AMC Will No Longer Play Universal Studios Films

Australian Bushfires Inquiry Gets 1400 Submissions

More than 1400 people and organisations have made submissions to a national royal commission into Australia’s unprecedented bushfire season. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements on April 29 said the bulk of the submissions were made by individuals. Submissions to the six-month inquiry closed on Tuesday, after being extended by four weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission said it will continue to consult with the community through a series of roundtable discussions and workshops examining specific issues and practical measures for improvement. Hearings will be held during late May and late June. This article is from the Internet:Australian Bushfires Inquiry Gets 1400 Submissions

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc, the world’s largest movie theater operator, said on Tuesday it would no longer play Universal Studios films in any of its theaters globally, arguing that the studio is “breaking the business model.”

The decision came in shortly after the Wall Street Journal quoted NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell as saying he expects to release movies simultaneously in theaters and direct-to-home formats.

Universal Studios is owned by NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corp. AMC has 1,000 theaters across the globe.

“AMC believes that with this proposed action to go to the home and theaters simultaneously, Universal is breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies,” AMC Chief Executive Officer Adam Aron said in a letter addressed to Universal Studios Chairman Donna Langley.

With movie theaters worldwide shuttered since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, AMC said the action was effective from Tuesday and would apply as and when its theaters reopen.

Universal said it was disappointed by the decision and labeled it as a “seemingly coordinated attempt” to “confuse our position and our actions.”

“We absolutely believe in the theatrical experience and have made no statement to the contrary. As we stated earlier, going forward, we expect to release future films directly to theaters, as well as on premium video on demand (PVOD) when that distribution outlet makes sense,” a Universal spokesman said.

Major film releases have been postponed as theaters across the United States have shut down as part of the preventive measures taken to curb the spread of the virus, prompting studios to release some movies directly online.

The three main movie theater chains—AMC, Regal and Cinemark—have said they do not expect to reopen until late June or July.

Some films, including Universal Pictures animated “Trolls World Tour,” have been released directly to streaming platforms or video on demand. Universal will do the same with the upcoming Judd Apatow comedy “The King of Staten Island.”

By Shanti S Nair, Bhargav Acharya and Juby Babu

This article is from the Internet:AMC Will No Longer Play Universal Studios Films

British Airways To Cut Over a Quarter of All Jobs

Facing the Crisis Echoing comments from rivals such as German carrier Lufthansa, IAG said it would take several years for passenger demand to return to 2019 levels. Governments in Europe and the United States are providing payroll support to airlines while the industry battles its biggest ever crisis. Estimated global airline losses from the CCP virus pandemic have climbed to $314 billion, the International Air Transport Association said on April 14. More than half the world’s airplanes are in storage. The French and Dutch governments have agreed to an aid package for Air France-KLM worth up to $11.9 billion. Lufthansa, Europe’s biggest carrier by revenue, is in talks with the German government about a $9.75 billion rescue plan, according to sources. Cruz, however, said BA had overcome many crises in…