Hump Day News Update

Happy Hump Day! While we’re all waiting to see if IATSE and the AMPTP can get a few issues resolved in their resumed negotiations this week, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) released a statement in support of IATSE — which I thought they had done weeks ago, but that was actually part of a joint guild statement, and the DGA needed to have their own statement out there. That statement says, “The DGA National Board, as the representatives […]

This week begins the Cine Gear Expo in Los Angeles at the L.A. Convention Center on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25, and Below the Line will be there both days. Hopefully, we’ll see some of our readers there. The big news in the industry right now is about the negotiations between IATSE and AMPTP, which we’ve been covering quite thoroughly and updating as any news breaks. You can read the […]

Unfortunately, there’s no way around starting our mid-week news update with the tragic news that Saturday Night Live veteran Norm Macdonald has died at the age of 61 after secretly fighting cancer for 9 years. Besides being a stand-up comic and popular late night guest, Macdonald was part of the cast of SNL from 1993 through 1998 and was best known for anchoring the show’s Weekend Update segments for three of those seasons. Macdonald was born […]

Welcome to September 2021! This certainly is going to be a busier Hump Day than usual, as there has been a TON of industry news over the past couple days. But first, if you’re a member of IATSE, you’ll want to read the leadership’s latest update on negotiations with AMPTP, which you can read about here. It was bound to happen to the point where it was almost inevitable, but Paramount […]

It’s a hot and humid Hump Day here in New York City, and sadly, we’re going to have to once again start with a couple of deaths of note over the past few days, including Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who died tragically on Tuesday at the age of 80. Watts has been the backbone for the band playing on every single studio record and playing on every single tour since the band’s […]

Yesterday, Universal Pictures announced that the 10th Fast and Furious movie, which will be the second to last movie in the long-running franchise, will be released on April 7, 2023. Vin Diesel is expected to return, as well as Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Michelle Rodriguez, and possibly Jason Statham, who bowed out of this year’s F9: The Fast Saga, after starring in Hobbs and Shaw. At one point, it was thought that Director Justin Lin might make the last two movies in […]

What a day we had yesterday, at least here in New York, where Mayor Bill DeBlasio called for all indoor entertainment to require vaccination, including restaurants, gyms, bars, and clubs. The Mayor, who is serving his final term, said that concessions will be made for children under 12 who can’t get vaccinated, and the state’s current Excelsior Pass will be joined by a city-specific vaccine passport app, as well as one […]

Our weekly mid-week news update kicks off with the shocking news that actor Bob Odenkirk collapsed on the set of Better Call Saul yesterday and had to be rushed to the hospital, according to TMZ. The 58-year-old act was filming the sixth and final season of the AMC show in New Mexico when he collapsed last night, although there have been no new reports about his condition and when production might resume. (The series producer, Sony […]