• The Walt Disney Co. named Asad Ayaz as its first chief brand officer, where the 18-year veteran of the company will manage the Disney brand globally and continue to serve as president of marketing, which includes overseeing the marketing and publicity of the studio’s films and series. Ayaz will report to CEO Bob Iger for all things related to branding. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Disney+ Basic users can now access their subscription plans on Roku. The news comes four months after Disney launched the ad-supported tier plan, which costs $8 per month to access its catalog of movies and shows though customers cannot download content for offline viewing. (CNET)
• Apple Inc. submitted a sketch of a device similar to an iPod that includes headphones and a touchscreen to allow users to pick songs and listen to music, watch movies or read for a patent application, which was published by the U.S. Patent Office. The device in the drawing looks like an iPod Touch or iPod Nano but includes a spot to charge wireless earbuds. (TechCrunch)

Nielsen Streaming Top 10: ‘You’ Returns to No. 1 Spot With Debut of Season 4 Part 2

Variety

Paramount Explores Sale of Majority Stake in Noggin Streaming Service

Joe Flint and Jessica Toonkel, The Wall Street Journal 

Paramount Global is exploring selling a majority stake in Noggin, its online learning service for preschool children, according to people familiar with the situation, part of the entertainment company’s efforts to give priority to its Paramount+ and Pluto TV streaming services.

IMG Hires Arts & Entertainment Events Chief for North America

Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter

Staci Hallmon will lead strategy for events such as World of Barbie and launch new IP.

Cinemark CEO Sean Gamble’s Pay Rose to $5.95M in 2022

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter

His compensation package, up from $3.1 million in 2021, came as Cinemark continued to recover at the box office last year after facing theater closures nationwide during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis.

Comedians Nab Crucial Win Against Pandora in Streaming Pay Dispute

Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter

The judge overseeing the case found no evidence that groups representing the comedians have monopolized the market for the rights to comedy routines.

Lawmakers Meet With Bob Iger, Hollywood Creatives To Express Concerns Over Censorship And Beijing’s Influence

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Members of a House select committee on China met with Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger and later with a group of Hollywood filmmakers and executives on Wednesday, amid concerns over industry business practices in engaging with Beijing.

Michelle Yeoh Honored with Kering Women in Motion Award at Cannes 2023

Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire

The “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Oscar winner will be feted during the 2023 film festival this May.

‘Lore’ Adaptation in the Works at Universal From ‘Snake Eyes’ Writers

Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter

Alexandra Bracken’s New York Times bestseller will be produced by Amy Pascal. 

Hoping to Draw Moviegoers and Filmmakers, Amazon Heads to Theaters

Nicole Sperling, The New York Times

The streaming company released Ben Affleck’s “Air” on 3,500 movie screens this week, and it plans to open 10 to 12 films theatrically every year.

Bill Butler, ‘Jaws’ cinematographer, dies at 101

Mandalit del Barco, NPR News

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bill Butler died Wednesday, just days before his 102nd birthday, according to the American Society of Cinematographers. He was known for shooting “Jaws” and other iconic films.

‘The Resident’ Officially Cancelled at Fox: ‘It Was a Great Run,’ Says Creator

Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine

Fox has officially cancelled the medical drama — recently noted by TVLine as one of 13 broadcast series with very uncertain futures — after six seasons, TVLine has learned.

‘Andor’ Season Two Set For August 2024 Debut

Zac Ntim, Deadline

Disney and Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Celebration event has hit London, where Lucasfilm execs and creatives are currently revealing some of the projects the studio is set to blast into a galaxy far away.

‘This Is Us’ Star Sterling K. Brown, Creator Dan Fogelman Reunite for Hulu Drama Series

Joe Otterson, Variety

“This Is Us” alums Sterling K. Brown and Dan Fogelman are reuniting for a drama that has been ordered to series at Hulu, Variety has learned.

‘Ted Lasso’ Star Phil Dunster’s Role in ‘Surface’ Season 2 at Apple Revealed

Joe Otterson, Variety

“Ted Lasso” breakout Phil Dunster’s role in the second season of “Surface” has been revealed.

Sarah Silverman to Launch New Comedy Special on HBO

Diego Peralta, Collider

The Emmy-winning actress filmed the show in Boston.

US senators defend push to give Biden new tools to ban TikTok

David Shepardson, Reuters

Two U.S. senators proposing to give the Biden administration new powers to ban Chinese-owned short video app TikTok on Thursday rejected criticism arguing it is the best way to address security concerns about a broad range of foreign-owned apps.

Messenger adds multiplayer games you can play during video calls

Aisha Malik, TechCrunch

Facebook Gaming, a division of Meta, has announced that you can now play games during video calls on Messenger. At launch, there are 14 free-to-play games available in Messenger video calls on iOS, Android and the web.

Microsoft’s rolling out Edge’s AI image generator to everyone

Mitchell Clark, The Verge

It says the Image Creator tool is ‘now available on desktop for Edge users around the world.’

He’s Narrating Your New Audiobook. He’s Also Been Dead for Nearly 10 Years.

Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, The Wall Street Journal

Apple, Google and others embrace the new AI technology for recording audio versions of books.

Recording Academy Adjusts Eligibility Period for 2024 Grammys

Paul Grein, Billboard

“After listening to concerns from some members of the music community, we have decided to amend the end date of the previously announced eligibility period,” Harvey Mason jr. wrote.

Mötley Crue Guitarist Sues Band, Claiming He Was Fired After Disclosing ‘Debilitating’ Disability

Bill Donahue, Billboard

A private feud between Mick Mars and the rock band’s other members has burst into public view.

Steven Tyler Denies Decades-Old Claim That He Sexually Assaulted a Minor

Bill Donahue, Billboard

It’s the singer’s first legal response to a lawsuit claiming he abused an underage girl that he referenced in his memoir as almost being a “teen bride.”

Maggie Rogers thwarts ticket bots with in-person sales

Will Shanklin, Engadget 

Pop star Maggie Rogers isn’t going to let bots spoil her upcoming tour. The “Alaska” singer told fans in an email today that she’s getting a jump on automated scalpers by selling tickets the old-fashioned way: in-person sales.

Fentanyl caused ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ rapper Coolio’s death

The Associated Press

“Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper Coolio suffered an accidental death from the effects of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine last year, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office reported Thursday.