Gene Maddaus
Variety
Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Past articles by Gene:
SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood Studios Still at Odds Over Higher Residuals for Hit Streaming Shows
With four days to go before the contract deadline, SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios are at odds over the issue of higher pay for hit streaming series. → Read More
Armie Hammer Will Not Face Sex Assault Charges in L.A. Case
The Los Angeles County D.A.'s office has declined to file charges of sexual assault against actor Armie Hammer after a rape allegation. → Read More
Hollywood Braces for a Possible Writers Strike: Why the WGA and Studios Are on a Collision Course
Hollywood studios are worried a possible writers strike will cause a work stoppage, but union members believe they are being left behind by streaming. → Read More
Harvey Weinstein Jurors Explain Mixed Verdict: ‘Nothing Was Black and White’
Three jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial explained how they arrived at a mixed verdict. → Read More
Harvey Weinstein Jurors Posed a Question and Asked to Hear Testimony, But Still No Verdict
The jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial asked a question and sought readback of testimony from the trial last week, court officials confirmed on Tuesday. The jury has been deliberating for seven days on charges of rape and sexual assault against the producer. There is still no sign of a verdict, and the jury has […] → Read More
Harvey Weinstein’s Defense Lawyer Urges Jury to Acquit: ‘Regret Is Not the Same as Rape’
Harvey Weinstein's defense made closing arguments in the sprawling L.A. criminal trial that could put the former Hollywood mogul behind bars for life. → Read More
How Bob Iger’s Return to Disney Sent Shockwaves Through Hollywood in Real Time
Is this a hoax? That was the reaction from many Disney employees on the evening of Nov. 20, as the stunning news spread that Bob Iger would return to Disney as CEO, ending the stormy tenure of his successor, Bob Chapek. The news was so unexpected that at first many Mouse House staffers were immediately […] → Read More
Bob Chapek‘s Early Blunders Made It Hard to Escape Bob Iger’s Shadow at Disney
Bob Iger was always going to be a tough act to follow. But Bob Chapek’s tenure at the helm of Disney was also marked by unforced errors that ultimately made it impossible to escape Iger’s shadow. On Sunday night, Chapek was ousted and replaced by Iger, a little less than three years after Chapek succeeded […] → Read More
After ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ a Weakened Disney Hopes to Limit the Damage
Six months after the “Don’t Say Gay” controversy, Disney has been weakened by the fight while Governor DeSantis’ profile as a conservative culture warrior has only grown. → Read More
Georgia Filming Subsidy Makes It Hard to Boycott Over Abortion
The entertainment studios made a lot of noise threatening to boycott Georgia in 2019, after the state passed a bill outlawing abortion after six weeks. But now that the law is on the verge of going into effect, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, the studios have gone quiet. Most of them have said they […] → Read More
Trump Knew Jan. 6 Protesters Were Armed, Aide Testifies
President Trump knew that protesters were carrying weapons before directing them toward the Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, where they stormed the building and interrupted the electoral count, a former aide testified to Congress on Tuesday. Trump also demanded to go to the Capitol himself, according to the aide, Cassidy Hutchinson. When the Secret […] → Read More
Can Johnny Depp Stage a Hollywood Comeback After Legal Victory?
Johnny Depp scored a clear and unexpected victory in court last week. His attorney, Ben Chew, implored the Virginia jury to restore his name, his reputation and his career, and the jury responded — finding that Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, had defamed him when accusing him of domestic violence. But while jury verdicts are binary […] → Read More
Johnny Depp Trial Reveals Sordid Culture of Celebrity Enablers
The latest act in the very public unraveling of Johnny Depp began last week in a courtroom in northern Virginia, pulling back the curtain on the secretive world of celebrity enablers and hangers-on. Depp is suing his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for $50 million for describing herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” in a […] → Read More
AT&T’s WarnerMedia Era Ends: How Culture Clashes, Massive Debt and Donald Trump Doomed the Merger
In September 2018, AT&T summoned the big players from the worlds of media and advertising to a beachside resort in Santa Barbara. The company had finally closed its $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, after a protracted fight with the Department of Justice, and wanted to celebrate — and to mark its place at the […] → Read More
Bob Chapek’s Big Misstep: How Disney CEO’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Response Sparked Staff Revolt
Disney CEO Bob Chapek is facing a major test of his leadership, after the company’s botched response to an anti-gay bill in Florida sparked a staff revolt among LGBTQ employees and their supporters. Chapek apologized to the staff on Friday, saying he should have been “a stronger ally.” But for some employees, who found the […] → Read More
‘Rust’ Producer’s Key Adviser — Her Dad — Pushed Tax Shelters and Hid Income, IRS Says
Kent Salveson, father of Rust producer Emily Salveson, has been accused by the IRS of promoting tax shelters and fraud. → Read More
Tentative IATSE Deal With Producers Averts Strike But Leaves Some Members Dissatisfied
After IATSE leadership reached tentative deal with producers, some members feel the pact fails to resolve a number of key issues. → Read More
Hollywood Below-the-Line Unions Don't Reflect California's Diversity
In California, which is plurality Latino, white people still make up the vast majority of the film and TV workforce. → Read More
Why Did the ArcLight Fade Away? Inside the Sad Final Chapter of the Pacific Theatres Chain
ArcLight CEO Chris Forman built the Pacific Theatres chain and also shut it down. What was behind the decision and does it have a future? → Read More
AT&T Will Owe $1.8 Billion Breakup Fee If It Drops Discovery Deal
AT&T will owe a $1.8 billion breakup fee if it backs out of the merger between Discovery and WarnerMedia. → Read More