- J.K. Rowling is launching a new children’s book online for free—and it’s not a Harry Potter spinoff (Rolling Stone)
- Kids could be putting a major strain on families’ broadband as they spend more time gaming and streaming (Digital TV Europe)
- Indie cinemas in the UK are unlikely to open before September, and when they do it won’t be business as usual (Independent)
- Should the Oscars recognize streaming films? Critics break down how the Academy could change (Variety)
- No more open casting calls and daily temperature checks required—Georgia has outlined its rules for film sets (LA Times)
- Netflix’s second original animated film raked in more than 37 million views, and it isn’t even part of a large franchise (Variety)
- Sterile studios and sealed fortresses are becoming the norm for unscripted during COVID-19 (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Pixar has come out with its first short featuring a gay main character, but will the progress reach further? (Deadline)
- Netflix’s VP of publicity for film is stepping down (Variety)
- TikTok really needs to win over the US government…will hiring a CEO from Disney help? (CNN)
- Some insight from influencers: How much is a million views on YouTube really worth? (Business Insider)
- Ahead of its launch next week, HBO Max has been busy behind the scenes preparing the tech of it all (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Alan Menken to score Skydance Animation’s Spellbound (Deadline)
- TikTok’s parentco Bytedance is reportedly worth more than US$100 billion (Yahoo Finance)
- Amazon has released a new game that it hopes will be just as fun for people to watch as it is to play (BBC News)
- To woo advertisers back, ViacomCBS is promising that it won’t show viewers the same ad over and over…and over (Digiday)
- Mark your calendars! California is rolling out guidelines for restarting production on May 25 (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Hollywood has plans to restart production, but it’s going to get very pricey (Variety)
- …Meanwhile, the UK industry has put together industry guidelines for producing live-action content during the pandemic (Realscreen)
- Edgar Wright has launched a production company, and its first project is a supernatural kids mystery for Netflix (Deadline)
- CNN and Sesame are going back into the studio to host a second COVID-19 townhall for kids (CNN)
- Kids appear to be swearing more in quarantine…and that’s probably OK (The New Yorker)
- US theaters are slowly reopening…but what will they play? (Screen Rant)
- Amazon and Netflix are looking to begin shooting again in France very soon (Comicbook)
- Apple is reportedly picking up library content, reversing its initial originals-only strategy (Bloomberg)
- ViacomCBS isn’t acquiring anything, but is starting to see some advertising return, said CEO Bob Bakish at the company’s AGM (Variety)
- Kids may need forts more now than they ever have before (The Washington Post)
- Disney has started putting plans in motion to reopen more of its theme parks (CNBC)
- …Meanwhile, Disney+ is in development on a Percy Jackson TV series (Entertainment Weekly)
- Amazon Prime Video is picking up big Indian releases while the country’s cinemas remain closed (Tech Crunch)
- Why some movies may be able to crush the box office, even with limited capacity in theaters (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Kids are struggling with virtual friendships (The New York Times)
- Several children’s advocacy groups have jointly filed an FTC complaint accusing TikTok of violating child privacy laws (Financial Post)
- Analysts predict that Disney could lose US$1 billion every month that parks remain closed (CNBC)
- How Titmouse is taking advantage of the popularity of animated content right now (Forbes)
- A kids TV producer has launched a podcast taking a look at the current industry (Nick Dorra Podbean)
- Mamma Mia! Could there be a TV show in this adorable pizza baby’s future? (Nerdist)
- HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s US$4-billion bet on streaming, and we’re about to find out if it paid off (Variety)
- Maybe it’s because viewers are looking for an escape, but remotely shot shows just aren’t bringing in the ratings (The Hollywood Reporter)
- The kids TV “idealists” are getting a new book dedicated to how some of the most iconic shows were made (Wall Street Journal)
- The Spotify Kids app is getting smarter and adding new features for parents (Tech Crunch)
- Disney+ is releasing Hamilton a year early—is this a bid to bring in more viewers or restock the content shelf? (The Verge)
- …Speaking of stocking those shelves, Amazon really needs new movie releases, perhaps even more than multiplexes do (BNN Bloomberg)
- After several blockbuster years of new pilot orders, networks are looking to renew rather than commission (Variety)
- Quibi’s not doing well, and it’s 100% the fault of COVID-19…right? (The New York Times)
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