• The Writers Guild of America will go on strike for the first time in 15 years on Tuesday afternoon after negotiations on Monday with Hollywood studios and streaming services ended without a new agreement. Los Angeles union members will picket at production locations at Amazon.com Inc., the Walt Disney Co., Netflix Inc., Fox Corp. and more, while members in New York will picket at the Peacock NewFronts and Netflix’s headquarters in Manhattan. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• The board appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) filed a lawsuit against Disney in state court to keep its control over the special tax district that houses the Orlando-based theme parks. The lawsuit was filed days after the entertainment giant sued the governor in federal court for what Disney alleges as retribution for speaking out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. (The Associated Press)
• Amazon will add more than 100 Prime Video original series, including “Reacher” and “The Summer I Turned Pretty,“ to its ad-supported platform, Freevee, later this year —  the first time Prime Video shows will be available for free with commercials. As of Monday, more than 50 series were added to Freevee, including “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” “Savage X Fenty” and more. (Variety)

Hollywood’s Franchise Frenzy Won’t Help Streamers Win Nonsubscribers

Morning Consult

Smart-TV Maker Vizio Launches Branded Content Studio, Building On Test Featuring ‘Man Vs. Food’ Host Casey Webb

Dade Hayes, Deadline

Vizio, a top smart-TV maker, has launched a branded content studio as part of its push into streaming programming.

Marc Gilbar Elevated To President Of Imagine Brands; Amanda Farrand Joins As EVP, Business & Brand Development 

Matt Grobar, Deadline

Imagine Entertainment on Monday announced an expansion of its Brand division with the promotion of Marc Gilbar to President and the appointment of Amanda Farrand as EVP, Business & Brand Development.

Former ABC News/Disney Exec Marie Nelson Named Hot Docs Fest President

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter

She partnered with Nikole Hannah-Jones and others to develop the Pulitzer prize-winning “The 1619 Project” docuseries for Hulu Originals.

Gwyneth Paltrow won’t recoup attorney fees in ski crash suit

Sam Metz, The Associated Press

Gwyneth Paltrow will not recoup the attorneys’ fees she paid to successfully defend herself against a lawsuit from a 76-year-old retired optometrist who claimed she was at fault for crashing into him at a posh Utah ski resort in 2016.

Author Judy Blume stands up to book bans, promotes ‘freedom to read’

Mara Siegler, Page Six

Judy Blume — the famed author of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” whose books have been on banned lists since the 1980s — is taking a stand against the recent surge in censorship.

Barbie unveils Anna May Wong doll for AAPI Heritage Month

Terry Tang, The Associated Press

Six months after she was immortalized with a U.S. quarter, Asian American Hollywood trailblazer Anna May Wong has received another accolade affirming her icon status — her own Barbie.

James Gunn Created 600 Unique Versions of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 3’ For Various Types of Cinemas

Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter

“It’s definitely the most complex delivery Marvel’s ever done,” Disney exec Evan Jacobs says of Gunn’s use of variable aspect ratios.

‘G.I. Joe’ Producer Says They’re Working on the Next Movie

Ryan O’Rourke, Collider

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura discusses the ‘G.I. Joe’ franchise.

Sylvester Stallone is returning for a ‘Cliffhanger’ reboot

Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly

Sylvester Stallone is set to reprise the role of the mountain climber and rescue ranger in a reboot of the 1993 action thriller “Cliffhanger.”

Tubi targets upfronts attendees with satirical short films

Chris Kelly, Marketing Dive

The short films use familiar genres like mystery thrillers and romantic comedies to satirize the personal and professional lives of those in the ad industry.

Eva Longoria directed a movie about Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Now, it’s crunch time

Jeff Beer, Fast Company

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are tasty and trendy. In Eva Longoria’s new film—her feature directorial debut—they’re also an inspiration.

Super Bowl LVII Adds 2 Million Viewers After Nielsen Restatement

Brian Steinberg, Variety

Nielsen has added audience to the overall total of the February 13, 2022 broadcast, and the new viewership makes the game the industry’s most-watched TV event.

Netflix’s ‘Monster’ Anthology to Cover the Menendez Brothers in Season 2

Keisha Hatchett, TVLine

After taking on Jeffrey Dahmer, Netflix will next tackle the Menendez brothers.

‘The Diplomat’ Renewed For Second Season By Netflix

Lynette Rice, Deadline

Netflix has renewed the Keri Russell starrer “The Diplomat” for a second season.

‘9-1-1’ Shocker: Procedural Moving From Fox to ABC for Just-Renewed Season 7

Andy Swift, TVLine

The 118 is on the move. Though 9-1-1‘s current sixth season will be its last on Fox, the procedural has been renewed for Season 7 on a new network — ABC!

Why the producers of ‘Queer Eye’ and Peacock’s ‘Swedish Death Cleaning’ show believe they’re ‘in a really good position’ to ride out a Hollywood writers’ strike

Lucia Moses, Insider Premium

“Queer Eye” creator Scout Productions is betting its time is now, with a Hollywood writers’ strike looming.

Adapt or Die

James Poniewozik, The New York Times

Too many of TV’s numerous adaptations promise “faithfulness.” What they really need is a little creative infidelity.

TikTok Is Developing AI-Generated Video Disclosures as Deepfakes Rise

Kaya Yurieff, The Information

The ByteDance-owned app is developing a tool for content creators to disclose they used generative artificial intelligence in making their videos, according to a person with direct knowledge of the efforts.

YouTube Expands Options For Advertisers On Its Growing Shorts Platform

Dade Hayes, Deadline

YouTube is adding options for advertisers on its growing Shorts platform.

Snap Hires Former Meta Execs to Bolster Ad Business

Alex Barinka, Bloomberg

Snap Inc., the maker of the Snapchat app, has hired two former employees of Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. as part of a drive to expand its advertising business. 

Spotify tries to win indie authors by cutting audiobook fees

Amrita Khalid, The Verge

Spotify’s audiobook creation service, Findaway Voices, will cut fees for sales through its own platform.

Meta is hosting its next VR gaming show in June

Jay Peters, The Verge

The next Quest Gaming Showcase is happening on June 1st.

Wes Anderson Directing ‘Star Wars’? A.I. Trailer Mimicking Filmmaker’s Style Divides Social Media

Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter

The computer-produced trailer for “The Galactic Menagerie” is the latest Anderson-like ephemera to go viral.

Morgan Wallen’s ‘Last Night’ Leads Billboard Hot 100, Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny Blast to Top 10 With ‘Un x100to’

Gary Trust, Billboard

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” returns to No. 1, from No. 2, for a fourth total week atop the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

Ed Sheeran calls copycat claims ‘insulting’ in ‘Thinking Out Loud’ trial

Brendan Pierson, Reuters

A sometimes-riled Ed Sheeran on Monday denied copying Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get it On” in his second day of testifying to jurors in a copyright trial in Manhattan federal court, calling the claim “insulting.”

Aerosmith announces farewell tour starting in September

Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press

Aerosmith will be touring a city near you for the last time to celebrate the rock band’s 50-plus years together.

‘MJ’ Musical Casting for New Adult and Young Michael Jackson Roles for Broadway, Touring Companies

Dessi Gomez, The Wrap

Producers Lia Vollack, John Branca and John McClain announced Monday that open call auditions for the roles of “MJ” and “Little Michael” in the “MJ” musical.

Drake’s AI clone is here — and Drake might not be able to stop him

Mia Sato, The Verge

Major record labels are going after AI-generated songs, arguing copyright infringement. Legal experts say the approach is far from straightforward.