| | | | What's news: The fallout continues from Netflix's shock Q1 subscriber numbers. Rudy Giuliani was Jack in the Box. Mad Men star Robert Morse has died. Searchlight suspends Aziz Ansari's Being Mortal amid investigation. Sony shook up its 2022/23 release calendar. The Tony Awards has instituted a strict no violence policy. Plus: Fast & Furious 10 will be called Fast X — Abid Rahman |
Netflix's Tough Quarter Starts Streaming's Biggest Stress Test ►"Streaming companies are going to have to grapple with this consistent volatility with subscribers." The last half decade has seen every major entertainment company launch streaming services in order to become more like Netflix. But following the Netflix's shock Q1 fall in subscribers, THR's Alex Weprin writes that the streaming video business is now undergoing a stress test of its own, with industry watching on as the streaming giant throws everything it has at the wall. The analysis.
—Now what? After years of being a Wall Street darling, Netflix crashed down with a thump this week, with one investor wag pithily saying the company was "tudunzo" as a stock pick. THR's business editor Georg Szalai surveys the mood on the Street for the streamer and whether the proposed password crackdown and the introduction of an ad-tier will change perceptions. The story.
—Spreading gloom. The day after Netflix disclosed it had lost subscribers for the first time in a decade the company's reputation as a top-performing stock appeared to shatter. Netflix's shares tumbled more than 35 percent, but the malaise spread to other big entertainment and streaming stocks. Competitors like Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Roku all dropped between 5 and 8 percent at market close on Wednesday. The story.
—Ooooof. Reacting to the Netflix subs shocker, hedge fund titan Bill Ackman, who less than three months ago bought $1.1 billion in the streamer's stock, disclosed on Wednesday that he has sold his entire stake in the company at a major loss — a hit somewhere in the region of $400 million. The story.
—Wait, wait, some good news. It's not all doom and gloom for Netflix, with the data suggesting the company is grabbing more of our attention than ever. Streaming platforms overall commanded nearly 30 percent of American viewers’ TV usage in March, the highest in the 11 months Nielsen has measured viewing by platform. Cable viewing also grew in March, driven by news coverage of Ukraine. Broadcast’s share dipped below 25 percent after three straight months around 26 percent of total TV use. The data.
—Meanwhile... HBO and its HBO Max streaming service ended March with 76.8 million global subscribers, an increase of 3.0 million after hitting 73.8 million subscribers as of the end of 2021. The results. |
'Masked Singer' Reveals Rudy Giuliani as Ken Jeong Storms Off Stage ►"I'm done." Controversy hit The Masked Singer as Rudy Giuliani was revealed as the Jack in the Box on Wednesday in the Fox singing competition’s latest contestant departure, and judge Ken Jeong, in particular, was furious. The scandal-plagued Giuliani’s unmasking had been long-awaited, as the filming of his exit episode made headlines back in February. As his final song, the pro-insurrection former NYC mayor and Donald Trump’s ex-lawyer performed "Bad to the Bone." The story.
—Special status in real danger. The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at stripping Disney of special privileges of self-government it has held for over 55 years, allowing it to independently oversee its theme park area. The GOP-led House is expected to approve the measure, which would go into effect June 1, 2023. The move is considered to be in retaliation for Disney’s opposition of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation. The story.
—Production suspended. Searchlight Pictures has suspended production on Aziz Ansari’s feature directorial debut Being Mortal. The studio made the decision to put a pause on the shoot following a complaint filed last week and is investigating the matter. Although it is unclear what the complaint is about, sources say it has nothing to do with Ansari. The story.
—All change. Sony Pictures is rearranging its release calendar. The studio announced Wednesday it is pushing back the theatrical release of some of its biggest upcoming titles with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse moving from Oct. 7 to June 2, 2023. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse II has landed a release date of March 29, 2024, Madame Web will open on July 7, 2023 and The Equalizer 3 will hit the big screen on Sept. 1, 2023. The story.
—X is gonna give it to ya. Vin Diesel has unveiled the title for the first half of the Fast and Furious franchise’s final chapter. In an Instagram post, the actor and producer revealed that the film’s title will be Fast X. Diesel also captioned the photo of the movie’s title logo as “Day one…,” confirming production has started on the tenth installment. The story. |
Kenya Barris on Netflix Exit, BET Studios Launch ►"Everything worked out." Kenya Barris famously left his multiyear, nine-figure Netflix deal last year. The move echoed his 2018 decision to leave his longtime home at Disney, where he had clashed with executives over his ABC comedy Black-ish, for Netflix. Now set up with a lucrative pact at Paramount Global, Barris tells THR's Rick Porter he has no regrets about either decision. The interview.
—"Strict no violence policy." The Tony Awards have introduced a new policy on how it will handle potential violence during the live show weeks after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars. The award show's producers revealed the new procedure in a letter to ticket buyers Wednesday, which stated that: "In the event of an incident, the perpetrator will be removed from the event immediately." The story.
—Maximum fine. The producers of the tragedy-stricken Western Rust knew that firearm safety procedures weren’t being followed on set and demonstrated a “plain indifference” to the welfare of cast and crew, according to a New Mexico safety agency. The agency found numerous violations of safety protocols. It issued the highest level citation and maximum fine allowable by state law of $136,793. The story.
—Detained. Rapper A$AP Rocky was taken into custody Wednesday morning at LAX in connection with a shooting in Hollywood last year, authorities said. The performer, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, was detained on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the LAPD said in a statement. The story.
—Suit filed. Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes is suing the companies behind the show, alleging that they fostered and tolerated a hostile and racist work environment. The lawsuit says Leakes, who is Black, complained to execs about years of racist remarks from fellow housewife Kim Zolciak-Biermann, who is white, but that only Leakes suffered consequences. The story. |
'Snowfall' Boss on How Season Finale Sets Up Final Installment ►"This story has to ultimately be a tragedy." THR's Hilary Lewis spoke to Snowfall showrunner Dave Andron opens up about the two-season endgame for FX's gripping drug drama, Franklin's (Damson Idris) "irrational, impromptu decision," the rise of Angela Lewis' Louie, what to expect from the series' final season and why that Phil Collins montage almost fell apart. The interview.
—"Some of the discoveries around our healing will be shared at the table." Red Table Talk is planning to address the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars incident — just not yet. In a message at the top of Wednesday’s pre-taped episode of the Facebook Watch series, hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter Willow Smith and her mother Adrienne Banfield, the show confirmed that the slapping incident, and the fall out that followed, will be addressed in some capacity. The story.
—Doubling up. Genius, the Disney+ anthology series from National Geographic, is making some changes to its fourth season. For the first time, the series will profile two historical figures: In addition to civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the fourth season will also focus on Malcolm X. The story.
—Casting news. ABC has found the female lead for its drama pilot Will Trent. Erika Christensen will star opposite Ramon Rodriguez in the project based on Karin Slaughter’s best-selling series of crime novels. The Parenthood alum will play Angie, an Atlanta police detective and Will’s (Rodriguez) on-and-off girlfriend. The story.
—OK Bomer. Showtime has ordered Fellow Travelers, a limited series starring and executive produced by Matt Bomer. The eight-part drama, based on a novel by Thomas Mallon, is set in McCarthy-era Washington. Oscar nominee Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia) is adapting the book. The story. |
TV Review: 'A Very British Scandal' ►"Not as good as its predecessor, but Foy and Bettany are superb." THR's chief TV critic Dan Fienberg reviews Amazon’s A Very British Scandal. The production company behind the Emmy-winning A Very English Scandal looks at a notorious British divorce case from 1963 in this three-part drama starring Claire Foy and Paul Bettany. The review. — "Still a thrill." THR TV critic Angie Han reviews the second season of HBO Max's The Flight Attendant. Cassie (Kaley Cuoco), now sober and moonlighting as a CIA asset, tries to solve a murder involving her own mysterious doppelgänger in the new season of the comedy-thriller series. The review. In other news... —Theater review: Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls —Jimmy Kimmel explains why Tucker Carlson shouldn’t be canceled —Tom Cruise, Helen Mirren, Damian Lewis to lead Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations on ITV —Art Directors Guild national executive director Chuck Parker re-elected —Spotify strikes ad deal with Fantasy Footballers podcast —Endeavor Content backs Hugh Marks, Carl Fennessy in launch of Australian studio Dreamchaser —AMC’s Dark Winds to open ATX TV Festival —Amber Ruffin co-written Some Like It Hot stage adaptation to open on Broadway in December —Neon, Nat Geo to r elease Sundance opener Fire of Love — What else we're reading... —A big haha! on this David Pierce story: "Instagram is begging you to stop reposting TikToks to Reels" [ Verge] —Yohana Desta's fun interview with Robert Eggers on the making of The Northman and the making of the most entertaining Robert Eggers film possible [ VF] —Paul Thompson's great profile of We Own This City star Jon Bernthal [ GQ] —Shirley Li says it out loud: "Let the Fantastic Beasts movies die" [ Atlantic] —A.A. Dowd reflects on the career of Bruce Willis and how the actor wore heartache on screen so well [ Vulture] Today... ...in 1989, Universal unveiled Phil Alden Robinson’s baseball drama Field of Dreams in theaters. The film, based on W. P. Kinsella's 1982 novel Shoeless Joe, starred Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones and Burt Lancaster in his final role. A critical hit, the movie made $84 million at the box office and was nominated for three Oscars before becoming an enduring American favorite. The original review. Today's birthdays: Robbie Amell (34), James McAvoy (43), Iggy Pop (75), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (39), Sophie Rundle (34), Andie MacDowell (64), John Cameron Mitchell (59), Toby Stephens (53), Bridget Everett (50), Tony Danza (71), Claire Denis (76), Rob Riggle (52), Patti LuPone (73), Jean-Pierre Dardenne (71), Tavi Gevinson (26), Glen Hansard (52), Robert Smith (63) |
| Robert Morse, the Tony Award-winning star of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying who impressed a new legion of fans as the eccentric head of the Sterling Cooper ad agency on Mad Men, has died. He was 90. The obituary. |
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