Ryan Faughnder

2 weeks ago | latimes.com | Ryan Faughnder

Aside from their commercial prowess, “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners” don’t seem to have much in common. One is a PG-rated, special effects-heavy comedy based on a video game with a huge fan base, and the other is an original Ryan Coogler-directed, R-rated period thriller with vampires.

3 weeks ago | latimes.com | Ryan Faughnder

Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” represents many things that moviegoers and people who work in the entertainment industry say they want more often. It’s an original film with a big movie star and a singular director who was able to wrangle lots of money and freedom from one of the industry’s biggest studios. The $90-million horror film starring Michael B.

4 weeks ago | latimes.com | Ryan Faughnder

If you’ve been reading this newsletter, you know that Hollywood is already in a tough spot. President Trump’s tariffs, the resulting stock market volatility and a possibly looming recession won’t make life any easier for the entertainment industry. In the days after Trump’s so-called Liberation Day speech, the markets have given investors whiplash, with each new update sending stocks gyrating for another unpredictable cycle. The administration’s subsequent backtracking hasn’t quelled the turmoil.

1 month ago | bostonherald.com | Ryan Faughnder

By Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles TimesLOS ANGELES — Chris McGurk saw the writing on the wall for the independent film business more than a decade ago. His distribution company Cinedigm released “Short Term 12,” starring Brie Larson, to rave reviews in 2013. Hardly anyone showed up to see it in theaters. “We probably lost $4 million on it,” McGurk told the Times. “At that point, I said, we gotta stop doing this.

1 month ago | latimes.com | Ryan Faughnder

Last week, people from all over the film industry descended on Las Vegas to debate the future of the theatrical experience at CinemaCon, the annual celebration of in-person moviegoing. But while attendees were taste-testing theater snacks, watching “Superman” footage and hand-wringing about attendance levels, a more consequential conversation was playing out in the media business.