Hollywood news banter: Disneyland closed, movies pushed due to coronavirus; Weinstein sentenced

Coronavirus continues to take an economic toll on Hollywood in significant ways. More huge movies, including “A Quiet Place II,” “Fast & Furious 9,” and “Mulan” have been delayed for months. Tens of millions of dollars of advertising have already been spent on such films, and studios were depending on big box office returns that won’t likely come this year.

At the same time, major sporting events and seasons have been suspended or canceled entirely. College basketball’s March Madness won’t happen at all this year. And after an awkward pause following Gov. Gavin Newsome’s announcement that large gatherings should be canceled, Disneyland finally made the decision to close until the end of the month. Meanwhile, Disney stock continues to tumble.

In other Hollywood news, Judge James Burke sentenced convicted rapist movie mogul Harvey Weinstein to 23 years in prison. It’s a stunning conclusion to the Weinstein saga. Typically lawyers advise defendants not to speak at their own sentencing, for fear that such statements could later be used against them in an appeal. But Weinstein gave a rambling statement comparing himself to those targeted by the Hollywood blacklist. After that, the judge announced the sentence saying, “Although this is a first conviction, this is not a first offense.”