- HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -
Hollywood
has gone on high alert after the FBI warned about possible terrorist
attacks
at movie studios.
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- Studio entrances have been shut down, barricades have
been ordered and many studio tours have been abruptly cancelled
indefinitely.
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- "The FBI provided a threat advisory to the movie
studios in Los Angeles," confirmed Cheryl Mimura, a spokeswoman for
the FBI, adding, "The uncorroborated threat states that a film studio
in California could be the target of a terrorist attack in retaliation
for any possible bombing attacks by the United States in Afghanistan. It
seems to be a credible threat."
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- Under the new security orders, most studios will have
only one point of entry and there will be a greatly heightened security
force manning it.
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- While studios will try to conduct business as usual,
the security alert has greatly heightened tension on the various
lots.
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- At Paramount, executives were worried on Thursday night
about a cast and crew screening of the new "Star Trek" TV series
"Enterprise" but went forward with the event after some internal
debate. Security was significantly beefed up.
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- NBC, whose Burbank headquarters aren't far from those
of Disney and Warner Bros, received no formal notification from the
FBI.
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- "We took precautions last week, and those are still
in place," an NBC spokeswoman said. Those measures include barricades
in front of entrances and heightened security. Tapings of "The Tonight
Show With Jay Leno" continued with studio audiences.
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- CBS officials were also briefed on the threat to movie
studios, but a spokesman declined comment on the matter. The network has
beefed up security, however.
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- While the FBI warning was disseminated by the Motion
Picture Association of America to heads of studios by MPAA president- CEO
Jack Valenti, it made no mention of the threat's link to U.S. action
against
Afghanistan. That country is the suspected location of Osama bin Laden,
a prime suspect in the recent attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
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- Valenti was in Silicon Valley on Thursday meeting with
technology executives, and could not be reached for comment. An MPAA
spokesman
said the trade organisation would not release any additional information
about its conversations with the FBI.
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- What is clear is that substantial security changes are
coming to the movie studios.
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- Internal memoranda obtained from sources at 20th Century
Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Disney, Universal Pictures and Warner
Bros. all point to a comprehensive approach to managing the threat. Only
MGM held off on notifying employees of what specific changes might be in
store, promising to detail those initiatives Friday morning.
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- Warner Bros, like other studios, was implementing
particularly
stringent measures: three studio gates were closed; barricades were ordered
set up; armed guard details and metal detectors were to be installed. All
incoming packages will be X-rayed, and all vehicles will be subject to
search. Business travel was being discouraged, and video conferencing
encouraged
in its place.
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- For now, Universal Studios is continuing to operate its
popular -- and profitable -- studio tours, though it is "tightening
and increasing security."
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- So too, at Fox, where News Corp president and CEO Peter
Chernin observed that "the entire country is learning to live in an
era of uncertainty." He also cautioned employees that "we will
all be subject to long delays entering the facility," and as a result
"we urge you to remain on the lot during the day."
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- At DreamWorks, gates were likewise being closed, and
business travel was being left to the discretion of employees, but not
encouraged.
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- Mimura, the FBI spokeswoman, added that "several
of our agents have had briefings with the main security offices of the
studios".
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- At Sony, "the Culver City police department will
be increasing patrols around the studio" according to an internal
memo distributed to staff on Thursday.
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- "Our leaders have stressed the need for us all to
continue with our normal work routines," wrote Sony Pictures president
Mel Harris, adding "Our colleagues in New York have done this, and
we are counting on you to do the same."
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- Some of Hollywood's top talent agencies, like Creative
Artists Agency and International Creative Management, reacted by
admonishing
their clients to avoid taking meetings at the studios for now, while other
shops like United Talent Agency and William Morris have simply advised
clients of the heightened measures.
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