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(Corrects paragraph 2 to say that Netflix has the exclusive streaming rights to Sony films for the first 18 months, after which they go to Disney) Jan 15 (Reuters) – Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive streaming destination of Sony Pictures' films following their theatrical runs and video-on-demand releases for the first 18 months, after which they will go to Disney.  The arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as rights in individual territories open up, with full availability worldwide expected in early 2029. Other early Sony Pictures titles that will stream on Netflix under this new deal include Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' four films about The Beatles.  The deal gives Netflix a steady flow of studio films for the global audience as it leans more on licensed content. The company currently has similar rights to Sony Pictures' films in select regions such as the U.S., Germany and across Southeast Asia.  For Sony, the arrangement ensures a home for its theatrical release slate at a time when studios are rethinking long-term distribution strategies as streaming reshapes consumers' movie-watching habits.  The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a $72  billion deal. Sony's catalogue includes films such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us." The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.  (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Barona)

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Jan 15 (Reuters) – Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive streaming destination of Sony Pictures' films following their theatrical runs and video-on-demand releases.  The arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as rights in individual territories open up, with full availability worldwide expected in early 2029. Other early Sony Pictures titles that will stream on Netflix under this new deal include Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' four films about The Beatles.  The deal gives Netflix a steady flow of studio films for the global audience as it leans more on licensed content. The company currently has similar rights to Sony Pictures' films in select regions such as the U.S., Germany and across Southeast Asia.  For Sony, the arrangement ensures a home for its theatrical release slate at a time when studios are rethinking long-term distribution strategies as streaming reshapes consumers' movie-watching habits.  The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a $72  billion deal. Sony's catalogue includes films such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us." The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.  (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Barona)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Jan 15 (Reuters) – Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive streaming destination of Sony Pictures' films following their theatrical runs and video-on-demand releases.  The arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as rights in individual territories open up, with full availability worldwide expected in early 2029. Other early Sony Pictures titles that will stream on Netflix under this new deal include Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' four films about The Beatles.  The deal gives Netflix a steady flow of studio films for the global audience as it leans more on licensed content. The company currently has similar rights to Sony Pictures' films in select regions such as the U.S., Germany and across Southeast Asia.  For Sony, the arrangement ensures a home for its theatrical release slate at a time when studios are rethinking long-term distribution strategies as streaming reshapes consumers' movie-watching habits.  The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a $72  billion deal. Sony's catalogue includes films such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us." The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.  (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Barona)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Jan 15 (Reuters) – Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive streaming destination of Sony Pictures' films following their theatrical runs and video-on-demand releases.  The arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as rights in individual territories open up, with full availability worldwide expected in early 2029. Other early Sony Pictures titles that will stream on Netflix under this new deal include Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' four films about The Beatles.  The deal gives Netflix a steady flow of studio films for the global audience as it leans more on licensed content. The company currently has similar rights to Sony Pictures' films in select regions such as the U.S., Germany and across Southeast Asia.  For Sony, the arrangement ensures a home for its theatrical release slate at a time when studios are rethinking long-term distribution strategies as streaming reshapes consumers' movie-watching habits.  The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a $72  billion deal. Sony's catalogue includes films such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us." The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.  (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Barona)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Jan 15 (Reuters) – Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive streaming destination of Sony Pictures' films following their theatrical runs and video-on-demand releases.  The arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as rights in individual territories open up, with full availability worldwide expected in early 2029. Other early Sony Pictures titles that will stream on Netflix under this new deal include Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' four films about The Beatles.  The deal gives Netflix a steady flow of studio films for the global audience as it leans more on licensed content. The company currently has similar rights to Sony Pictures' films in select regions such as the U.S., Germany and across Southeast Asia.  For Sony, the arrangement ensures a home for its theatrical release slate at a time when studios are rethinking long-term distribution strategies as streaming reshapes consumers' movie-watching habits.  The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a $72  billion deal. Sony's catalogue includes films such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us." The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.  (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Barona)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

Jan 15 (Reuters) – Netflix and Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday. Under the multi-year agreement, Netflix will become the exclusive streaming destination of Sony Pictures' films following their theatrical runs and video-on-demand releases.  The arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as rights in individual territories open up, with full availability worldwide expected in early 2029. Other early Sony Pictures titles that will stream on Netflix under this new deal include Nintendo's live-action "The Legend of Zelda," "The Nightingale," starring Dakota and Elle Fanning, and Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes' four films about The Beatles.  The deal gives Netflix a steady flow of studio films for the global audience as it leans more on licensed content. The company currently has similar rights to Sony Pictures' films in select regions such as the U.S., Germany and across Southeast Asia.  For Sony, the arrangement ensures a home for its theatrical release slate at a time when studios are rethinking long-term distribution strategies as streaming reshapes consumers' movie-watching habits.  The announcement also comes as Netflix moves to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets in a $72  billion deal. Sony's catalogue includes films such as "Uncharted," "Anyone But You," "Venom: The Last Dance," and "It Ends With Us." The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.  (Reporting by Anhata Rooprai in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Alan Barona)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Jonathan Stempel and Dawn Chmielewski Jan 15 (Reuters) – A Delaware judge on Thursday rejected Paramount Skydance's bid to speed up its lawsuit demanding that Warner Bros Discovery better explain its decision that Netflix's proposed $82.7 billion takeover was better than Paramount's own $108.7 billion hostile bid. Vice Chancellor Morgan Zurn of the Delaware Chancery Court said Paramount did not suffer "cognizable irreparable harm" from Warner Bros' alleged inadequate disclosures about its cable TV business, which is not part of the Netflix bid. She also said Paramount had other means to obtain financial information it sought, though an unsuccessful Paramount tender offer for Warner Bros "opens the door wider" for the Netflix transaction. Paramount said in a statement it will keep pressing Warner Bros for better disclosures. "Warner Bros Discovery shareholders should ask why their board is working so hard to hide this information," Paramount said. In a statement, Warner Bros called the lawsuit "yet another unserious attempt to distract and the judge saw right through it." Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit was part of David Ellison-led Paramount's effort to ratchet up pressure on Warner Bros, which operates film and television studios, owns HBO and has an extensive content library that includes Harry Potter and DC Comics. Paramount wanted the court to fast-track the case so Warner Bros shareholders could decide whether to accept its $30 per share all-cash tender offer, rather than Netflix's lower cash-and-stock offer for its studio and streaming business, before it expired on January 21. Warner Bros called Paramount's request premature and said it plans to disclose the financials when it solicits shareholder approval for the Netflix takeover. No vote has been scheduled, and Paramount is expected to extend its tender offer. Warner Bros rejected Paramount's takeover proposal on January 7. "This movie is still being shot, and it makes no sense for the court to shut down the set and make decisions based on incomplete facts," Warner Bros' lawyer Ryan McLeod said during the hearing. PARAMOUNT SEEKING BOARD SEATS Paramount said on Monday it planned to nominate directors to Warner Bros' board, to push that body to negotiate. It also proposed changing Warner Bros' bylaws to require shareholder approval to break off the cable TV business, including channels such as CNN and Food Network. Paramount's own businesses include CBS, MTV and Nickelodeon, as well as Paramount Pictures. At Thursday's hearing, Paramount's lawyer Michael Barlow accused Warner Bros' board of pretending the tender offer didn't exist, so the board could proceed with the Netflix takeover. "It's the kind of inequitable thumb on the scale that Delaware law rejects," he said. Warner Bros countered that it didn't believe it was withholding material information, and the urgency was Paramount's own creation. It said Paramount's motion should be deferred until after the proxy for the "premium, value-maximizing" Netflix merger is filed. "The auction ended last year, and Paramount lost," McLeod said. McLeod also said Paramount would likely have to extend its tender offer "well into next year," because signing a merger agreement and winning regulatory clearances could take 12 to 18 months. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Nick Zieminski)

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LOS ANGELES, Jan 15 (Reuters) – For the Japanese action-packed anime film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle," chief director Hikaru Kondo set out to deliver something he’d never seen on screen before: relentless, back-to-back battles inside a demon-filled castle. “I was trying to find examples or other films that were similar, that had a similar kind of composition or format, I guess you could say to ours, and I couldn't,” Kondo told Reuters.  “So, this could be perhaps one of the first films that exists that has this type of structure and narrative. It's back-to-back-to-back combat,” he added.  The already surging global popularity of the manga and anime series “Demon Slayer” laid the groundwork for “Infinity Castle” to become the highest-grossing international film ever in the U.S. and land at the top of the Japanese box office.  The film, which arrived in Japanese theaters last July, earned a Golden Globe nomination for best animated film. The movie is based on the “Infinity Castle” arc of the 2016-2020 "Demon Slayer" manga by Koyoharu Gotouge and is a direct sequel to the fourth season of the anime television series, which is produced by animation studio Ufotable for original streaming on the platform Crunchyroll.  The series follows teenage Tanjiro Kamado, who becomes a Demon Slayer after his family is murdered and his younger sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon.  “Infinity Castle” places Tanjiro and his fellow Demon Slayer Corps members in a series of battles against the first and oldest demon Muzan Kibutsuji and the host of demons he summons in the “Infinity Castle.”  Kondo recalled being “cooped up” in his house for three weeks trying to figure out how to weave together the overall flow of the film’s action and drama to “astonish” audiences.  However, by the time he finished it, the film was too long.  “When you lose the groove, the audience becomes detached from your journey, then immediately I think they'll just be disengaged and shut down,” he said about the importance of trimming the film to its runtime of 2 hours and 35 minutes.  (Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Rollo Ross; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

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By Danielle Broadway and Steve Gorman Jan 14 (Reuters) – Actor-director Timothy Busfield made his first court appearance on Wednesday in New Mexico on child sex abuse charges. Busfield will continue to be jailed without bond pending a hearing that will take place in the next five business days, the judge said via Zoom. The "West Wing" actor will have a preliminary hearing on January 29. Busfield did not comment during the brief court appearance. He was not asked to enter a plea. The "Field of Dreams" actor surrendered to authorities in New Mexico on Tuesday to face child sexual abuse charges, accused of inappropriately touching two young cast members on the set of a television show he was directing and producing. According to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant affidavit, the case involves 11-year-old twin boys who reported the alleged contact occurred over a two-year period, when they were aged 7 and 8, during production of the Fox crime drama "The Cleaning Lady." Busfield was an executive producer of the show, which was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, and he began directing episodes around the end of the second season, in 2022. The arrest warrant was issued on Monday. Busfield, 68, turned himself in to the Albuquerque Police Department on Tuesday and was booked into the Bernalillo County jail without bond, said Nancy Laflin, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office. In a video posted online shortly before his surrender, Busfield professed his innocence, called the allegations against him "lies" and said, "I'm going to be exonerated. I know I am." "I did not do anything to those little boys," he said during the 45-second clip. Busfield is best known for his prime-time television roles as a White House reporter on the NBC political drama "The West Wing," which ran from 1999 to 2006, and as an ad agency executive on the 1980s ABC ensemble series "Thirtysomething."  He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, a former president of the Screen Actors Guild who gained fame in the 1970s as a child actor on the hit family drama "Little House on the Prairie." Busfield is charged in the complaint with child abuse and two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor. According to the affidavit, one of the boys reported multiple instances of Busfield touching his "private areas" over his clothes during pauses in production. His brother also reported being touched by Busfield but was less specific, the affidavit said. In his own interview for the investigation in November, Busfield acknowledged he probably had physical contact with the boys on occasion, like tickling or picking them up, but in a playful manner with others present, the affidavit said. Busfield also suggested a possible motive for false allegations against him, according to the affidavit. Citing information he said he gleaned from the show's star, Elodie Yung, Busfield told police that the boys' mother was upset with him to the point of wanting "revenge" after producers decided to replace her sons in the final season of the series. Yung declined to be interviewed for the police investigation, the affidavit said, but had related a similar account of the mother vowing revenge against Busfield when Yung was questioned by a private investigator for the show's producer, Warner Bros. Television. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway, Steve Gorman and Sarah Mills in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)

By Danielle Broadway and Steve Gorman Jan 14 (Reuters) – Actor-director Timothy Busfield made his first court appearance on Wednesday in New Mexico on child sex abuse charges. Busfield will continue to be jailed without bond pending a hearing that will take place in the next five business days, the judge said via Zoom. The "West Wing" actor will have a preliminary hearing on January 29. Busfield did not comment during the brief court appearance. He was not asked to enter a plea. The "Field of Dreams" actor surrendered to authorities in New Mexico on Tuesday to face child sexual abuse charges, accused of inappropriately touching two young cast members on the set of a television show he was directing and producing. According to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant affidavit, the case involves 11-year-old twin boys who reported the alleged contact occurred over a two-year period, when they were aged 7 and 8, during production of the Fox crime drama "The Cleaning Lady." Busfield was an executive producer of the show, which was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, and he began directing episodes around the end of the second season, in 2022. The arrest warrant was issued on Monday. Busfield, 68, turned himself in to the Albuquerque Police Department on Tuesday and was booked into the Bernalillo County jail without bond, said Nancy Laflin, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office. In a video posted online shortly before his surrender, Busfield professed his innocence, called the allegations against him "lies" and said, "I'm going to be exonerated. I know I am." "I did not do anything to those little boys," he said during the 45-second clip. Busfield is best known for his prime-time television roles as a White House reporter on the NBC political drama "The West Wing," which ran from 1999 to 2006, and as an ad agency executive on the 1980s ABC ensemble series "Thirtysomething."  He is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, a former president of the Screen Actors Guild who gained fame in the 1970s as a child actor on the hit family drama "Little House on the Prairie." Busfield is charged in the complaint with child abuse and two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor. According to the affidavit, one of the boys reported multiple instances of Busfield touching his "private areas" over his clothes during pauses in production. His brother also reported being touched by Busfield but was less specific, the affidavit said. In his own interview for the investigation in November, Busfield acknowledged he probably had physical contact with the boys on occasion, like tickling or picking them up, but in a playful manner with others present, the affidavit said. Busfield also suggested a possible motive for false allegations against him, according to the affidavit. Citing information he said he gleaned from the show's star, Elodie Yung, Busfield told police that the boys' mother was upset with him to the point of wanting "revenge" after producers decided to replace her sons in the final season of the series. Yung declined to be interviewed for the police investigation, the affidavit said, but had related a similar account of the mother vowing revenge against Busfield when Yung was questioned by a private investigator for the show's producer, Warner Bros. Television. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway, Steve Gorman and Sarah Mills in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

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