☀️ WBD: NETFLIX Brings 💰 as PAR Franchise Needs MountUNI adds to spec 🔥 / SONY enlists Justin Lin / CAA, PAR exec movesMornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LINKEDIN here if ya like or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Where it’s rare when a team’s fortunes in an entire season can be summed up in one play . . . but at least the GIANTS achieved that last night. PLUS: Here are your New York Film Critics Circle winners for 2025 (link updating as announced today).
OH: If I have any readers in Missouri — let me know how your TV ad breaks look these days, since you became the 39th state to legalize sports betting yesterday (my contact info is at the top of the newsletter). SO: 2026 is gonna be great news for whatever businesses are still left around corporate office buildings! INSTA is the latest company calling for 5 days a week in the office, according to Sources. Start date is Feb. 2 . . . except for the New York folks, cuz uh, sounds like they don’t have enough, ya know, desks.
AH: Nothing like Sam Altman using the term ‘code red’ with staff to describe the status at OPENAI after GOOGLE’s latest AI release (and other marketplace threats), according to The Information. No word on whether CHATGPT also included the phrase “You can’t handle the truth!” in its draft statement.
OH: AI is now faking TMZ stamps on AI-created Diddy in prison pics floating around online. Eh . . . I’m sure at least one person is also using AI to try and cure cancer or something 🙏. Let’s just hope the NETFLIX Diddy doc from BFF 50 Cent dropping today steers clear of them. YUP: Time to update your whiteboard for the AI economy collapse limited series you’ll be going into production for at WARNAMOUNT or NETWARNER (NETFLIX BROS?) in . . . 3 years?
AND: Ad biz giant OMNICOM is putting 4,000 folks out of a job in the next 4 weeks (about a 3% trim) now that its big merger with INTERPUBLIC GROUP is street legal.
THEN: Exhibit 236 that giving smartphones to kids is terrible — according to a study of kids from 2016 to 2022, kids who owned a smartphone at age 12 had:
SPEAKING OF: YOUTUBE released its ‘year in review’ data today . . . with a full month ahead of us still to go in 2025, but it is what it is. And yes, 4 of the top 10 most popular songs were from KPop Demon Hunters.
YEAH: Chinese company KUIASHOU has created an AI video program that can not only make videos from text prompts, but also allows you to edit them/remove things from the background, etc., as well as enter a video you’ve shot and turn it into an animated video.
FINALLY: The Ankler would love to hear where your head is at / thoughts on the 2026 in front of us!
🎥 THE SILVER SCREENPARAMOUNT Franchise Health, and WBD PotentialWhile the PSKY M&A group worked hard through their Thanksgiving “break” to get the new bid in yesterday, it seems the franchise team has also been hard at work this Q4 and . . . hey, good news — 2028’s looking great! But, taking a further dive into the state and history of the PARAMOUNT theatrical franchises this millennium and what’s slated ahead . . . well, let’s just say you can see why Larry is making the full court press on buying WARNER BROS — there are a couple updates on that process below as well. FIRST UP: The new stuff! Some good news for the WB folks — with the latest release date announcements, you can finally take some holiday time off after the deal is closed. ... Continue reading this post for free in the Substack app |







