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Former Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg named national co-chair of Biden's 2024 campaign ... A former Disney CEO and his wife recently donated more than $1.7 million to a joint fundraising committee authorized by Biden's campaign, despite their deep ties to China. Biden’s campaign announced on April 25 that former Disney and DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg would serve as one of its national co-chairs. Two days later, on April 27, the Biden Victory Fund, the campaign’s joint fundraising vehicle, received a donation totaling $889,600 from Katzenberg’s wife, Marilyn. ... Katzenberg has deep and longstanding ties to China's communist government.. potentially...

Hasbro has decided to discontinue a Trolls World Tour doll after widespread criticism and false claims were made by some parents online. The controversy began when a woman posted a video of the DreamWorks Trolls World Tour Giggle & Sing Poppy toy on Instagram. Sold at Walmart and marketed to children four and older, the doll sings and giggles when a button is pressed. Instagram user redpillbabe took issue with the placement of the button on the doll, alleging that the button was placed near the doll's "private parts" in an attempt to groom children. "Go I dare you. Tell...

Democratic fundraiser/actor Ben Affleck -- and the next big-screen "Batman" -- recently gave an interview to Playboy. His own bias against Republicans, he admits, prevents him from fully enjoying a Republican actor's performance. "It's ... hard," said Affleck, "to get people to suspend disbelief." Affleck said: "When I watch a guy I know is a big Republican, part of me thinks, I probably wouldn't like this person if I met him, or we would have different opinions. That (bleep) fogs the mind when you should be paying attention and be swept into the illusion." Fair enough. But how do you...

There are some lines of William Cowper inscribed on the plinth of the bronze statue of Boadicea near Westminster Bridge in central London: "Regions Caesar never knew/Thy posterity shall sway." The words have never been truer. Hollywood has four films in development about the British warrior queen. One of them, Warrior, is being produced by Mel Gibson, partly with money from the proceeds of his film The Passion of The Christ (a rare example of fundamentalist Christian money backing a project with a pagan heroine). Along with a DreamWorks project called Queen Fury, Paramount's Warrior Queen and another called My...

Mel Gibson's forthcoming film about Britain's warrior queen Boudicca is guaranteed to cause fury amongst feminists and historians, experts predict. Folklorists believe Gibson - whose controversial The Passion Of The Christ movie sparked uproar among Jewish groups this year - faces widespread criticism in his efforts to bring Boudicca to the big screen, because she remains an enigma to historians. Scholars are also convinced feminists will attack Gibson if he fails to portray Boudicca as the icon they have turned her into. Folklorist Dr Juliette Wood, "Take any figure where there's been emotional investment and you're going to annoy someone....

With the success of "The Passion Of The Christ," Mel Gibson can pretty much make whatever movie he wants, and he is once again looking back in time – to produce an epic about Boudicca, who led Britain against Roman conquerors. The Scotsman newspaper reports that the film will be like "Bravehart - with a bra." Boudicca rose from peasant girl to military leader, and united the Celtic tribes of Britain. The film will be directed by Gavin O’Connor, who told the Hollywood trade paper Variety: "What drew me is that she was driven by personal revenge. Her goals were...

Flush from the success of The Passion Of The Christ, Mel Gibson is looking back in time once again – to produce an epic about Boudicca, who led Britain against Roman conquerors. Dubbed “Braveheart with a bra”, the film will chronicle Boudicca’s rise from peasant girl to a military leader who united the Celtic tribes of Britain. Gibson’s production company, Icon, appears keen to cash in on further historical tales, after The Passion netted hundreds of millions of pounds at the box office. The film will be directed by Gavin O’Connor who told the Hollywood trade paper Variety: “What drew...

A glittering line-up of Hollywood stars is poised to back Hillary Clinton's bid to become US President by raising millions for her campaign. The former Secretary of State and wife of ex-President Bill Clinton is expected to announce her 2016 candidacy today in a video released on social media. And political pundits say plans are already in place to hold fundraising parties as early as next month. Mrs Clinton's most high-profile Hollywood backers include director Steven Spielberg, and actors George Clooney, Barbra Streisand and Tom Hanks. DreamWorks studio boss Jeffrey Katzenberg has said: 'Hillary is the best qualified candidate. She...

Stung by a series of box office misfires and failed sale attempts, DreamWorks Animation plans a substantial number of layoffs, two people familiar with the matter said. In a move to cut operating costs, the Glendale studio intends to significantly reduce the size of its workforce, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the plans. While the precise number of people who will lose their jobs has yet to be finalized, the number is expected to exceed the 350 layoffs that occurred in 2003 after the studio shelved production of the...

President Obama is attending several fundraisers in California. When tracking political money for a particular industry, it’s good to look at group contributions in addition to individual donors.

Enthusiasm for president fades in his most liberal basePresident Obama’s star is fading, even in Hollywood. With less than four weeks until the election, polls are moving in Mitt Romney’s direction. So Mr. Obama has had to spend valuable time courting a part of his base that he hasn’t had to worry about before: rich celebrities. After a disastrous showing in the debate, Mr. Obama saw the need to swing through Tinseltown to buck up his supporters. The first stop Sunday was an unusual closed-door, off-the-record meeting for a dozen donors who had maxed out their contributions. Joined by celebrity...

DreamWorks Studios announced today that they are in the final stages of salary negotiations with Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank for their new Looney Tunes Bugs Bunny movie. Frank is slated to play Elmer Fudd in the five hundred million dollar, two part, six hour movie epic. The Congressman expressed interest in the role when he heard that Bugs Bunny was going to be played by an actor who has expressed conservative political views in the past. We talked with Congressman Frank over brunch in the West Village where he was visiting a friend. “It was wight before our summer wecess,”...

A DreamWorks animator pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of animal cruelty Thursday after allegedly beating a neighbor's 16-month-old German shepherd to death with a hammer. Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20058656-504083.html#ixzz1KxytdIaW

November 24, 2009 Glamour and Taste: Obama Tent Feast To Curry Favour With India Giles Whittell in Washington The Obamas' first state dinner is in honour of an abstemious vegetarian There will be music from the composer of the Slumdog Millionaire theme, food from an Ethiopian-born Swedish chef and cedar chips sprinkled on the roofs of the portable lavatories. There may also be the faint patter of drizzle on canvas. The first state dinner of the Obama era, held tonight in a tent village on the South Lawn of the White House, will honour an Indian Prime Minister described by...

Steven Spielberg has committed to his next film, and it will be an adaptation of the Mary Chase Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Harvey,” which will be done as a co-production between 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks. It is the story of an amiable eccentric, Elwood P. Dowd, and his friendship with a six and one-half foot tall invisible rabbit, and how it affects every member of his family and community. The play won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944, and was previously turned into the 1950 Universal film that starred Jimmy Stewart and Josephine Hull. While DreamWorks has several pictures that Spielberg...

David Geffen, the former record executive who made an offer for the Los Angeles Times two years ago, now wants to buy the New York Times, according to people close to the situation.

Obama's Billionaires Claire Obusan President-elect Barack Obama has had a slew of billionaire backers with him on his journey to the White House--plutocrats who provide economic and political advice and help to raise money. Lots of money. Obama's Billionaire Buddies Obama's national finance chairwoman during his presidential campaign was Penny Pritzker, one of 11 members of the famous Chicago family that appear on the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans (combined net worth as of September: $21.6 billion). As of Nov. 24, 2008, Obama's campaign had raised a record-breaking $742 million during the election, according to the Center for...

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2008 – After matching servicemembers re-entering the civilian work force with military friendly employers, “Hire a Hero” is stepping outside its box and trying some matchmaking of a different kind. The troop-support organization has teamed with Dreamworks Television and Mark Burnett Productions to help two deserving military couples have their dream weddings. The gesture is a thank you for their service and commitment to the country, according to the Hire a Hero Web site. “Providing something like this is just great,” said Rob Barr, a Hire a Hero representative. “It’s showing support for the troops, and...

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. has chosen Intel Corp. to supply chips and other technology for its big computer-animation operations, a shift that will cost Advanced Micro Devices Inc. one of its most prestigious customers. The pact is expected to replace the studio's computing hardware -- which now includes 1,500 Hewlett-Packard Co. server systems and 1,000 workstations that use AMD microprocessors -- with new H-P systems that use Intel chips. DreamWorks Animation said the resulting increase in computing power would substantially shorten the time needed for many computing chores and aid the studio's planned shift next year to 3-D animation. "For...

Stars take the shine off Hillary's bidLeading Hollywood liberals are sniping at the former First Lady over her strong support for the Iraq war. Paul Harris reports Paul Harris in Washington Sunday April 9, 2006The [UK] Observer With its liberal politics and radical attitudes, Hollywood should be one place in America where Hillary Clinton can count on fervent and loyal support. But as the former First Lady gears up for a run at the White House her nascent campaign has hit an unexpected roadblock. A lengthening list of top Hollywood celebrities have publicly criticised her ambitions. From George Clooney...