ESPN is reporting that the NBA playoffs are back for China’s TV viewers after a long banishment over controversial political statements by an executive.
The ESPN story by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru said the return is not being trumpeted by the league, which declined to directly address the return. Instead, it gave a spokesman’s statement extolling the NBA’s right to “inspire and connect people everywhere.’
The story noted the NBA owners collectively have more than 10 billion in asset exposure to China, as well as doing 5 billion of NBA business in the country. That presumably includes broadcast and internet rights, as well as merchandising and sponsorships.
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey angered the Chinese government by tweeting “First for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong” during the uprising in that city.
ESPN estimates that tweet cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars. It also gave the...
The ESPN story by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru said the return is not being trumpeted by the league, which declined to directly address the return. Instead, it gave a spokesman’s statement extolling the NBA’s right to “inspire and connect people everywhere.’
The story noted the NBA owners collectively have more than 10 billion in asset exposure to China, as well as doing 5 billion of NBA business in the country. That presumably includes broadcast and internet rights, as well as merchandising and sponsorships.
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey angered the Chinese government by tweeting “First for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong” during the uprising in that city.
ESPN estimates that tweet cost the league hundreds of millions of dollars. It also gave the...
- 5/20/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
When a slot suddenly opens up in the schedule of mega star Will Smith, it is pretty big news in Tinseltown. Now that the actor has exited Julius Onah’s Brilliance, his schedule window may soon be filled with the upcoming, untitled drama being produced by Ridley Scott – exploring the issue of brain trauma in American Football.
It all starts with Sony, who have the rights to a GQ article titled ‘Brain Game,’ written by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Passionate about the subject, Ridley Scott originally intended to direct the film, but will now stick to producing it, with Peter Landesman (Parkland) attached as writer and director. Scott has been developing the project along with his producing partner, Giannina Facio, and with Landesman having completed the script, cameras look set to roll before the end of the year.
Intended as a ‘whistleblower’ type of story, the project follows Dr. Bennet Omalu...
It all starts with Sony, who have the rights to a GQ article titled ‘Brain Game,’ written by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Passionate about the subject, Ridley Scott originally intended to direct the film, but will now stick to producing it, with Peter Landesman (Parkland) attached as writer and director. Scott has been developing the project along with his producing partner, Giannina Facio, and with Landesman having completed the script, cameras look set to roll before the end of the year.
Intended as a ‘whistleblower’ type of story, the project follows Dr. Bennet Omalu...
- 6/4/2014
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Will Smith may be tackling a hot-button issue with his next film. Less than a week after exiting the Legendary sci-fi film "Brilliance" that was to co-star "Prometheus" actress Noomi Rapace, the actor is reportedly circling Ridley Scott's untitled football concussion movie inspired by the GQ article "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Scott was once looking to direct the Sony film before handing the reins over to Peter Landesman ("Parkland"), who also penned the script. Published in 2009, "Game Brain" focused on the mounting scientific evidence that concussions suffered by players on the gridiron could result in severe brain trauma leading to chronic depression, memory loss and suicide. According to Deadline, Smith would play the role of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist and neuropathologist who in 2002 discovered a degenerative condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (Cte) in the brains of several recently-deceased NFL players - a condition later...
- 6/3/2014
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
As we've noted elsewhere, 2013 offered a depth and breadth of quality TV that we've never seen before -- there were more good shows in more places than at anytime in the medium's history.
So Zap2it's annual rundown of the best episodes of the year is going to be a sizable one. Over the next couple of weeks, each member of the staff will present his or her favorites. Expect the first show on the list below to show up more than once.
'Breaking Bad' - 'To'hajiilee,' 'Ozymandias' and 'Granite State'
It wouldn't be hard to make an argument for almost any -- or all of -- "Breaking Bad's" final eight episodes to be included on a list of the year's best episodes, but the three that immediately precede the series finale are the best of the best. Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) began crumbling the moment...
So Zap2it's annual rundown of the best episodes of the year is going to be a sizable one. Over the next couple of weeks, each member of the staff will present his or her favorites. Expect the first show on the list below to show up more than once.
'Breaking Bad' - 'To'hajiilee,' 'Ozymandias' and 'Granite State'
It wouldn't be hard to make an argument for almost any -- or all of -- "Breaking Bad's" final eight episodes to be included on a list of the year's best episodes, but the three that immediately precede the series finale are the best of the best. Walter White's (Bryan Cranston) began crumbling the moment...
- 12/16/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Football, a sport generally associated with cinematic glory — cheering crowds, hoisting the quarterback up in victory, that thing where people dump gatorade on their coaches when they win — is about to get a somber wake up call. League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth, written by brothers and Espn reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, is an in-depth report of football-related head injuries and the NFL’s inability to protect its players from those concussions. Now the book is getting a movie and television development deal after serving as the basis for the critically acclaimed PBS Frontline documentary The League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis, which shined a bright light on the issue — to the point where Espn withdrew from their investigatory partnership with PBS before the documentary aired. Allegedly, according to Deadline, the network succumbed to pressure from the NFL, to which it pays upward of $1b each year for...
- 12/10/2013
- by Samantha Wilson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Parkes/MacDonald Productions has acquired feature film and television rights to League Of Denial: The NFL, Concussions And The Battle For Truth.
Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will produce the adaptation under the Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation partnership with the Abu Dhabi-based company.
Espn reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his series of Washington Post articles on private contractors in Iraq, wrote the book.
The brothers investigate the dangers of head injuries in American football and the National Football League’s stance. The book formed the basis of an investigative documentary for PBS’ Frontline earlier this year.
Principal photography began last July on Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation’s first project, I Am Malala. Davis Guggenheim directs.
The next project is The Fall Guy, which McG is scheduled to begin shooting on July 14 2014. Dwayne Johnson will star.
Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will produce the adaptation under the Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation partnership with the Abu Dhabi-based company.
Espn reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his series of Washington Post articles on private contractors in Iraq, wrote the book.
The brothers investigate the dangers of head injuries in American football and the National Football League’s stance. The book formed the basis of an investigative documentary for PBS’ Frontline earlier this year.
Principal photography began last July on Parkes+MacDonald/Image Nation’s first project, I Am Malala. Davis Guggenheim directs.
The next project is The Fall Guy, which McG is scheduled to begin shooting on July 14 2014. Dwayne Johnson will star.
- 12/9/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Suddenly, there is a collision of feature projects based on the subject of debilitating concussions on professional football players. I’ve told you that Ridley Scott is pulling together a project he wants to direct on the hot-button issue and that Blue Caprice star Isaiah Washington is planning to star in an indie project with writer/director Matthew A. Cherry (a former NFL wide receiver). Now, Parkes/MacDonald Productions partners Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald have won an auction for screen rights to League Of Denial: The NFL, Concussions And The Battle For Truth. The book was written by Espn reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada (co-author of the baseball steroids scandal book Game Of Shadows) and Steve Fainaru, who won a Pulitzer for his Washington Post series on private contractors in Iraq. Parkes/MacDonald was able to move quickly because of its partnership with Abu Dhabi-based Image Nation, which allowed them...
- 12/9/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
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