• Following the recent domestic abuse charges against “Creed III” actor Jonathan Majors, more alleged abuse victims have come forward and are cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, according to sources. The news comes days after the actor, who will appear in court on May 8, was dropped by his publicists and management, while a Walt Disney Co. spokesperson declined to comment on how the company plans to address the situation with Majors, who is set to star in the 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” (Variety)
  
• ESPN is expected to lay off some employees, including on-air talent and management, next week as part of parent company Disney’s latest round of layoffs, according to people familiar with the matter. The number of cuts at the sports network is reportedly still unknown. (CNBC)
• Lionsgate Television is in early stages of developing “Twilight” into a TV show, but it does not yet have a network or streaming platform attached to the project, according to sources. The studio is reportedly working with writer Sinead Daly, whose credits include “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” on the script to determine whether the show will be a remake of the books written by author Stephenie Meyer, who is expected to be involved with the potential adaptation, or a separate story. (The Hollywood Reporter)
  

Netflix shares slip; five charts that break down its earnings

Reuters

‘Rust’ movie reboots after Alec Baldwin shooting

Morgan Lee, The Associated Press

Filming on the Western movie “Rust” could resume this week in Montana, the production company said Wednesday, in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a rehearsal with actor Alec Baldwin on the original production in New Mexico.

Redbox Owner Interested In Buying Netflix’s DVD Business

Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment CEO Bill Rouhana tells THR he wants to buy the DVD business, though a Netflix source said it is not for sale, and will be wound down.

Los Angeles Filming Days Decline Amid Studio Uncertainty Over Potential Writers Strike

Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter

Shoot days in the city during the first-quarter were down across the board compared to the same period last year and the five-year average, with the exception of feature film production.

SeatGeek Files Confidentially for IPO

Cory Weinberg, The Information

Event ticketing company SeatGeek filed confidentially with regulators this month for an initial public offering, people familiar with the matter said, adding itself to a long list of firms aiming for IPOs once market conditions improve.

Top sports leagues, media outlets team up to combat problematic sports betting ads

Stefan Sykes, CNBC

Some of the nation’s top professional sports leagues and TV broadcasters are teaming up to tackle irresponsible sports betting advertising.

Lawsuit Alleges Lee Strasberg Institute Covered Up a Sexual Assault

Victoria Bekiempis, New York magazine

The Lee Strasberg Theater & Film Institute is at the heart of a new lawsuit filed in Manhattan on April 19 that further pulls back the curtain of alleged cruelty against women at the renowned acting school. former student alleges that then–artistic director Mitchell Nestor “raped and sexually assaulted” her in the early 1970s.

Paramount Renews First-Look Deal With Todd Garner

Scott Mendelson, The Wrap

Paramount Pictures has renewed a first-look deal with Todd Garner. The head of Broken Road Productions first signed a production pact with the studio in 2018.

Pixar Animation Set for Cannes Film Festival Comeback with ‘Elemental’ on Closing Night

Elsa Keslassy, Variety

Pixar will be back at the Cannes Film Festival on closing night (May 27) with the world premiere of their new feature “Elemental.”

Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Clocks in at Three Hours and 26 Minutes

Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter

The Western crime drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone is among the longest Hollywood studio movies in modern times but is three minutes shorter than Scorsese’s “The Irishman.”

Louis Leterrier to Direct 11th ‘Fast & Furious’ Film

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter

The veteran action helmer returns for the next installment, as “Fast X” is set to hit theaters in May.

Next ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Movie Gets Title

Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter

“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is set for a March 15, 2024 release date.

Barbie and Gap partner for new collection ahead of movie

Adrianne Pasquarelli, Ad Age

The Mattel-owned brand will be the inspiration behind a new collection at the retailer debuting late next month, ahead of the movie inspired by the iconic doll.

Inside the historic settlement talks between Fox News and Dominion

Marshall Cohen and Oliver Darcy, CNN

Veteran mediator Jerry Roscoe was on a relaxing river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest celebrating his 70th birthday on Sunday when he received an urgent phone call.

Fox settlement part of flurry of lawsuits over election lies

Nicholas Riccardi, The Associated Press

Fox News’ nearly $800 million settlement of a voting machine company’s defamation lawsuit marks the first milestone in a larger legal strategy designed to combat the false claims and conspiracy theories about elections that have rippled through the United States for nearly three years.

Warner Bros. Discovery Owes $52 Million for ‘South Park’ Streaming Rights, Paramount Alleges

Gene Maddaus, Variety

Paramount Global fired back on Wednesday in the battle over “South Park” streaming rights, accusing Warner Bros. Discovery of withholding $52 million in license fees.

Netflix Cancels Entire ‘Bling Empire’ Franchise in One Fell Swoop

Andy Swift, TVLine

Netflix’s “Bling Empire” has fallen. Both the original series and its spinoff, “Bling Empire: New York,” have been cancelled, TVLine has confirmed.

‘The Daily Show’ Sets New Round of Guest Hosts as Ratings Rise 21% vs. Trevor Noah Era

Lucas Manfredi, The Wrap

Charlamagne Tha God, Michelle Wolf and Desus Nice will step behind the Comedy Central program’s iconic desk starting in May.

‘The Good Doctor’ Renewed for Season 7

Ryan Schwartz, TVLine

Fans of “The Good Doctor” will get to see Shaun and Lea as first-time parents, now that ABC has renewed the veteran medical procedural for Season 7.

‘Dear Edward’ Cancelled at Apple TV+

Kimberly Roots, TVLine

The streamer has cancelled the drama, TVLine has learned. There will be no Season 2.

‘The White Lotus’ Sets Natasha Rothwell to Return for Season 3

Selome Hailu, Variety

Goodbye, Tanya — Belinda’s back! Natasha Rothwell will return to “The White Lotus” for Season 3, Variety has learned from multiple sources close to the production.

Instagram Will Cut or Relocate Its London Staff

Sarah Frier, Bloomberg

Meta Platforms Inc. is planning to cut or relocate its London-based Instagram employees, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Voice Actors ‘Shocked’ to Find AI Copying Their Speech, Tone

Margi Murphy, Bloomberg

They say they signed contracts in a time when the tech wasn’t so sophisticated. 

Snapchat+ subscription now has more than 3 million users

Ivan Mehta, TechCrunch

Snap said today that its Snapchat+ paid plan has more than 3 million users. At its Snap Partner Summit event, the company added that in the coming days, Verizon users will have the option to buy Snapchat+ subscriptions through the carrier’s subscription store called +play.

Snapchat and Live Nation to Launch Augmented-Reality Tool for Live Music Festivals

Scott Mendelson, The Wrap

Disguise will help bring Snap AR to events like the Governors Ball and Lollapalooza Paris.

Frank Ocean Drops Out of Coachella Weekend 2

Rania Aniftos, Billboard

Blink-182 will reportedly be filling in as the Sunday headliner.

Harry Styles, Kate Bush among nominees for Ivor songwriting awards

Reuters

Singers Harry Styles and Kate Bush are among the nominees at next month’s Ivors, the annual awards honouring songwriters and screen composers.

Foo Fighters announce first new album since death of drummer Taylor Hawkins

Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

The Foo Fighters are learning to fly without their drummer Taylor Hawkins. A little over a year after Hawkins’ death in Columbia while on tour with the band, the Foo Fighters announced on Wednesday that they will release a new album titled “But Here We Are” this summer. Their first single, “Rescued,” was made available along with the announcement.

Taylor Swift didn’t sign $100 million FTX sponsorship because she was the only one to ask about unregistered securities, lawyer says

Peter Syme, Insider

Taylor Swift avoided signing a $100 million sponsorship deal with FTX because she was the only celebrity to question the crypto exchange, according to the lawyer handling a class-action lawsuit against several FTX promoters.

Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine Expands Into Music, Hires Alex Flores to Build New Division

Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter

The production company behind “Daisy Jones & the Six” and other music-related projects has hired Flores to spearhead strategic initiatives in the music space.