Entertainment
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Essential entertainment industry news & intel to start your day.
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March 31, 2023
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Today’s Top News
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Netflix Inc. will restructure its film group to produce fewer movies each year, which will result in some layoffs of executives, including Lisa Nishimura, who was with the company for more than 15 years and oversaw documentaries and small-budget films, and Ian Bricke, a vice president of the department. As part of the restructure, which will combine Netflix’s divisions that produce small and mid-size movies, film chief Scott Stuber reportedly aims to focus on quality rather than quantity and wants to centralize decision making related to films. (Bloomberg)
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Amazon.com Inc. signed an exclusive first-look film and TV deal with ex-Marvel Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada to boost its comic book movie and TV show offerings. Under the pact, Quesada, who was also Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, will adapt existing and new comic book intellectual property for the streaming service. (The Hollywood Reporter)
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The Entertainment Software Association’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, which was scheduled to be the conference’s first in-person gathering since 2019, canceled the June event because it “did not garner the sustained interest necessary,” according to an email sent to members obtained by IGN. The news comes as several major gaming companies such as Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox, Nintendo Co. Ltd., Sony Group Corp.’s PlayStation and Ubisoft Entertainment SA announced they would not attend E3, while others said they’d only do digital showcases. (IGN)
- Hollywood’s COVID-19 protocols will expire after nearly three years on May 12 as productions will no longer have vaccination mandates after that date. Employees will still receive five days of COVID-19 sick time through Dec. 31, and the only requirement that will remain in effect is that actors involved in “intimate scenes” will have to be tested, according to a joint statement from the entertainment unions. (Variety)
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| A MESSAGE FROM MORNING CONSULT |
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What Else You Need to Know
Disney blocks Ron DeSantis’ Florida power play with a royal family clause
Sarah Whitten, CNBC
Disney used a legal clause that name checks King Charles III to apparently thwart Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to strip the company of its self-governance power in the state.
ABC News lays off several senior executives amid broader Disney cost-cutting in ‘shock’ to newsroom
Oliver Darcy, CNN
ABC News on Thursday stunned staffers, laying off several senior executives and restructuring its newsroom amid a broader workforce reduction being carried out by its parent company Disney, people familiar with the matter told CNN.
‘A League of Their Own’ and ‘Bros’ Win Top Prizes at GLAAD Media Awards
Sophia Scorziello, Variety
The big winners at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards included “A League of Their Own,” “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Bros.”
Bloomberg Goes Hollywood, With Plans to Mine News IP for TV and Film
Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
The company will also launch a Screentime event this fall with Ted Sarandos, Ari Emanuel, Bryan Lourd and Donna Langley among the speakers.
Paramount Global Hit With Credit Rating Downgrade Over Streaming Costs
Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter
Its rating was lowered “due to the weakening macroeconomic environment, higher peak losses in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) segment, and worsening trends for linear television,” S&P Global Ratings wrote.
Madison Square Garden Board Approves Spinoff Plans
Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter
Separating the live entertainment unit, which includes the iconic New York City arena, from other businesses is expected to be completed April 20.
JK Rowling Producer’s Profits Plummet; ‘Strike’ Renewal Confirmed After BBC Trans Apologies
Jake Kanter, Deadline
JK Rowling’s production company Brontë Film and TV has posted a 74% drop in profits after Covid closed theatre performances of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child.
Trump indicted in Stormy Daniels hush money case
Rebecca Beitsch and Zach Schonfeld, The Hill
Former President Trump was indicted on criminal charges in New York on Thursday for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.
Gwyneth Paltrow gets vindication at ski collision trial
Sam Metz, The Associated Press
Gwyneth Paltrow wasn’t to blame for a 2016 collision with a retired optometrist on a beginner run at a posh Utah ski resort during a family vacation, a jury decided Thursday following a live-streamed trial that became a pop culture fixation.
Court to weigh Baldwin codefendant’s plea on weapons charge
The Associated Press
A judge is scheduled to resolve a weapons-related charge Friday against a codefendant in the case against actor Alec Baldwin for the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on a movie set.
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Nielsen Streaming Top 10: ‘The Mandalorian’ Debuts at No. 5, ‘NCIS’ Jumps to Fourth Place as Paramount+ Joins Chart
Selome Hailu, Variety
“The Mandalorian” has made its return to Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings. Through the Feb 27-March 5 viewing window, during which Season 3 premiered and was available for five days, the “Star Wars” series starring Pedro Pascal was watched for 826 million minutes.
Netflix is bringing back the cast of ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ for its anime series
Andrew Webster, The Verge
Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and the rest of the gang are coming back in animated form.
The CW Bolsters Unscripted Further With Hire Of NBCU’s Betsy Slenzak
Peter White, Deadline
The network has hired former NBCUniversal exec Betsy Slenzak as VP, Unscripted Programming. She reports to Head of Unscripted Programming Heather Olander and will develop and run current production on alternative reality series, events and specials for the network.
Blumhouse Acquires Rights to Adapt the Viral Paranormal Story of Deborah and Jessica Moffitt
McKinley Franklin, Variety
Blumhouse has acquired the screen rights to the viral paranormal story of Deborah and Jessica Moffitt and forthcoming book manuscript, “Mr. Entity: The Moffitt Family Haunting,” Variety can exclusively reveal.
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Producers Respond to Anti-Drag Bills: ‘It Feels Un-American’
Jazz Tangcay, Variety
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, the Emmy-winning producers behind “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and co-founders of World of Wonder, have responded to the wave of anti-drag legislation being introduced by GOP lawmakers, calling it “un-American.”
Lou Gehrig Series From Lorne Michaels in the Works at Apple
Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter
Dan Kay and author Jonathan Eig will adapt the latter’s book for Universal Television, with Peter Farrelly set to direct the potential pilot.
CNN preaches patience as ratings tank during turnaround
David Bauder, The Associated Press
CNN’s leadership is preaching patience even though thousands of viewers are abandoning the network during its attempted turnaround, with no indication yet whether it will be rewarded.
‘The Bachelor’ Creator Mike Fleiss Departed Franchise After Investigation Into Racial Discrimination
Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety
When Mike Fleiss announced he was leaving “The Bachelor” franchise earlier this week, he released a chipper statement to the media, congratulating the latest winning couple from the reality dating show that he created more than 20 years ago.
‘The Night Agent’: How Thriller Almost Didn’t End Up At Netflix & Underwent Story Tweaks Before Becoming Streamer’s Next Big Hit
Nellie Andreeva, Deadline
Netflix yesterday gave “The Night Agent” a quick Season 2 pickup only six days after the action-thriller from creator Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures TV launched with the third-best premiere week of viewing for a new series — only behind “Wednesday” and “Dahmer” — putting the series starring Gabriel Basso on track to potentially land in the Top 5 of Netflix’s all-time most popular series.
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BAFTA Games Awards: ‘God of War Ragnarok’ Wins Six Honors, But ‘Vampire Survivors’ Named Best Game
Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter
“Elden Ring,” and “Tunic” also landed multiple awards.
Audiochuck Taps Imperative Entertainment’s Jason Hoch to Launch Podcast Network
J. Clara Chan, The Hollywood Reporter
The audio executive will produce narrative projects for WAVLAND, a new network from the “Crime Junkie” podcast company led by Ashley Flowers.
TikTok to Pitch Ad Buyers at IAB Newfronts Amid Scrutiny
Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter
Amazon, Peacock, YouTube, Snapchat, Meta, Yahoo and Condé Nast will also be participating in this year’s ad lineup.
TikTok’s Behind-the-Scenes Help in Washington: Former Obama, Disney Advisers
Kirsten Grind and Erich Schwartzel, The Wall Street Journal
Zenia Mucha, Jim Messina and David Plouffe were brought on to advise the video app’s CEO on handling U.S. criticism over China ties.
Twitter alternative T2 launches new verification program, hires Discord engineering head as CTO
Sarah Perez, TechCrunch
As Twitter begins its shift to a “pay to play” business model, a new Twitter alternative is preparing to take flight.
Meta, Microsoft, and Disney are reversing their bets on the metaverse
Faustine Ngila, Quartz
Companies that initially rooted for the metaverse no longer believe in its future.
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Opinions, Editorials, Perspectives and Research
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The Oscars’ Bold Bid to Boost Theaters
Matthew Belloni, Puck News
It’s all being kept quiet for now, but I’m told the Academy is poised to enact a significant rules change, potentially adding a new theatrical distribution requirement for films to be eligible for best picture.
‘The Bachelor’ Loses Its Cold, Black Heart
Matthew Belloni, Puck News
Mike Fleiss, the dark genius behind the Bachelor franchise, has always been a consensus first-round pick for Reality TV’s All-Asshole team. Even with his exit, following accusations of racial discrimination and bullying, Fleiss has fueled controversy about the team taking his place.
Analyst Sees a More Magical Kingdom If Apple Acquires Disney
Jon Lafayette, Nexttv
Laura Martin calculates 15%-25% upside for Apple shareholders.
Streaming Films More Inclusive of Female and POC Directors Than Theatrical
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire
The 10th annual UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report has found that streaming releases are more inclusive than theatrical films.
Disney blocked DeSantis’s oversight board. What happens next?
Emily Olson, NPR News
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney World and a special tax district are once again making headlines, but this time, it’s with a new cast member: England’s King Charles III.
Want to watch MLB games? Making sense of the confusing TV and streaming landscape
Lillian Rizzo, CNBC
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack – and a bunch of streaming and TV subscriptions, too.
Watching Your Favorite Team Could Cost You More Than Netflix
Austin Carr and Gerry Smith, Bloomberg
NESN 360 is the standalone streaming app of the New England Sports Network, the basic-cable home of the Boston Red Sox and the NHL’s Bruins.
‘John Wick’’s Blowout Opening Lifts Lions Gate, But It Won’t Fix Starz
Thomas Buckley, Bloomberg
The studio plans to cut its ties to the streaming service it bought for $4.4 billion in 2016.
Dungeons & Dragons’ Epic Quest to Finally Make Money
Felix Gillette and Thomas Buckley, Bloomberg Businessweek
With Honor Among Thieves soon to hit theaters, can Hasbro overcome 50 years of D&D business disasters without enraging its fan base?
‘I hate advertising in games’: Q&A with Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney and Saxx Persson on the future of Fortnite, Unreal Engine
Aron Garst, Digiday
Marketers be warned. Don’t mention in-game advertising to Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney. He does not care for it, and has no plans to move into the ads business.
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