Glenn Beck is going Hollywood.
Nearly three years after leaving Fox News, the controversial conservative radio host and media entrepreneur is ramping up a film division at Mercury Radio Arts, the parent company of his popular radio show and digital media operation TheBlaze.
Beck tells The Hollywood Reporter he has been refurbishing The Studios at Las Colinas, a 72,000-square-foot facility in Irving, Texas, where such films as JFK and RoboCop and TV shows including Prison Break and Walker, Texas Ranger have been shot. "We're getting it ready for some big plans," he says of the property, which he purchased in June.
Beck says he is developing three original stories as theatrical films -- one set in ancient history, one in modern history and a third he considers "faith-based" -- and has optioned several other ideas, some of which could be adapted into VOD features. He adds that he has purchased rights to his 2008 best-seller The Christmas Sweater back from Sony and will turn the story into a movie for television or theatrical release.
Beck notes it's too early to specify budgets or potential financing partnerships, though he probably has leverage to attract interested parties, considering TheBlaze lands an estimated $40 million in revenue annually and he earns $20 million a year hosting the radio show, according to sources familiar with his business. He also declined to identify the Hollywood moviemaking talent he has hired so far.
"I bought a movie studio for a reason," he says. "I have every intent of finding great artists who will tell great stories that aren't typical. Everybody thinks they know who I am because of my stint on Fox -- that was two years of my life. I'm much more into culture than I am into politics, and that's where I intend on making my stand."
Beck says he has great respect for "artists who risk big," citing filmmakers Baz Luhrmann and even Darren Aronofsky as examples (despite having called Noah a "Babylonian chainsaw massacre" on his radio show). "Hollywood is missing this moment to reconnect with the American people because they don't speak the language," he says. "Some of it is out of spite -- they might not like people of faith."
read full article
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
The Passion of the Christ Still Setting Records: Excels with Premiere on UP
The ratings grew dramatically for UP with the commercial television premiere of The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson’s graphic tale of Jesus’ final hours set a host of Nielsen marks for UP on Palm Sunday.
The film was UP’s top telecast ever with an average audience of 1.1 million viewers on April 13, according to Nielsen data. The rating ranked eighth and the audience seventh in the time period among ad-supported cable UP ranked 10th among women 25 to 54 and adults 25 to 54.
UP, benefiting from the film and a number of other Bible-tied films, ascended to its strongest day ever in households, persons 18 to 49 and adults 25 to 54 on April 13 and the network's strongest week ever in household delivery.
“We knew that The Passion of the Christ would resonate with our audience and attract new viewers to UP as well," said Charley Humbard, president and CEO, UP. "The film is the centerpiece of our extensive Easter programming and truly epitomizes our holiday theme: ‘Easter Lives Here’. The Thursday night special encore presentation provides the perfect movie to watch before Good Friday.”
The film was UP’s top telecast ever with an average audience of 1.1 million viewers on April 13, according to Nielsen data. The rating ranked eighth and the audience seventh in the time period among ad-supported cable UP ranked 10th among women 25 to 54 and adults 25 to 54.
UP, benefiting from the film and a number of other Bible-tied films, ascended to its strongest day ever in households, persons 18 to 49 and adults 25 to 54 on April 13 and the network's strongest week ever in household delivery.
“We knew that The Passion of the Christ would resonate with our audience and attract new viewers to UP as well," said Charley Humbard, president and CEO, UP. "The film is the centerpiece of our extensive Easter programming and truly epitomizes our holiday theme: ‘Easter Lives Here’. The Thursday night special encore presentation provides the perfect movie to watch before Good Friday.”
Rapper Talks About Music and Its Impact on Culture
KB, a Christian rapper who scored major crossover success with “100,” his latest E.P., believes music plays a monumental role in helping expose and shape culture — and he has a pointed message for fans and fellow artists alike: take responsibility for what you create and consume.
“I think music is sort of the spokesperson,” the 25-year-old told TheBlaze recently. “It sort of serves as the spokesperson of a culture and it serves as sort of a reporter.”
In addition to offering a lens into societal values, KB believes music also holds the power to have an ideological impact by bending peoples’ “worldview one way or another.”
The rapper specifically addressed negative and explicit content in music today. On the consumer side, he said that people should pay close attention to what they’re taking in.
And he said that artists — especially rappers — whom KB described as “leaders of the culture,” need to be completely honest about the negative themes they sometimes tout.
“Rappers that talk about selling cocaine, they talk a lot about the heaven side of it,” he said. “Everyone wants to have nice cars, huge houses, move our families out the hood and be protected.”
But all too often, he noted, artists don’t fully convey the dangers of living these lifestyles — realities he believes fans need to hear.
“It’s all contingent on a lie, that there’s this free, fast life that you can live dangerous above the law … when really there’s another side of it … that it’s a very hard hell-like life to sort of live for the moment,” he explained. “These rappers [and] artists in general need to be honest about the full picture.”
KB told TheBlaze that he thinks that the current culture is “religiously exhausted” and that many people are soul-searching. But rather than a negative outlook on Christianity’s future, he believes that the faith may actually be poised to gain new ground.
“We’re thirsty for something greater than we've been feeding ourselves for [the past] 50 to 60 years,” he said. “I think that the light of the gospel is bursting forth as a legitimate alternative.”
This is the message that KB is also intent on bringing to the masses. Passionate about spreading Christianity, he also explained what drives him to create faith-inspired music.
As a teenager, he said he struggled to figure out who he was, feeling hopeless and answer-less at times.
KB eventually met up with Lecrae, a popular Christian rapper and the co-founder of Reach Records, who showed him that it’s entirely possible to make music and travel the world as a professional artist; he’s now a Reach Records artist.
KB recently captured mainstream attention after “100,” his most recent E.P., made the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Christian Albums chart, the No. 4 spot on the Rap Albums chart and the No. 22 slot on the Billboard 200.
read full article
“I think music is sort of the spokesperson,” the 25-year-old told TheBlaze recently. “It sort of serves as the spokesperson of a culture and it serves as sort of a reporter.”
In addition to offering a lens into societal values, KB believes music also holds the power to have an ideological impact by bending peoples’ “worldview one way or another.”
The rapper specifically addressed negative and explicit content in music today. On the consumer side, he said that people should pay close attention to what they’re taking in.
And he said that artists — especially rappers — whom KB described as “leaders of the culture,” need to be completely honest about the negative themes they sometimes tout.
“Rappers that talk about selling cocaine, they talk a lot about the heaven side of it,” he said. “Everyone wants to have nice cars, huge houses, move our families out the hood and be protected.”
But all too often, he noted, artists don’t fully convey the dangers of living these lifestyles — realities he believes fans need to hear.
“It’s all contingent on a lie, that there’s this free, fast life that you can live dangerous above the law … when really there’s another side of it … that it’s a very hard hell-like life to sort of live for the moment,” he explained. “These rappers [and] artists in general need to be honest about the full picture.”
KB told TheBlaze that he thinks that the current culture is “religiously exhausted” and that many people are soul-searching. But rather than a negative outlook on Christianity’s future, he believes that the faith may actually be poised to gain new ground.
“We’re thirsty for something greater than we've been feeding ourselves for [the past] 50 to 60 years,” he said. “I think that the light of the gospel is bursting forth as a legitimate alternative.”
This is the message that KB is also intent on bringing to the masses. Passionate about spreading Christianity, he also explained what drives him to create faith-inspired music.
As a teenager, he said he struggled to figure out who he was, feeling hopeless and answer-less at times.
KB eventually met up with Lecrae, a popular Christian rapper and the co-founder of Reach Records, who showed him that it’s entirely possible to make music and travel the world as a professional artist; he’s now a Reach Records artist.
KB recently captured mainstream attention after “100,” his most recent E.P., made the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Christian Albums chart, the No. 4 spot on the Rap Albums chart and the No. 22 slot on the Billboard 200.
read full article
Monday, April 14, 2014
Bethany Hamilton Joins "Dolphin Tale 2"
Inspirational professional surfer Bethany Hamilton (“Soul Surfer”) will join the cast of “Dolphin Tale 2.”
Hamilton will join the original film’s returning cast, including Harry Connick, Jr., Morgan Freeman, Kris Kristofferson, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff, among others. Charles Martin Smith, who wrote “Dolphin Tale,” has written the screenplay for the sequel and is again directing.
“Dolphin Tale 2” tells another true story inspired by the life of the rescued bottle nose dolphin, Winter – the star of “Dolphin Tale” – this time involving the real-life, new baby dolphin Hope, who was also saved and rehabilitated by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Hamilton, who will play herself in “Dolphin Tale 2,” has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of faith, determination and hope. At age 13, Hamilton was bitten by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore, leaving her with a severed left arm. Miraculously, just one month after the attack, Hamilton returned to the water. She went on to win a national title, and eventually realized her dream of becoming a professional surfer.
Hamilton’s autobiography, Soul Surfer, was made into a major motion picture starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid. She has written eight additional books (with another coming soon) and continues to surf professionally today.
“Dolphin Tale 2” is currently filming in Clearwater, Florida. Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute the film and has slated the film for a September 19, 2014 release.
Hamilton will join the original film’s returning cast, including Harry Connick, Jr., Morgan Freeman, Kris Kristofferson, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff, among others. Charles Martin Smith, who wrote “Dolphin Tale,” has written the screenplay for the sequel and is again directing.
“Dolphin Tale 2” tells another true story inspired by the life of the rescued bottle nose dolphin, Winter – the star of “Dolphin Tale” – this time involving the real-life, new baby dolphin Hope, who was also saved and rehabilitated by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Hamilton, who will play herself in “Dolphin Tale 2,” has become a source of inspiration to millions through her story of faith, determination and hope. At age 13, Hamilton was bitten by a 14-foot tiger shark while surfing off Kauai’s North Shore, leaving her with a severed left arm. Miraculously, just one month after the attack, Hamilton returned to the water. She went on to win a national title, and eventually realized her dream of becoming a professional surfer.
Hamilton’s autobiography, Soul Surfer, was made into a major motion picture starring AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid. She has written eight additional books (with another coming soon) and continues to surf professionally today.
“Dolphin Tale 2” is currently filming in Clearwater, Florida. Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute the film and has slated the film for a September 19, 2014 release.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Winter Jam Once Again Crowned World's Biggest Tour
For the fourth consecutive year, Winter Jam tops Pollstar's First Quarter Year To Date Worldwide Ticket Sales chart - Top 100 Tours, surpassing all other 2014 first quarter tours, including Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Beyoncé, Michael Bublé, Imagine Dragons and Justin Timberlake. Hitting major arenas around the country from January through March, Winter Jam saw 34 sellouts this year, with a combined total audience of more than 550,000 people—the tour's largest attendance in history.
Founded and hosted by NewSong and headlined by multi Grammy-nominated Newsboys and Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae, this year’s all-star line-up also featured Tenth Avenue North, Thousand Foot Krutch, Plumb and Colton Dixon.
"It's been 19 years of continued growth for Winter Jam," says Roy Morgan, Winter Jam promoter. "It's amazing to look back and see how God has orchestrated the smallest of details to grow and use this tour to deliver His message of love and Hope to literally millions of people."
NewSong’s Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular was highlighted by multiple industry-leading innovations and Christian music firsts including the Winter Jam 2014 Dome Spectacular
More than 30,000 people attended the tour’s February stop at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, marking the biggest single event in Winter Jam’s 19-year history. Featuring Guinness World Record-holding high wire artist Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk across the Dome, the event also included appearances from Reed Robertson of "Duck Dynasty," Grammy-nominated David Crowder and University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt.
Despite record-breaking inclement weather around the country, causing the cancellation of one of the tour’s 48 slated shows, Winter Jam played to capacity crowds at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena; Houston’s Toyota Center; Scottrade Center in St. Louis; Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena; and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, among numerous other sold-out events.
Founded and hosted by NewSong and headlined by multi Grammy-nominated Newsboys and Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae, this year’s all-star line-up also featured Tenth Avenue North, Thousand Foot Krutch, Plumb and Colton Dixon.
"It's been 19 years of continued growth for Winter Jam," says Roy Morgan, Winter Jam promoter. "It's amazing to look back and see how God has orchestrated the smallest of details to grow and use this tour to deliver His message of love and Hope to literally millions of people."
NewSong’s Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular was highlighted by multiple industry-leading innovations and Christian music firsts including the Winter Jam 2014 Dome Spectacular
More than 30,000 people attended the tour’s February stop at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, marking the biggest single event in Winter Jam’s 19-year history. Featuring Guinness World Record-holding high wire artist Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk across the Dome, the event also included appearances from Reed Robertson of "Duck Dynasty," Grammy-nominated David Crowder and University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt.
Despite record-breaking inclement weather around the country, causing the cancellation of one of the tour’s 48 slated shows, Winter Jam played to capacity crowds at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena; Houston’s Toyota Center; Scottrade Center in St. Louis; Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena; and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, among numerous other sold-out events.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)