Entertainment
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Essential entertainment industry news & intel to start your day.
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April 28, 2023
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Today’s Top News
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Amazon.com Inc. reportedly laid off 100 employees in its Prime Video and Studios departments — including Tracey Lentz, head of creative, unscripted TV — as the wave of job cuts at Amazon continue. (Deadline) Amazon ended the first quarter with $127.4 billion in revenue, beating Wall Street expectations and touting “Creed III” and limited series “Daisy Jones & The Six” for contributing to the success on its entertainment front, according to the latest earnings report. (The Hollywood Reporter)
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Imax Corp. ended the first quarter with $86.9 million in revenue, up 45% year over year, according to its latest earnings report. The company earned a record quarter of $273 million at the global box office as blockbusters like “Creed III,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “John Wick: Chapter 4” hit theaters. (The Hollywood Reporter)
- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) agreed to increase the state’s tax film incentive from $420 million to $700 million as part of its $229 billion budget, as it competes with New Jersey and Georgia to lure Hollywood film and TV productions to their states. The program, which will increase New York’s credit percentage from 25% to 30%, will be extended to 2034, according to a source familiar with the conceptual agreement. (Variety)
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| A MESSAGE FROM MORNING CONSULT |
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What Else You Need to Know
Sony Pictures Entertainment Sees Full-Year Profit Fall Without Franchise Film Launches
Jesse Whitlock, Deadline
Sony Pictures Entertainment saw operating income dip by nearly $800M for the fiscal year to March 31, 2023, as a lack of tentpole franchise launches bit.
Ron DeSantis Calls Disney Lawsuit “Political,” Again Hammers Company On Opposition To “Don’t Say Gay” Law
Ted Johnson, Deadline
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed The Walt Disney Co.’s lawsuit over his effort to strip the company of authority over its sprawling Walt Disney World property.
Senate Targets Ticketmaster With Antitrust Bill
Justin Curto, New York magazine
Senators Amy Klobuchar, who co-organized that January hearing, and Richard Blumenthal, a key critic, introduced the Unlock Ticketing Markets Act on April 26, which specifically takes aim at the controversial multi-year exclusivity contracts that Ticketmaster often uses with venues.
Fifth Season Lays Off 8 Employees
Jennifer Maas and Matt Donnelly, Variety
Fifth Season has laid off eight employees — or 2% of the workforce — including comms chief Sharon Liggins.
Hollywood Braces for Fallout as a Possible Writers Strike Looms
Gene Maddaus, Variety
Nick Bakay has had a 30-year career in TV and film, including writing on traditional network sitcoms like “Young Sheldon” and “The King of Queens.”
Hasbro Expects Update on Sale of eOne in Coming Weeks
Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter
eOne founder Darren Throop has been in talks to buy the assets.
Hasbro, Mattel shares rise as toymakers announce multiyear licensing agreement, increased IP focus
Natasha Piñon, CNBC
Toymaker stocks rallied Thursday after rivals Hasbro and Mattel posted quarterly results and offered optimistic comments about how their intellectual property will boost their businesses.
Vice Media Cuts Staff and Ends Vice News Tonight
Jessica Toonkel and Alexandra Bruell, The Wall Street Journal
Embattled media company has been looking to sell itself for several months.
BuzzFeed to produce more content via independent creators
Sara Fischer, Axios
BuzzFeed plans to significantly increase the amount of content it produces via independent internet creators, CEO Jonah Peretti told Axios in an interview.
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Bob Marley Biopic Gets Official Title at CinemaCon
Marco Vito Oddo, Collider
“Bob Marley: One Love” is the official title of the highly-anticipated biopic about the king of reggae. The news was shared by Bob Marley’s older son, Ziggy Marley, during Paramount’s panel at CinemaCon 2023.
‘Transformers’ Animated Prequel Sets Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and More Voice Cast
Rebecca Rubin, Variety
Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry and Scarlett Johansson will lead the voice cast of “Transformers One,” an animated prequel about the epic rivalry between the Autobots and the Decepticons.
‘Dune: Part Two’—An Exclusive First Look at the Saga’s Epic Conclusion
Anthony Breznican, Vanity Fair
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and director Denis Villeneuve share secrets from the new film and reveal Florence Pugh’s, Austin Butler’s, and Léa Seydoux’s new characters.
Dave Filoni’s new ‘Star Wars’ movie will feature a mash-up of different sources and characters
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly
Get ready for an Avengers-style meetup on the big screen.
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Nielsen upends TV upfront plans by bringing back panel-only data
Jack Neff, Ad Age
Behind Nielsen’s move to offer two alternatives amid network pushback and restoration of accreditation for legacy currency.
Emmys: Apple TV+’s ‘Schmigadoon!’ Moves Categories from Comedy Series to Scripted Variety Series
Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter
The streamer has submitted the show’s second season not in the comedy series race in which it competed in 2001, but instead in the scripted variety series category that was created last Dec. 20.
‘Barry’ Star Sarah Goldberg Joins ‘Industry’ Season 3 at HBO
Joe Otterson, Variety
Sarah Goldberg is staying put at HBO, with the “Barry” star set for a recurring guest star role in Season 3 of “Industry.”
John King exits CNN’s ‘Inside Politics’ for new role. Dana Bash will succeed him
Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times
John King, CNN’s man at the magic wall, is leaving his daily program “Inside Politics” for a new role at the network.
‘Jackass’ star Bam Margera in court, denies hitting brother
Kennett Square, The Associated Press
“Jackass” star Bam Margera surrendered to Pennsylvania State Police on Thursday morning for allegedly punching his brother during an altercation four days earlier at their home in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Jerry Springer, politician turned TV ringmaster, dies at 79
Dan Sewell, The Associated Press
Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional guests willing to bare all — sometimes literally — as they brawled and hurled obscenities before a raucous audience, died Thursday at 79.
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Snap Revenue Falls 7% as Its Results Diverge From Meta’s
Erin Woo, The Information
Snap’s first quarter revenue fell 7% year-over-year to $989 million, a sign that the firm has been harder hit by the stagnant digital ad market and Apple’s iPhone privacy changes compared to bigger rivals such as Meta Platforms, whose revenue rose 3% in the same period.
Microsoft Xbox Chief Seeks to Reassure Game Staff on Activision
Dina Bass, Bloomberg
Microsoft Corp. executives sought to reassure workers in the Xbox gaming unit that there’s a way forward for the approval of the company’s planned $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard Inc., while emphasizing that its success in gaming isn’t solely dependent on the deal.
Once-Hot Chat Startup Clubhouse Is Cutting Half of Staff
Ellen Huet, Bloomberg
Clubhouse, the pandemic-era social media sensation, is cutting more than half of its employees, the company said in a blog post on Thursday.
Bored Ape’s New Boss Seeks to Revive NFTs Through Gaming, Events
Emily Nicolle, Bloomberg
CEO plans to open startup’s Otherside to external developers.
DraftKings Plans Streaming Video Service With Sports Podcasts
Gerry Smith, Bloomberg
DraftKings Inc. is planning to launch its own streaming video service, the latest evidence that sports betting and media are converging.
YouTube Music officially rolls out podcasts for listeners in the US
Aisha Malik, TechCrunch
YouTube Music is officially adding podcasts to its platform in the United States on Android, iOS and the web. The rollout comes a few months after YouTube podcasting head Kai Chuk revealed that podcasts would be added to YouTube Music soon.
Audible to Launch Slate of Dual-Language Original Podcasts With Sonoro
J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter
The podcasts, available in Spanish and English, will feature talent like Melissa Fumero, Alan Cumming and Romeo Santos.
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Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
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Netflix increases Asian leads, lags in Latino roles, report finds
Danielle Broadway, Reuters
Netflix Inc. has increased the number of Asian and women in lead roles, but still lags in representing Latinos, the disabled and women of color, a study by the streaming platform and the University of Southern California (USC) found.
As New York Boosts Tax Breaks for Movies, Some Critics Pan the Program
Dana Rubinstein and Nicholas Fandos, The New York Times
Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to increase incentives to film and television to $700 million a year, arguing that a lesser commitment would cause producers to go elsewhere.
Warner Bros. Discovery Is Going All-In on Theatrical Releases – Which Means Max Is, Too
Scott Mendelson, The Wrap
The streaming service, set to launch May 23, will largely depend on its sister studio’s slate for high-value, first-run feature films.
Female Celebs Could Never Get Away With Pulling a Mulaney
Izzy Ampil, The Daily Beast
The comedian’s savvy comeback special is an uncomfortable reminder that famous women have fared far worse under public scrutiny of their substance use.
So Is Every ‘Succession’ Cast Member Winning an Emmy Now?
David Canfield, Vanity Fair
Sorting through the Emmy musical chairs the HBO drama’s cast is playing right now—and how it impacts the top races.
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