The article details the divided opinions from celebrities who were in attendance and viewers who watched the incident play out on live TV, in addition to forecasting how both the Academy and the Los Angeles Police Department should respond.
In Devin’s opinion, the possibility of any criminal charges being filed are unlikely because Rock declined to press charges at the time of the incident, even though the case could be prosecuted as criminal assault and battery.
“The LAPD or the sheriff’s office doesn’t really need a complaining witness in a case like that if the evidence of the act is on film,” Devin says. “A lot of criminal agencies are so overburdened with work that, for this type of thing, if the victim doesn’t want to press charges, it might be routine for them to just not prosecute it and not have to devote the resources.”
Read the full article below (subscription required).
The industry — and the academy — are torn on how to handle Will Smith’s Oscars slap
Bryan Sullivan Comments On Amazon’s Acquisition of MGM For TheWrap
Category: Press | Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Comments On Amazon’s Acquisition of MGM For TheWrap
In a recent article for TheWrap, Bryan Sullivan shared his thoughts on Amazon’s recent acquisition of MGM.
In addition to outlining the logistics of the $8.5 billion deal, the article notes the contrasting cultures of Amazon and MGM, and it considers how this will affect the roles of top MGM executives, including Mike De Luca and Mark Burnett. The article examines additional hurdles that could arise if the leadership structure remains unclear, including whether MGM will retain autonomy with major decisions regarding films and television shows.
“This is not a merger, this is a straight up acquisition,” Bryan remarks. “Amazon is in the driver’s seat. And MGM just goes along for the ride.”
Read the full article below (subscription required).
Why MGM’s Top Execs Face an Uphill Battle Under Amazon Leadership
Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Newsy About Studios Purchasing Individuals’ Life Rights
Category: News, Press | Friday, March 11th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Newsy About Studios Purchasing Individuals’ Life Rights
In a recent segment by Newsy, Bryan Sullivan shares extensive insight on the legalities of purchasing an individual’s life rights to create art. The segment exemplifies this practice by detailing Netflix’s purchase of Anna Sorokin’s life rights, resulting in its creation of “Inventing Anna.”
While Netflix reportedly paid $320,000 for Sorokin’s life rights, Bryan explains that purchasing an individual’s life rights is not required in order to tell their story, and there is no set cost to purchase. Studios choose to purchase rights for a number of reasons, including the guarantee that the individual is not able to sue the studio for defamation or privacy concerns. Bryan also notes that acquiring life rights results in exclusive access to telling the story, and it can even result in access to important artifacts such as diaries, emails, and documents.
“It would be imperative that they get actual access to her and exclusive access, so that she doesn’t go around telling her story to everybody else, undercutting the value of the rights,” Bryan says.
Watch the segment or read more of Bryan’s comments on Newsy below.
What Does It Mean To Buy The Rights To A Life Story?
Devin McRae Quoted In Los Angeles Times On Violence Concerns Surrounding Kanye West’s “Eazy”
Category: Press | Thursday, March 3rd, 2022 | Comments Off on Devin McRae Quoted In Los Angeles Times On Violence Concerns Surrounding Kanye West’s “Eazy”
In an article published in the Los Angeles Times, Devin McRae weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding the release of Kanye West’s “Eazy” music video. The music video depicts a cartoon version of West kidnapping and burying celebrity Pete Davidson, who is publicly involved with West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
The article notes complaints from offended viewers demanding that the video be taken down from Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube, and it questions whether social media companies have a legal obligation to delete offensive material.
The article also compares West’s music video to the lyrics of rap artist Jamal Knox. In 2018, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that Knox could be held criminally liable for naming specific police officers as well as ways he would harm them in his songs. Devin notes that the lyrics were about the rap artist’s arresting officers.
“You can see that there are a lot more circumstances that would lead one to believe it’s a true threat,” Devin says. “I think it would most likely be seen to be perhaps in bad taste but not legally actionable.”
Read the full article below (subscription required).
Did Ye’s revenge music video go too far?
Scott Gizer Provides Insight to Realtor.com on How Homeowners Can Protect Their Home From Lawsuits and Creditors
Category: News, Press | Friday, February 4th, 2022 | Comments Off on Scott Gizer Provides Insight to Realtor.com on How Homeowners Can Protect Their Home From Lawsuits and Creditors
Scott Gizer was recently featured in a piece for Realtor.com discussing precautionary measures American homeowners should take to safeguard their home from litigation or creditors. The article examines common scenarios that could yield a lawsuit, notes the standard policies homeowners should have to one’s name, such as umbrella insurance, and details the most effective ways to protect your assets from creditors in the face of unexpected financial hardships. With Americans filing about 40 million lawsuits every year, Scott recommended that homeowners know how to protect their assets in advance.
In the article, Scott noted that homeowners should, “be sure to stay up-to-date on property taxes since defaults suggest that the homeowner isn’t taking proper care of their property.” In the unfortunate event of a lawsuit, the article cautions that, “Any hint of negligence could make you look bad in court should a lawsuit arise.”
Read the full article below.
Cover Your Assets 101: How To Protect Your Home From Lawsuits and Creditors
Bryan Sullivan Speaks to The Hollywood Reporter about the COVID-19 Safety Status Quo on Film and TV Sets
Category: News, Press | Tuesday, January 18th, 2022 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Speaks to The Hollywood Reporter about the COVID-19 Safety Status Quo on Film and TV Sets
In an article recently published by The Hollywood Reporter, Bryan Sullivan sheds light on how pandemic safety measures are continuing to impact work environments throughout film and TV sets in Hollywood, as well as possible changes to come if the existing COVID-19 safety agreement between top guilds and studios is revisited in the near future. The article highlights entertainment workers’ concerns about current protocols and whether or not they are stringent enough to keep workers protected against COVID-19 variants, especially as many projects have been affected by the wave of omicron cases.
Bryan was skeptical that a mandate for vaccination or testing will be included in any new agreement. “With omicron, while you can still get it while vaccinated, you’re not that sick and rarely do you have to go to a hospital if you’re already reasonably healthy. It’s much more treatable,” he shared. However, he continued to note that more stringent protocols are not completely out of the question, as production delays due to outbreaks can cost studios and guilds millions of dollars.
For more of Bryan’s commentary and insight whether the current protocols will be enhanced in entertainment workplaces, read the full article below.
Film/TV Sets Under Strain: Is the COVID-19 Safety Status Quo Good Enough?
Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Courthouse News About Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Netflix Film “#Alive”
Category: Press | Monday, December 6th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Speaks to Courthouse News About Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Netflix Film “#Alive”
Courthouse News reporter Edvard Pettersson spoke with Bryan Sullivan about a new lawsuit involving the 2020 Netflix film “#Alive,” an English-language dubbed version of a hit South Korean zombie thriller. The suit alleges that in making and releasing “#Alive,” Netflix infringed on the exclusive rights of Hollywood Innovation Group, a Korean producer, to make non-Korean language versions of the film. The suit also claims that the release of “#Alive” exhausted the market for Hollywood Innovation Group’s English-language version of the film, “Alone.”
When considering this novel copyright issue, Bryan notes that results of the lawsuit could depend on the exact wording used in the agreement between Hollywood Innovation Group and the author of the screenplay, and suggests that successfully claiming copyright infringement may be difficult. “Under copyright law, I don’t know if there are cases where just pure, straight dubbing is considered infringement,” says Bryan.
Read the full article below.
Netflix’s dubbed ‘#Alive’ draws lawsuit from makers of English-language version
Bryan Sullivan Examines Astroworld Liability For Travis Scott and Others In Forbes and Yahoo! Finance
Category: Press, Publications | Friday, November 19th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Examines Astroworld Liability For Travis Scott and Others In Forbes and Yahoo! Finance
In a recent article for Forbes entitled “Astroworld’s Legal Fallout: What’s At Risk For Travis Scott And Live Nation?” Bryan Sullivan examines the liability of Scott, Drake, Live Nation Entertainment Inc., and other defendants after the Astroworld tragedy. With a look at the legal outcome of similar incidents, Bryan explains that grounds for liability for Scott or Drake would depend on if they encouraged violent behavior from the crowds.
Bryan spoke with Yahoo! Finance further about Travis Scott’s liability following the incident, telling reporter Alexandra Canal that “The law requires him to engage in specific conduct that incited the incidents…What did he do at Astroworld that night? That’s the question the courts will be asking.”
The full article in Forbes and Bryan’s comments in Yahoo! Finance can be found below.
Bryan Sullivan Examines Who Could Be Held Legally Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting in Article Published by Forbes
Category: News, Press | Friday, October 29th, 2021 | Comments Off on Bryan Sullivan Examines Who Could Be Held Legally Responsible for ‘Rust’ Shooting in Article Published by Forbes
In an article recently published by Forbes, Bryan Sullivan sheds light on who could be held liable for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the injuries sustained by director Joel Souza after the accidental shooting that took place on the set of the film ‘Rust’ on October 21, 2021.
“…It is clear that if the key decision-making producers did cut safety protocols or knowingly hired unqualified personnel or personnel with a history of problems, those producers may face liability. If Baldwin was among these decision-makers, then he may face liability as well,” explains Bryan in the article. He continues on to note that, “further investigation is also needed to look into whether the claims of unsafe working conditions were a contributing factor the shooting,” highlighting parallels between recent negative attention the film industry has drawn due to lack of regard for crew safety and the reported conditions allegedly endured by those on the set of ‘Rust.’
For more of Bryan’s commentary and insight into whether this tragedy will bring about meaningful change in Hollywood, read the full article below.
‘Rust’ Shooting – Who Could Be Held Legally Responsible And Why?