Amid Netflix Buzz, Amazon Quietly Readying Pilots

With Netflix getting ready to unveil its next exclusive series, Amazon is quietly moving forward with its pilot development process. Last month, Amazon Studios debuted 14 pilots online and has since been sifting through viewer and executive feedback to determine which will go to series.  Meanwhile, Netflix, the main competitor ...

5 Tips On Being an Indie Film Darling From Jess Weixler

Weixler stars in “Free Samples” as Jillian, a bitter law school dropout forced to pass out free treats in an ice cream truck. The offbeat comedy is available on video on demand May 21 and hits theaters May 31. The versatile actor spoke to Backstage about forging a career in indie film.

When Does an Actor Need a Lawyer?

Agents negotiate deals, but sometimes performers need services that only an entertainment attorney can provide.

The Cannes Diary: May 16

The juicy questions relating to star power raised by Robin Wright in "The Congress," part of the starry Cannes Film Festival.

MPAA's Latest Salvo Against Online Piracy Launches

The Motion Picture Association of America launches online content clearinghouse, aimed at curbing piracy

Zachary Quinto Talks ‘Star Trek,’ Coming Out, and the Return of ‘Heroes’

The movie Vulcan has had a buzzy year, with turns on “American Horror Story: Asylum” and the upcoming “Star Trek Into Darkness”—but he spent years worrying about his career.

The Cannes Diary: May 15

The unlikely connections between "The Great Gatsby" and "Heli" that only Cannes could point out.

Best of the Week Ahead: May 16–22

The 7th annual Broadway Beauty pageant; a Burt Lancaster film series at Film Society of Lincoln Center; the “Giant” cast recording; “American Psycho” at Hollywood Forever Cemetery; and a SAG Foundation CAP workshop are some of the things we’re looking forward to this week.

Study: Opportunities Down For Female Actors in Hollywood

For all the talk of a post-“Bridesmaids” boom, opportunities have not increased for female actors in Hollywood films. That’s according to a new study released May 13 by USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Navigating the Murky Water of Commissions and Percentages

Actor Donald Faison, being sued by UTA for allegedly unpaid commissions, offers a lesson in the economic realities of contracts.