News

Two board members of Fortnite studio Epic Games resigned after the U.S. Department of Justice expressed concern that their positions on the board of Epic and that of one of its investors, the Chinese gaming giant Tencent, violated Section 8 of the Clayton Act.

The DOJ antitrust division announced the resignations Wednesday, adding that “Tencent also decided to amend its shareholder agreement with Epic to relinquish its unilateral right to appoint directors or observers to the Epic board in the future.”

The DOJ did not name the directors that resigned. Epic is a privately-held company.

Tencent, in addition to being an investor in Epic, also owns Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends and other game franchises.

Section 8 of the Clayton Act prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors, subject to limited exceptions. The DOJ has been active in investigating companies that it fears may be violating the Act.

Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B hit back at Tesla CEO Elon Musk after he called her a “puppet” for the Kamala Harris campaign.

In the social media dust-up — made on Musk’s own X platform — a right-wing account posted a clip of the “Wap” singer at a Milwaukee rally for the vice president and presidential candidate, during which she had to deal with a teleprompter error and stall for time as she was hand-delivered a phone with her speech’s points.

“Another puppet who can’t even talk without being fed the words,” Musk said in a quote-tweet of the original post, which called the mixup “embarrassing.” The noted Donald Trump supporter added, “The Kamala campaign has no authenticity or true empathy.”

The singer-songwriter, née Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, slammed Musk with her own quote-tweet response, writing: “I’m not a puppet Elon.. I’m a daughter of two immigrant parents that...

Warner Bros. Discovery has named attorney Daniel E. Sanchez, the nephew of John Malone, to its board, effective Oct. 1. The board had voted at its last meeting to expand to 12 directors.

Sanchez will stand for election at the 2025 annual shareholders meeting next summer. Wbd said he was added as an independent director.

He is currently on the boards of Liberty Global and Liberty Latin America, both companies in Malone’s portfolio. The cable pioneer and investor, a longtime mentor of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, was also a major Discovery shareholder and has large stake in Wbd.

Sanchez was previously a Discovery director from May 2017 until April 2022, when the Warner Media merger closed. He also previously served on the boards of Starz and Lionsgate, “providing him important public company board experience and familiarity with many of Wbd’s assets as well as the larger media ecosystem,” Wbd said.

From...

Warner Bros. Discovery, which was formed in 2022 from the merger of AT&T’s WarnerMedia and Discovery Communications, has agreed to pay $125 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit over the deal.

A handful of pension funds filed suit in Delaware Chancery Court after the $43 billion merger closed, alleging that the transaction unfairly benefited top-tier investors at Discovery at the expense of everyday investors. On Friday, the court released a document detailing the settlement, which had been agreed to in May at the recommendation of a mediator.

Once Delaware Chancery Judge Travis Laster approves the agreement, holders of Discovery stock prior to the merger closing date in April 2022 will be eligible to receive funds from the settlement.

Defendants in the suit included a set of former Discovery backers, including the Advance/Newhouse Partnership and Robert Miron; his son, Steven Miron; and Susan Swain. All are former members of Discovery’s board of directors.

Few might remember John McTiernan's 2003 military thriller "Basic," a film that was, at the time, touted as a grand reunion between "Pulp Fiction" stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. Because of its star power, "Basic" cost $50 million to make, but raked in a paltry $43 million at the box office. It currently sits at a 21% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I recall reading Roger Ebert's scathing one-star review with a wince; Ebert said that "Basic" was "was not a film that could be understood," stating that it was so twisty and full of trickery that is might be better called a "jerk-around movie." To elucidate on Ebert's point, the plot description for "Basic" on Wikipedia runs eleven paragraphs. The film is only 98 minutes long.

The plot can, however, be explained (kind of), and we shall now, dear readers, endeavor to unpack this forgotten 2003 thriller for all future generations.

Media mogul John Malone is stepping down from his director emeritus role at cable giant Charter Communications.

Malone said in a statement that he made the decision due to concerns around the Clayton Act, a 1914 antitrust law that the Department of Justice has been using to launch some investigations.

“I stepped away from my director emeritus role at Charter due to the uncertainty around Clayton Act inquiries,” said Malone in a statement. “I remain heavily invested in Charter via Liberty Broadband — which maintains its three board seats — and am confident in Charter’s leadership team and strategy for the business.”

Malone still sits on the board of his holding company Liberty Media, where is he chairman, as well as on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery. Malone had been a director emeritus at Charter since 2018 when he formally retired as a full-time director of the cable company.

Malone’s resignation...

Warner Bros Discovery said Monday that Steven A. Miron and Steven O. Newhouse have both notified the company’s board that they have resigned as directors after the U.S. Department of Justice informed them it was investigating whether their service violated Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act on overlapping boards — specifically involving Charter Communications.

The section prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors, subject to limited exceptions.

Newhouse is co-president of Advance and Miron is CEO of Advance/Newhouse Partnership, privately held by the Newhouse family. The family owns about 8% of Wbd stock through its previous holding in Discovery. Miron is also a director of Charter, as is another Newhouse family member, Michael Newhouse.

“Charter, through its Spectrum cable service, and Wbd, including through its Max streaming subscription services, both provide video distribution services to customers. Representatives of the privately-held media company Advance Publications Inc.

Two of Warner Bros. Discovery’s board members, Steven Newhouse and Steve Miron, are stepping down from their roles with the company after receiving inquiries from the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Miron and Newhouse resigned after the US Department of Justice informed them that it was investigating whether their service on the Board of Directors violated Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act,” Wbd said in a statement. “Messrs. Miron and Newhouse informed Wbd that, without admitting any violation, and in light of the changing dynamics of competition in the entertainment industry, they elected to resign rather than to contest the matter.”

Section 8 of the Clayton Act addresses corporate directors that simultaneously serve on the boards of competitors.

Members of the Newhouse family, including Newhouse and Miron, serve on the boards of cable giant Charter Communications, as well as Reddit, which just went public last month. Miron is the CEO of Advance/Newhouse Partnership,...

The Telangana State Anti-Narcotic Bureau (Tsnab) has directed the makers of upcoming Telugu movie ‘Ganja Shankar’ to change its title by omitting Ganja (cannabis) from it. With regard to the film’s title and the trailer uploaded on YouTube, Tsnab has told actor Sai Dharam Tej, producer and director of the film that if any objectionable scenes in connection with Ganja/narcotics and psychotropic substances are included, legal action will be initiated against them under Ndps Act.

Tsnab Director Sandeep Shandilya issued notices to actor Dharam Tej, who plays the main character in the movie, producer S. Nagavamshi and director Sampath Nandi.

Tsnab believes that the film’s title and the scenes included in the trailer seem to be glorifying drug consumption and sales, thus potentially violating Ndps Act.

“We believe that the movie ‘Ganja Shankar’ potentially inciting or abetting the crime of narcotics consumption, is inviting penal consequences to the movie makers,...

According to rule numbers 1 and 2, "you do not talk about Fight Club." But can you make a movie about it? What about a sort of B-movie version set in 2024 Los Angeles? Frank Grillo might be the one to star in said idea. The household name and NYC native has worked with almost every action superstar these days, so it's too bad none of these guys appear alongside him in his new B-movie.

Lights Out, which hits the masses this week, follows a drifting ex-soldier who turns into an underground fighter. Grillo isn't alone either, as a few known Hollywood actors also co-star here, but the talent isn't enough to solidify Christian Sesma's new feature as a standout amongst the countless other gritty action flicks out there.

Don't Rough Up the Duff

Lights Out (2024) RActionThriller 2.5/5 Release DateFebruary 16, 2024DirectorChristian SesmaCastScott Adkins, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Jaime King, Kevin GageRuntime1hr 30minWritersChad Law,...

Christian Sesma is a darling of the Coachella Valley. The filmmaker, known for his shoot ‘em up films such as “Shoot the Hero” and “Section 8,” shoots his films in the Palm Springs area and hires local crew members and actors from the valley such as his 18th feature titled “Lights Out” starring Mekhi

The post Inside the Making of “Lights Out” appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

"We need to end this." Quiver has revealed an official trailer for an action movie called Lights Out, the latest from filmmaker Christian Sesma reteaming with Dermot Mulroney & Scott Adkins after making Section 8 in 2022. This will be opening in both theaters and digital starting in February next month. A drifting ex-soldier turns underground fighter with the help of a just released ex-con, which ends up pitting them both against corrupt cops and hired killers gunning for them and all those they care about. Pretty much everyone is out to get them! The cast features Frank Grillo, Mekhi Phifer, Jaime King, with Dermot Mulroney and Scott Adkins, as well as Amaury Nolasco, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Erica Peeples, Juju Chan Szeto, and Paul Sloan. This "action-packed thrill ride" actually looks solid, better than expected if I'm honest. A seriously intense throwback to the all-out, non-stop action the entire time, 90s heydays.

Head Count, the new neo-Western thriller from Shout! Studios, is Blood Simple meets Memento. Directed with vigor by brothers Jacob Burghart and Ben Burghart, the film finds an escaped convict confronted with a set of improbable scenarios and several lurid characters in manic journey filled with violence, redemption, and even love.

The film stars Aaron Jakubenko (Tidelands), Melanie Zanetti (Bluey), and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood). The concept for this festive ride sprang from a 48-hour film festival the Burghart brothers entered that found them having to whip a movie idea then shoot, edit it, and create a film. “One of the concepts we had for that was this movie,” said Ben Burghart. “It was a guy trying to remember how many bullets are left in his gun and each bullet is a memory. And we've been trying to get this other horror film off the ground for a few years and eventually we were like,...

The world of The Witcher grows its its various spinoffs, and it's looking like one of the upcoming shows will be starring Dolph Lundgren. While recently speaking with the Swedish publication Aftonbladet (per Collider), Lundgren explained how he now feels better than ever, happy with the tremendous progress he's made with his cancer battle. The actor had only recently revealed publicly that he was diagnosed with cancer eight years ago and has quietly been battling the disease, having since had six tumors removed. Lundgren says he's now feeling so well he's back to work in South Africa to film a Netflix series that's a part of The Witcher franchise.

Lundgren didn't share any additional details about the show he's a part of. The Collider report suggests it may be a spinoff that focuses on the Rats, a group of thieves that will debut in the upcoming third season of The Witcher with Henry Cavill.

Mash's Maxwell Klinger has made a name for himself for wearing dresses in the series. Alan Alda's Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce was arguably the show's true protagonist, but without a great ensemble around him, the critically-acclaimed comedy wouldn't be the iconic series it ultimately became. Each character had their respective signature trait, including Toledo, Klinger, who was best known for his odd sartorial choices. Instead of dressing up like an army man, he chose to sport elaborate dresses.

Played by Jamie Farr, Klinger wasn't introduced in Mash until season 1, episode 4, "Chief Surgeon Who?" Originally a segment character, who only appeared for a comedic bit, he grew in popularity over the years, and by the end of the show, he was already one of its main characters. Klinger's penchant for wearing fashion-forward dresses made it easier for him to stand out and eventually become a fan favorite. That said, in...

Although Black Adam himself is a relatively well-known anti-hero now, the massive recently-released DC superhero movie may well have given general audiences their first introduction to slightly more obscure characters from the comics like Cyclone and Atom Smasher. Then again, anyone who watched 2021's The Suicide Squad is already aware of the kind of bizarre heroes and villains lurking in the DC universe.

Even those don't quite convey the full extent of weirdness in the comics when characters like The Condiment King and Matter-Eater Lad exist. Internet users could never resist such easy targets for memes and these are some of the funniest ones that they've come up with.

Even Batman Rates The Condiment King Respect from raimimemes

When it comes to strange DC villains, mixing a completely mundane item with a grandiose title is a tried-and-tested method for success. It worked for The Condiment King, a parody of the...

Here's every Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins movie collaboration ranked from worst to best. Dolph made his screen debut with a mute appearance in 1985 Bond adventure A View To A Kill, but it was his turn as hulking box Ivan Drago in that same year's Rocky IV that made him a star. Like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lundgren became one of the defining action movie stars of the '80s and '90s, starring in gems such as Showdown In Little Tokyo or Universal Soldier. He feels more active than ever, appearing in The Expendables movies or the Aquaman series.

Adkins grew up idolizing the martial arts stars of the Dolph era and would go on to co-star with many of them, including Van Damme. In his own way, Adkins has kept the flame of that era alive with modern favorites like the Undisputed series or the Accident Man movies. This...

Alongside being a movie megastar, George Clooney has always had a penchant for smaller, less commercially ambitious films. For every "Gravity" and "Ocean's Eleven" there's a "Solaris" or a "Good Night, and Good Luck." The latter of those, released in 2005, was a product of Clooney and Steven Soderbergh's Section Eight Productions — a relatively short-lived production company responsible for the "Ocean's" franchise as well as smaller productions like "Syriana".

The company was shuttered in 2006, with Clooney leaving to start his current production company, Smokehouse Pictures, with his "Good Night, and Good Luck" co-writer and producer Grant Heslov. But for a while, Clooney and Soderbergh's joint venture was churning out an impressive slate of films, some of which proved successful both commercially and critically. But it was the smaller movies that its co-founders were particularly interested in. The two struck a deal with Warner Bros. to make relatively low-budget films in exchange for,...

Rlje Films will release the action film, Section 8, on DVD and Blu-ray on November 15, 2022.

Written by Chad Law (Black Water)and Josh Ridgway (Howlers)and directed by Christian Sesma (Paydirt, Vigilante Diaries), the film stars Ryan Kwanten (“True Blood”), Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Scott Adkins (The Expendables 2)and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler). Section 8 will be available on DVD for an Srp of 27.97 and on Blu-ray for an Srp of 28.96.

In Section 8, after avenging the murder of his wife and child, a former soldier (Ryan Kwanten) is sent to prison with a life sentence. He’s given a shot at freedom when a shadowy government agency recruits him for an off-the-books assignment. He soon realizes Section 8 isn’t what it seems.

Check out the trailer.

Section 8 will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 15, 2022 and Wamg is giving...

Sometimes the most devastating circumstances people experience can ultimately prove to be the inspiration they need to find a clear purpose in how they want to lead the rest of their life. That’s certainly the case for Ryan Kwanten‘s protagonist of former soldier, Jake Atherton in the new action film, ‘Section 8.’ After his wife […]

The post Interview: Christian Sesma Talks Section 8 (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.

A still shot of Ryan Kwanten. Pic credit: AMC+ and Rlje Films

Landing the role of Jake Atherton in the film Section 8 was a childhood dream come true for Ryan Kwanten, who, as a young Aussie lad, used to play games with his brother and friends at the park near his home in which they were either the hero or the villain.

“I grew up in that ‘80s generation where a lot of the actors I acted with in this movie are from that generation of the kick-a** ‘80s action movies,” he told Monsters and Critics in this exclusive interview. “So, as a young boy, you couldn’t help but be influenced by that. And so, to now have the, I say the audacity, but also the privilege to star in one, is just truly incredible.”

Section 8 follows Jake in this story of loss and betrayal. A vet...

(Welcome to SlashClips, a series where we bring you exclusive clips from hot new Digital, Blu-ray, and theatrical releases you won't see anywhere else!)

In this edition:

The American Dream and Other Fairy TalesDigSection 8Railway ChildrenFor Walter and JosiahThe American Dream And Other Fairy Tales

First up, we have an exclusive clip from Abigail E. Disney's documentary "The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales," which explores income inequality through the lens of her family's namesake theme park. Co-directed by Disney (daughter of Roy E. Disney and an heir to the company) and Kathleen Hughes ("The Armor of Light"), the film is now playing in Orlando and New York. It will hit additional markets and VOD on September 23, 2022.

Here is the official synopsis:

Abigail Disney looks at America's dysfunctional and unequal economy and asks why the American Dream has worked for the wealthy, yet is a nightmare for people born with less.

Actor Jaime King has joined the cast of action movie “Lights Out,” a Firebrand production, staring Frank Grillo, Mekhi Phifer and Scott Adkins. The Exchange, the world sales agent, is introducing the movie to buyers at the virtual European Film Market.

King, the star of Netflix’s “Black Summer” season one (2019) and season two (2021), has notably appeared in Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor,” Keenan Ivory Wayans’ “White Chicks,” Robert Rodriguez’s “Sin City,” Frank Millers’ “The Spirit,” and Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.”

“Lights Out,” which is in production, is a gritty modern-day “Road House” meets “Kickboxer,” set against the seedy underworld of Los Angeles.

An original screenplay by Garry Charles and Chad Law, “Lights Out” is directed by Christian Sesma and produced by Brandon Burrows of Firebrand.

The Exchange’s EFM lineup includes John Cena and Brian Cox’ “The Independent,” Kaley Cuoco...

Exclusive: Reem Kherici is directing and starring in Chien et Chat (Cat and Dog), a live-action animated hybrid film currently in production in Montreal, which she also wrote.

Cat and Dog follows the owner of an Internet-famous cat and an international jewel thief whose dog has swallowed a ruby as the animals escape their cages in the airport. Together, the unlikely duo must work together to recover their prized pets.

Gaumont’s Sidonie Dumas is producing with Eric Altmayer for Mandarin Productions. Netflix has taken Latin American rights to the film, with Gaumont looking to release it in French theaters in December of 2023.

Kherici is best known for the 2017 romantic drama Jour J (Wedding Unplanned), which also had her writing, directing and starring. She first established herself as a multi-hyphenate with the 2013 debut feature Paris à tout prix, which was distributed in over 50 countries.

Kherici is represented by Zero Gravity Management and A3 Artists Agency.

Mickey Rourke is joining the cast of action movie “Section Eight.” Sales agent The Exchange is introducing the movie to international buyers during the virtual American Film Market, which wraps Friday.

The cast also includes actors Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins, Ryan Kwanten, Dermot Mulroney, and Blue October’s lead singer Justin Furstenfeld, as previously announced.

The movie is the story of a former soldier who, after avenging the murder of his family, is sprung from prison and recruited by a shadowy government agency.

It will be directed by Christian Sesma, working from an original screenplay by Chad Law and Josh Ridgway. It is produced by Brandon Burrows of Firebrand.

Rourke’s many credits include “The Wrestler,” for which he was Oscar nominated, “Sin City,” “Angel Heart” and “Iron Man 2.” “Mickey’s raw energy and unique style are such a great addition to ‘Section Eight,’ ” Burrows said.

Rourke is represented by Framework Entertainment and Edelstein,...

Exclusive: Dermot Mulroney (Hanna) and singer Justin Furstenfeld have joined Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins, and Ryan Kwanten in action movie Section Eight, which The Exchange will be selling at the virtual American Film Market.

The movie charts the story of a former soldier who, after avenging the murder of his family, is sprung from prison and recruited by a shadowy government agency.

Furstenfeld, who is making his acting debut on the movie, is best known as the frontman of U.S. band Blue October. My Best Friend’s Wedding star Mulroney is currently starring in Netflix’s Along For The Ride and Agent Game with Mel Gibson.

An original screenplay by Chad Law and Josh Ridgway, Section Eight is being directed by Christian Sesma (Pay Dirt) and produced by Brandon Burrows of Firebrand. Pic is in post-production.

“It is exciting to have such a talented and dynamic actor like Dermot Mulroney joining our project.

Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins and Ryan Kwanten are set to go head-to-head in upcoming action movie Section Eight, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Based on an original screenplay by Chad Law (The Hit List, Drive Hard) and Josh Ridgway (The Sector, Howlers), and set to be directed by Christian Sesma (Pay Dirt, The Night Crew), the film comes from Firebrand, reunited with Lundgren for a third time following 2017’s Altitude and upcoming Christmas action-comedy Pups Alone. Firebrand founder Brandon Burrows will produce.

Section Eight will tell the story of a former soldier who, after avenging the murder of his family, is sprung from prison and recruited by a shadowy ...

Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins and Ryan Kwanten are set to go head-to-head in upcoming action movie Section Eight, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Based on an original screenplay by Chad Law (The Hit List, Drive Hard) and Josh Ridgway (The Sector, Howlers), and set to be directed by Christian Sesma (Pay Dirt, The Night Crew), the film comes from Firebrand, reunited with Lundgren for a third time following 2017’s Altitude and upcoming Christmas action comedy Pups Alone. Firebrand founder Brandon Burrows will produce.

Section Eight will tell the story of a former soldier who, after avenging the murder of his family, is sprung from prison and recruited by a shadowy ...