• The Walt Disney Co. laid off Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac Perlmutter and will reportedly fold the division, which operates separately from Marvel Studios with a focus on comics publishing and games licensing, into larger Disney teams. The firing, part of Disney’s first wave of previously announced layoffs, comes months after Perlmutter supported his friend and activist investor Nelson Peltz’s failed attempt to join Disney’s board. (The New York Times)
• Months after cutting 200 jobs, Roku Inc. will undergo a second round of layoffs, starting today, that will eliminate another 200 jobs, or about 6% of its workforce, due to economic conditions, according to a securities filing. The company expects to take a $30-$35 million layoff-related charge due mostly to severance payments. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• The board members selected by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to take charge of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which was previously controlled by Disney for decades as the Reedy Creek Improvement District, said the Disney-controlled predecessors quickly passed restrictive covenants that stripped the new board of several  powers. The five DeSantis-appointed supervisors said their predecessors signed a development agreement last month with the company that gave Disney maximum developmental power over the theme park’s 27,000 acres in central Florida, while Disney said the agreement was “discussed and approved” in public. (The Associated Press)
• Warner Music Group Corp. laid off roughly 270 employees, or around 4%, of its global staff of 6,200 employees, to cut costs as the company shifts its focus toward creating tech initiatives, according to an internal staff memo from Chief Executive Robert Kyncl obtained by Billboard. The job cuts follow recent layoffs at smaller labels including Universal Music Group NV’s Motown Records and Downtown Music Holdings. (Billboard)

Americans Rank Their Favorite Musician-Turned-Actors

Morning Consult

Meet the World Builders: Hollywood’s Top Physical Production Executives of 2023

Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter

These top production execs troubleshoot hurricanes and massive set pieces for the most complex, anticipated projects, from “Oppenheimer” to “John Wick: Chapter 4” to “King Shaka” to “Furiosa.”

Sebastian Bear-McClard, Emily Ratajkowski’s Estranged Husband and ‘Uncut Gems’ Producer, Accused of Sexual Misconduct by Multiple Women

Tatiana Siegel, Variety

In early 2016, producer Sebastian Bear-McClard reached out to a 17-year-old girl on Instagram — an overture that led to an informal meeting at a Soho loft. Not long after, he let the Safdie brothers know that he had found the perfect person to play a small role in their upcoming film, “Good Time.”

Army quickly plans new ads after Jonathan Majors’ arrest

Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press

The Army is working to quickly pull together some new recruiting ads to air during the NCAA’s Final Four basketball games this weekend, after being forced to yank commercials that featured actor Jonathan Majors, in the wake of his arrest last Saturday.

WME Joins Inevitable Foundation’s Push to Empower Disabled Writers

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood talent agency, led by president Ari Greenburg, will help the non-profit close a disability representation gap in the entertainment industry.

WWE’s WrestleMania extravaganza draws sponsors to the ring

Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press

WWE’s WrestleMania, the Super Bowl for the sports entertainment company, arrives this weekend to a massive audience and vastly larger sponsorship revenue as it seeks to establish itself as a serious contender for major dollars from such partnerships.

Daniel Radcliffe Moderates Trans and Nonbinary Youth Roundtable for The Trevor Project

Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter

The first episode of new discussion series “Sharing Space” will be released March 31, the Transgender Day of Visibility.

Guy Pearce Apologizes for ‘Insensitive’ Tweet About Trans Casting and Acting

Dessi Gomez, The Wrap

After receiving blowback for asking whether only transgender actors could play transgender characters, Guy Pearce has issued an apology.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s widely watched ski crash trial nears end

Sam Metz, The Associated Press

The closely watched trial over a 2016 ski collision between Gwyneth Paltrow and the retired optometrist suing her for the injuries he sustained is expected to draw to a close Thursday, when attorneys give closing arguments and send the case to the eight-member jury.

Special prosecutors appointed in Baldwin set shooting case

The Associated Press

Santa Fe’s district attorney has appointed two veteran New Mexico lawyers to serve as the new special prosecutors in the manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin and a weapons supervisor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a 2021 movie rehearsal.

Prince Harry blames royal family for delay in hacking suit

Brian Melley, The Associated Press

Prince Harry blamed the royal family for a delay in bringing a phone hacking lawsuit against the publisher of The Daily Mail as lawyers for the newspaper argued Wednesday that the case should be thrown out because he didn’t file it soon enough.

New Mexico’s new film training academy finds a home

The Associated Press

New Mexico’s special academy for training workers in the film and television industry is a step closer to fruition, with top state officials announcing Wednesday that it will be headquartered in Albuquerque.

‘Triangle of Sadness’ Production Company Faces Liquidation Following Insolvency Hearing

K.J. Yossman, Variety

Oscar nominated-pic “Triangle of Sadness” gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of the super-rich but one of the companies behind the film appears to be less fortunate when it comes to money matters.

Netflix Sued Over ‘No Limit’ Film That Suggests Free Diver Killed His Wife

Gene Maddaus, Variety

Netflix was sued on Wednesday over “No Limit,” a fictionalized film that suggests a free diver deliberately killed his wife in a diving incident.

‘Dune: Part Two’ Won’t Be Debuting At Venice But A Festival Launch Is Still In Play

Andreas Wiseman, Deadline

Unlike its predecessor, “Dune: Part Two” won’t be debuting at the Venice Film Festival.

Hot Horror Package ‘He’ll Come Knocking’ Lands at Paramount

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter

Patrick Brice, who directed “There’s Someone Inside Your House,” is on board to direct the feature project, which is written by Jordan Goldberg and Alex Paraskevas.

Ari Aster Says ‘Beau Is Afraid’ Is Like a ‘Jewish’ Version of ‘Lord of the Rings’: Joaquin Phoenix Is Playing a ‘Loser’

Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire

“If you pumped a 10-year-old full of Zoloft and had him get your groceries, that’s like this movie,” Aster said in a new featurette.

This Is How Pixar’s ‘Elemental’ Was Inspired by Director Peter Sohn’s Heritage

Ryan Louis Mantilla, Collider

Pixar’s latest animated film will hit theaters on June 16.

How ‘John Wick’ Pays Homage to the Kung Fu Masters and Stuntmen Who Came Before It

Jake Kring-Schreifels, The Ringer

“John Wick 4” continues to revolutionize the world of action filmmaking. A big reason is director Chad Stahelski’s insistence on leaning on performers who revolutionized it in the past.

‘Tetris’ and ‘BlackBerry’ Usher in the Age of Tech Nostalgia

Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair

In cinemas, phones and video games are now the stuff of misty-eyed legend. 

Apple spotted developing a ‘multiview’ feature for watching sports on Apple TV

Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

Earlier this month, YouTube TV launched a new “multiview” feature that allows viewers to watch up to four streams of sports content at once. Now it looks like Apple TV is working on a similar option.

As Adult Swim Gets Set To Add An Hour Of Daily Programming, President Michael Ouweleen Sees Warner Bros Discovery In A More Settled Post-Merger State: “We’re All Feeling More Possibility”

Dade Hayes, Deadline

After months of upheaval following the close last April of WarnerMedia and Discovery’s $43 billion merger, Michael Ouweleen sees a much more settled operating environment taking shape in 2023.

Jeremy Renner Sets First Interview Since Snowplow Accident With Diane Sawyer

Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter

“Jeremy Renner: The Diane Sawyer Interview – A Story of Terror, Survival and Triumph” will see the actor opening up about the painful details of the accident, his hospitalization and his recovery in an hour long special airing April 6 on ABC.

‘Not Dead Yet’ Scores ABC’s Best Comedy Launch Since ‘The Conners’

Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter

The Gina Rodriguez-led series drew more than 10 million viewers over five weeks of multi-platform viewing.

‘Blue Bloods’ Renewed as Stars, Producers Take 25 Percent Pay Cut

Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter

The Tom Selleck drama will return for its 14th season on CBS.

‘Grown-ish’ Ending With Season 6

Andy Swift, TVLine

Freeform’s “Grown-ish is officially ending after six seasons, marking the end of the ish-verse, which kicked off with ABC’s “Black-ish back in 2014.

‘The X-Files’ Creator Says Ryan Coogler Is Developing Diverse Reboot

Rosy Cordero, Deadline

There’s a new version of “The X-Files” on the horizon from Ryan Coogler, according to series “X-Files” Chris Carter.

‘Abbott Elementary’ and the Joys of Living Outside the Main Edit

Niela Orr, The New York Times

The sitcom has tweaked the mockumentary formula to teach an invaluable lesson about the value of life off-camera.

Netflix Tests Idea of Expanding Gaming Service to Televisions

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

Netflix Inc. is working to bring its nascent video-game service to television sets for the first time, moving beyond smartphones and tablets in a sign of its growing ambitions.

Elon Musk’s Move to Monetize Twitter’s Blue Check Mark Riles Celebrities

Alexa Corse, The Wall Street Journal

William Shatner and Jason Alexander criticize plans for social-media platform.

Spotify is testing new card-style user profiles focused on discovery

Sarah Perez, TechCrunch

At Spotify’s Stream On event this month, the company introduced a redesigned app with TikTok-like discovery feeds, an AI DJ and other tools for artists and podcasters.

Apple Sets June 5 WWDC Where It Plans Mixed-Reality Headset Debut

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

Apple Inc. set a June 5 date for the event where it plans to unveil a mixed-reality headset, the first major new product since its smartwatch debuted eight years ago. 

Life After ‘World of Warcraft’ Starts With NetEase Searching for Its Own Hits

Zheping Huang and Cecilia D’Anastasio, Bloomberg

In January, NetEase Inc. smashed into pieces its giant statue of “World of Warcraft”’s legendary Gorehowl axe, a fitting symbol for the termination of its 14-year partnership with US studio Blizzard Entertainment.

Ms. Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion to Headline 2023 Essence Festival

Carl Lamarre, Billboard

The two femcees lead the way as part of this year’s HipHop50 celebration.