| | | | | | What's news: WBD now has 132m global streaming subs. The WGA West is threatening to cancel its awards show as staff continue to strike. Pro-Palestine protesters marched outside the L.A. premiere for Scream 7. Park Chan-wook will be the 2026 Cannes jury president. And HBO has renewed Industry for a fifth and final season. — Abid Rahman
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WBD Lost $252M in the Quarter Everyone Decided They Wanted to Buy It ►Caveat emptor. Warner Bros. Discovery reported its Q4 2025 results on Thursday morning, posting total revenue of $9.46b and revealing 131.6m global streaming subscribers. WBD lost $252m in Q4 and adjusted EBITDA was $2.216b. Overall revenue was down 6 percent from the fourth quarter last year. Streaming subs rose by 3.5m from October through December. Advertising revenues dropped 9 percent, with the loss of the NBA on Turner costing WBD about half that. The company’s studio revenues decreased 13 percent vs. the comparable quarter in 2024, mostly due to lower content sales. Global linear networks revenue dropped 12 percent. The story.
—"We view WBD as an accelerant." Paramount Skydance on Wednesday reported its Q4 earnings, as it finds itself in the middle of a renewed push to pry WBD away from Netflix. And with investor interest in the deal sure to be high, the company explained in a letter from CEO David Ellison that it views the megadeal as a key strategic effort. PSKY reported revenues of $8.14b in Q4, up 2 percent from the predecessor company a year earlier, with operating loss of $339m. The company’s linear TV business faced headwinds, even as its streaming business posts double digit growth. The TV media segment saw revenue fall by 5 percent year-over-year to $4.7b even as direct-to-consumer revenue rose by 10 percent to $2.2b. Revenue at Paramount+ rose 17 percent to $1.8b, with Paramount+ now hitting 78.9m subscribers. The results.
—Ominous. A coalition of state attorneys general led by Republicans is urging the government to comprehensively dissect Netflix‘s bid for WBD. They say that greenlighting the deal could create a monopoly, in violation of antitrust laws. "The proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Brothers will likely result in undue market concentration that stifles competition and therefore creates higher prices, lower reliability, and less innovation for one of America’s major industries — all to the detriment of American consumers," the letter reads. The missive, sent on Tuesday, marks the latest blow for Netflix as it navigates regulatory hurdles and a bidding war with Paramount. The story.
—Looking good. TKO is gearing up for a knockout 2026. The owner of UFC, WWE and IMG reported its fourth quarter and 2025 earnings Wednesday, and released 2026 guidance that delivers the benefits of its recent rights deals with Paramount and Disney. The company reported revenues of $1.04b in Q4, net income of $0.8m, and adjusted EBITDA of $281.2m. But the real story is in TKO’s 2026 guidance, which shows sharp increases in revenue and adjusted EBITDA. The company is targeting revenues of between $5.675b to $5.775b (up from $4.375b in 2025) and adjusted EBITDA of between $2.240b to $2.290b (up from $1.585b). The story.
—Woof! As major cinema chains slump on reduced 2025 attendance, Imax is reporting a surge in global box office during its fourth quarter from a mix of Hollywood tentpoles like Avatar: Fire and Ash, local language titles and alternative programming. On Wednesday, the film technologies company also revealed its gross box office during the three months to Dec. 31, 2025 jumped 62 percent to $336.2m, which was up 16 percent from a previous Q4 record. The results. |
WGA West Threatens to Cancel Awards Amid Labor Strife ►Wait, what? The Writers Guild of America West is threatening to cancel its glitzy annual awards show as its own staff continues to strike, alleging that management has committed unfair labor practices amid first contract negotiations. The Writers Guild Staff Union, which has been picketing in front of the union’s headquarters for a week, alleged on Tuesday night that management for the writers’ union raised the possibility of scrapping the 2026 Writers Guild Awards in a recent call about contract negotiations. The story.
—"Nexstar is eroding the resources and talent that local communities rely on for trusted news." SAG-AFTRA leaders are laying into Nexstar for conducting sweeping layoffs at local television stations across the country, saying the action demonstrates the dangers of media consolidation. Local L.A. station KTLA, Chicago station WGN and WPIX in New York have all reportedly been impacted by the cuts. In L.A. alone, anchors Glen Walker and Lu Parker and meteorologist Mark Kriski have been swept up in the round of layoffs, the Los Angeles Times reported. SAG-AFTRA claims that eight union members have been laid off at Chicago’s WGN. The story.
—"I saw them and my heart just sort of stopped." Dozens of pro-Palestine protesters marched outside the Los Angeles premiere for Scream 7 on Wednesday night. Some demonstrators could be seen waving Palestinian flags, while others were holding signs that read “Cancel Paramount+” and “Stand For Free Speech Boycott Scream 7.” The group could also be heard chanting “Boycott Scream 7” and “Free, free, free Palestine,” while some played drums and trumpets. The protest was also in response to Melissa Barrera‘s firing from Scream 7 in November 2023 after she expressed support for Palestine on her social media. The story.
—America in 2026. An editor for MrBeast has been referred to federal regulators for allegedly making insider bets on prediction market Kalshi. The company announced on Wednesday that Artem Kaptur, the MrBeast employee, traded roughly $4,000 on markets related to Jimmy Donaldson’s videos. He had “near-perfect trading success” on bets with low odds by leveraging access to nonpublic information, Kalshi said. The disclosure of the investigation’s results — a first for the company — comes amid prediction markets looking to gain a foothold in Hollywood. The story.
—The latest. Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has swapped in a new attorney as an upcoming retrial in his New York rape cases looms. The imprisoned former Hollywood mogul has jettisoned his powerhouse team for his next moment in court as his longtime attorneys carry out an appeal on his other verdict. Jacob Kaplan of Agnifilo Intrater has been tapped by Weinstein. A scheduled court appearance to iron out details of the upcoming trial was pushed on Wednesday to next week. Prosecutors and defense counsel are working toward resolving the remaining third-degree rape charge that ended in mistrial, but it may go to trial. The story. |
Is Berlin About to Oust Its Leader? ►Bedrohlich. The future of Berlinale director Tricia Tuttle remains uncertain following a supervisory board meeting on Thursday morning. Tuttle's job hangs in the balance following a political backlash over pro-Palestinian speeches at the Berlinale awards ceremony. The supervisory board of the KBB, the umbrella association that operates the Berlinale, held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the future of the Berlin film festival and its director. The KBB is fully owned by the German government, which, through the culture ministry, is the main financial backer of the Berlinale. "This morning, a supervisory board meeting of KBB GmbH took place at the Federal Chancellery,” the German culture ministry said in a statement. “The topic was the Berlinale. Discussions regarding the direction of the Berlinale will continue in the coming days between the director, Tricia Tuttle, and the supervisory board." The story.
—"An international film festival is not a diplomatic instrument." The German and European film academies have thrown their support behind Tricia Tuttle. “As filmmakers in Germany and beyond, we are following the current debates surrounding the Berlinale and the proposed dismissal of Tricia Tuttle with deep concern,” the German film academy wrote in an open letter. The letter is signed by the academy, the German directors, screenwriters and distributors and exhibitors associations, and a who’s who of German filmmakers, including Wim Wenders, Volker Schlöndorff, Margarethe von Trotta, Dani Levy and this year’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner Ilker Çatak (Yellow Letters ). Several international directors, including Kleber Mendonça Filho, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Radu Jude and Oren Moverman, are also signatories. The story. |
Park Chan-wook to Head Cannes Jury ►Chukahaeyo! South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook will be the jury president for the 79th Cannes International Film Festival. The acclaimed filmmaker behind masterpieces Oldboy, Decision to Leave, The Handmaiden and No Other Choice will head up the international jury that will select the winner of this year’s Palme d’Or. He will be the first Korean head of the Cannes jury. The 2026 Cannes Film Festival runs May 12 – 23. The story.
—🏆 Congrats to all! 🏆 The Visual Effects Society has announced the winners for the 2026 VES Awards, recognizing excellence in the craft across 25 categories, including film, television, special venue projects, technological innovation, student projects and more. Avatar: Fire and Ash led the winners with seven including the top prize of outstanding visual effects in a photoreal feature. KPop Demon Hunters led the animation category wins with three trophies, including the top prize of outstanding animation in an animated feature. The winners.
—🏆 Night 3. 🏆 The NAACP Image Awards has continued to announce winners in various non-televised categories ahead of the 2026 NAACP Image Awards ceremony taking place live on Saturday. On Wednesday, the third and final night of a virtual event hosted by actress and writer Angel “ThatChickAngel” Laketa Moore and actor and rapper Khleo Thomas was streamed on the NAACP Image Awards’ YouTube channel, and Sinners, which leads this year’s NAACP Image Awards nominations with 18 nods, racked up three wins. The winners. |
How A24 Became a Magnet for Musicians Who Want to Act ►"I hope they’re not using me for my, like, indie cred." With its auteur reputation as a champion of modern arthouse cinema, A24 has become the undisputed king of the musician-to-actor crossover, evidenced most recently with pop queen Charli XCX’s The Moment, which had its wide release on Feb. 6, where it has grossed $3.8m from around 600 theaters. THR's Ethan Millman looks at how A24 has made itself so attractive to artists with ambitions beyond music. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 Anime pic That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure will swim into theaters May 1, the kick-off of the summer box office season. Crunchyroll and Sony are stressing that while it is the second title in the film franchise, it is not a sequel, but rather an original standalone side story that takes place following the events in season three of the anime series, That That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Debuting in 2018, the streaming series follows an ordinary man reborn as a powerful slime in a fantastical world. The story.
—🤝 Sold! 🤝 THR's Borys "Skewpz" Kit has the scoop that Searchlight Pictures has picked up the rights to Horrorstör, the comedic horror novel by Grady Hendrix, which has been in development both as a film and series since being published in 2014. Jonathan Levine, who directed and exec produced buzzy shows Tell Me Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers , is writing and will helm the adaptation. The book is about an Ikea-like furniture superstore named Orsk in Cleveland that becomes subjected to supernatural occurrences. The story.
—Another record. Zootopia 2 continues to make history at the box office. On Tuesday, the Disney Animation Studios blockbuster passed up A Minecraft Movie ($423.9m) to rank as the highest-grossing domestic release of 2025 with $424.2m in ticket sales. The Oscar-nominated pic was already the top-grossing Hollywood title of the year at both the global and international box office, animated or otherwise. Through Tuesday, the film’s global haul stood at roughly $1.85b. The box office report. |
'Heated Rivalry' S2 Expected to Air in Spring 2027 ►"There will be more Heated Rivalry on your TVs, like, truly, as soon as humanly possible." TV phenomenon Heated Rivalry is likely to return to television screens in the spring of 2027. Show creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Brendan Brady joined Gayle King on CBS Mornings Thursday, where the pair talked about the highly anticipated second season of the show. Tierney said they’re writing the second season now and are shooting in August. King revealed that the show is expected to return in April 2027. In December, Crave renewed Heated Rivalry for a second season, and HBO Max confirmed it will continue to air the series. The story.
—📅 Dated! 📅 The Gonzaga Bulldogs are ready for their close-up. Focusing on college basketball‘s perennial Cinderella team, sports documentary feature Gonzaga: The Slipper Still Fits is set to debut as a Tubi Original on March 6. Director David Check’s feature marks the second project hailing from the AVOD platform’s partnership with Teton Ridge Entertainment, following Tubi’s launch earlier this month of women’s college basketball documentary The Moment. The story.
—🎭 Streak continues. 🎭 NBC has cast the lead role in another of its pilots — in this case tapping Jake Johnson to lead a comedy about an L.A. private investigator. The New Girl actor will star in the currently untitled show from Brooklyn Nine-Nine alumni Dan Goor and Luke Del Tredici. The pilot, produced by Universal Television, has also signed Akiva Schaffer to direct. Johnson’s casting also continues a run of actors who had roles on Fox series in the 2010s leading NBC pilots this year. He joins his New Girl co-star Damon Wayans Jr. (Puzzled), David Boreanaz (The Rockford Files), Emily Deschanel (an untitled criminal profiler drama), Peter Krause (Protection) and Jane Lynch (a comedy with Katey Sagal). The story. |
'Industry' Renewed for Fifth and Final Season at HBO ►SternTao is back in business. Sort of. HBO has renewed Industry for a fifth and final season. The series created by Mickey Down and Konrad Kay concludes its fourth season on Sunday. It was Down’s and Kay’s decision to wrap Industry with season five, Francesca Orsi, HBO’s executive vice president of programming and the head of its drama series and films, said in a statement accompanying the renewal news. Season four of Industry, which hails from Bad Wolf, has been averaging 1.7m viewers per episodes thus far, a 30 percent improvement on season three. The story.
—Snooze fest. The State of the Union address drew a smaller audience than last year’s presidential address to Congress, based on preliminary Nielsen ratings. Donald Trump’s 107-minute speech (the longest on record) drew about 27.8m viewers across the seven most watched broadcast and cable outlets: ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, the Fox broadcast network, MS Now and NBC. That’s down by about 12 percent from 31.45m viewers for those same networks for Trump’s address to Congress last year (which was not technically a SOTU as it came at the start of a new administration). The ratings.
—🎭 Gown to town. 🎭 Peacock is looking to launch a new round of Bride Wars. The streamer is developing a series take on the 2009 movie that starred Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway. Emma Roberts is set to star in and executive produce the project, which is described as a “fresh, loose reimagining” of the story. The project comes from New Regency, which produced the film, and co-studios 20th Television and UCP. Sascha Rothchild is writing the updated take. Rather than focus on two dueling brides-to-be, this Bride Wars will focus on a pair of wedding planners. Roberts will play a big-city wedding planner who moves to a small town in North Carolina. The story. |
Film Review: 'Scream 7' ►"Dead creatively, if not commercially." THR's Frank Scheck reviews Kevin Williamson's Scream 7. Neve Campbell returns for the latest installment of the long-running horror franchise, featuring a cast of both veterans and newcomers. Also starring Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Anna Camp, David Arquette, Roger L. Jackson, Michelle Randolph, Jimmy Tatro, Mckenna Grace, Asa Germann, Celeste O’Connor, Sam Rechner, Mark Consuelos, Tim Simons, Matthew Lillard, Joel McHale and Courteney Cox. Written by Kevin Williamson and Guy Busick. The review.
—"Great story, risible execution." THR's chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg reviews Amazon Prime Video's The Gray House . The eight-part Civil War period drama series was co-created by John Sayles, directed by Roland Joffé, and executive produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman. Starring Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head, Amethyst Davis, Paul Anderson, Ian Duff, Hannah James, Robert Knepper, Christopher McDonald, Colin Morgan, Rob Morrow, Colin O’Donoghue, Sam Trammell with Keith David and Ben Vereen. Created by Leslie Greif, Darrell Fetty and John Sayles. The review.
—"A not-so-silly love song." THR's Sheri Linden reviews Morgan Neville's Man on the Run. The documentary delves into the archives to explore Paul McCartney’s work as a solo artist and with Wings, as well as his domestic and musical partnership with Linda McCartney. The review.
In other news...
—Jury Duty S2 trailer gives first look at new unbeknownst star Anthony
—SNL promo: Connor Storrie showcases his range of accents
—Metallica announces eight-show Sphere residency
—Ex-Call Her Daddy host Sofia Franklyn signs with Verve
—Content Partners names Ben Kram as vice president
—Charter names Nick Jeffery new COO ahead of megamerger
—Chris Williamson, Modern Wisdom podcast host, signs with CAA
—Robert Cosby Jr., son of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Mary Cosby, dies at 23
—Sondra Lee, star of Peter Pan and Hello, Dolly! on Broadway, dies at 97
What else we're reading...
—In the golden era of insider trading, Ross Andersen reports that someone/some people are putting big bets on Kalshi that by the end of December, the Trump administration will confirm that alien life exists [Atlantic]
—Asia Milia Ware and Chantal Fernandez revel in celebrities embracing wigs, which are becoming more realistic — and talked about — than ever before [The Cut]
—Andrew Lawrence ruminates on why wild TV shows from the 2000s like The Biggest Loser and America’s Next Top Model are haunting us now [Guardian]
—Nicholas Barber looks at why the Oscars' TV audience peaked in 1998 — and the real reason why they've slumped since [BBC]
—Bracey Harris reports that Elon Musk's makeshift AI power plant in Mississippi is generating jet engine sounds and making life miserable for locals [NBC News]
Today...
...in 2010, Sony Pictures released Jacques Audiard's A Prophet in U.S. theaters. The French prison crime film, starring Tahar Rahim, was a critical smash and won a BAFTA, 9 Cesar awards and was nominated for an Oscar. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Sean Baker (55), James Wan (49), Drew Goddard (51), Emma Tammi (44), Bill Duke (83), Teresa Palmer (40), Greg Germann (68), Mark Dacascos (62), Ed Quinn (58), Demetrius Grosse (45), Jennifer Grant (60), Steve Agee (57), Demet Özdemir (34), Shiloh Fernandez (41), Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (46), Taylor Dooley (33), Michael Cumpsty (66), Sage Linder (25), Barbara Niven (73), Keyla Monterroso Mejia (28), Alicia Agneson (30), Chase Masterson (63), Erinn Bartlett (53), Marta Kristen (81), Max Lloyd-Jones (35), Carmen Du Sautoy (76), Veronica Ngo (47), Oh Jung-se (49), Carolina Gómez (52), Ross Partridge (58), Lex Scott Davis (35) |
| Elizabeth Snead, a former contributor and style and fashion writer for THR died Monday in Delray Beach, Florida, of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 74. The obituary. |
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