International

Apple is closing all its retail stores outside Greater China as the global corporation responds to the coronavirus crisis. The closure will last until March 27 and hourly workers will continue to be paid. Apple CEO made the declaration on Apple’s website. The corporation has 500 retail stories worldwide. Apple today…

German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 has canceled the sale of Love Is Blind and Bosch production group Red Arrow Studios as the world is gripped by the coronavirus crisis. ProSiebenSat.1 has been exploring a sale of Red Arrow for six months, with All3Media an AMC emerging as two of the most likely buyers as the situation…

Showcase Cinemas, the multiplex chain owned by National Amusements, has implemented social distancing measures across its sites in the U.S. and UK in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus. The company is reducing audience capacity by 50% in its auditoriums to allow for vacant space between seats, and has added…

UPDATED with closing numbers: The stock market had one of its best days Friday after one of its worst the day before, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up by almost 2,000 points, or 9.36%. Investors have been killing stocks as the coronavirus pandemic threatens global growth and the health of U.S. companies with…

SAG-AFTRA members work on locations all across the globe, but the union told its members today not to report to work on any production locations subject to CDC Level 3 Travel Health Notices because of the coronavirus outbreak – presently China, Italy, Iran and South Korea. "Should a producer ask you to travel to any…

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced new measures to control the spread of the coronavirus with gatherings of more than 100 people forbidden for the foreseeable future. This is down from the previous 1,000 person limit and follows President Emmanuel Macron's speech last night which stipulated that all…

EXCLUSIVE: The UK arm of European studio Studiocanal is shuttering its London office “as a precautionary measure” in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The office will close for an initial period of two weeks starting Monday 16 March, the company confirmed. Teams are expected to work remotely with communication…

Chernobyl and The Virtues were the big winners at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards in London on Friday. Chernobyl, the Sister Pictures series for Sky and HBO on the Soviet nuclear disaster, won Best Drama Series, while writer Craig Mazin took home Best Writer, beating Fleabag scribe Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Shane…

Despite a global pandemic, thousands of cases of coronavirus in France and mass entertainment cancellations, the Cannes Film Festival is ploughing ahead with plans to stage an event in early May. The festival reiterated to us today, “The festival staff members are currently working to prepare the event scheduled, as…

England’s top soccer competition the Premier League has officially been suspended until April 3 as sports authorities around the world attempt to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Today, Mikel Arteta, the head coach of Arsenal soccer club, tested positive for the virus, as did Chelsea player Callum Hudon-Odoi…

Amazon Prime Video has commissioned a four-part documentary series following Paris Saint-Germain, the French soccer team. Produced with PSG TV and CAPA, and directed by Manuel Herrero, the series will launch exclusively on Amazon in 2020, excluding China and the Middle East. The series will combine footage captured in…

Fremantle’s revenue rose 12% to €1.8 billion ($2 billion) last year, according to German parent company RTL Group. The producer’s EBITDA hit €184M ($205M), which was up 25% on 2018’s €147M ($164M). RTL’s earnings for the financial year ended December 2019 showed that drama played a big role in Fremantle’s growth, with…