| SOME WORRY THAT THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY STANDS POISED TO LOSE ITS SECOND MAJOR STUDIO IN 7 YEARS |
When David Ellison saved Paramount from being swallowed up by Sony two years ago, he was perceived around town as a hero. Now that’s he’s in the pole position to take over Warner Bros, the last thing he wants to be known as is the guy who collapsed Hollywood.
On Monday’s call with Wall Street analysts to discuss the $110B merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, the Paramount CEO began by identifying himself “as a producer and lifelong fan of film and television.” Few if any entertainment conglom chief executives refer to themselves as producers. The positioning seemed like it was Ellison’s way of quelling the anxiety and ire that’s out there as the motion picture industry stands poised to lose its second major studio in seven years.
“This is the most anticompetitive merger that violates the fundamental principles of the Sherman Antitrust Act,” a notable rival studio insider said. “It’s purely a horizontal combination in an industry that’s already consolidated. The seventh and eighth biggest airlines, JetBlue and Spirit, weren’t allowed to merge, and now the No. 2 and No. 5 studio are being allowed." >>>"A F*cking Joke "
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Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
Film & TV Production In A Time Of War - As the world gets to grips with the growing implications of the U.S.-Israeli air war against Iran, film and TV professionals in neighboring Gulf territories are holding their breath and hoping the conflict will not escalate further. >>> Nerve Wracking Sub Buddies - Roku has scored a win in its ongoing effort to team up with streaming programmers, adding Apple TV to its roster of premium subscriptions on the Roku Channel. For Apple, the agreement also helps potentially ramp up subscribers, with popular programming like Ted Lasso and live sports like Formula 1 and Major League Baseball due out starting this month. >>> Billed As Smoother Process For Subscribers
Harrison Hits A Home Run - Harrison Ford’s memorable speech, truly one for the ages, at SAG-AFTRA’s Actor Awards on Sunday night has resonated as few others have (watch it below). Many of those in the room were visibly moved as the Star Wars and Indiana Jones titan spoke of his 15-year struggle to break through. >>> Baz Bamigboye's Column
Paul's 'Boutique' — Two-time Oscar nominee and avowed genre fan Paul Giamatti has been set to star in his first horror movie in a decade with Boutique. Giamatti will play American tourist Calvin who “journeys to the eerie English seaside town that inspired the work of his favorite reclusive author but instead gets entangled with a murderous secret society. >>>" Scary, Funny, Bizarre"
BBC Topper Exits - Leigh Tavaziva, the BBC's chief operating officer, is stepping down amid continued leadership upheaval at the UK national broadcaster. Per an internal email, Tavaziva has told employees that she will exit the BBC in September. She is the third BBC board-level executive to quit in the past four months. >>> DG Search Continues |
Stellan Skarsgård is one of the most respected actors in the world. That is why it is a bit of a surprise that the journeyman international star from Sweden is only now at this moment getting nominated for an Oscar. Already a winner of the European Film Award and his second Golden Globe (the first came in TV for Chernobyl) this season, Skarsgård is also up for his first Oscar in Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value.
Here, he talks about his filmography and also discuss if he will appear in sequels to Mamma Mia! and Dune 3; how he has produced such a famous family of actors; and the effect a 2022 stroke had on his ability to keep acting and making movies in a unique way. >>>Watch |
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ExclusiveBlue Bloods alumna Bridget Moynahan is rounding out the series regular cast of Hulu’s upcoming Dan Fogelman series The Land, which is currently in production.
ExclusiveSasha Calle has signed on for a role in The Exorcist, the next installment of the iconic horror franchise, which Universal releases in theaters on Friday, March 12, 2027.
ExclusiveSpawn and The Dark Knight actor Michael Jai White has joined the cast of martial arts feature Paper Made, which is underway in Tampa, Florida.
Hope Davis (Succession) has been set to star opposite the previously-announced Peter Krause in the drama pilot Protection, from creator, writer, and executive producer Josh Safran.
Prime Video's God of War has added four new actors to its growing cast: Louis Cunningham (Marie Antoinette) and Island Austin (Insidious 6), as series regulars and on the recurring cast, Ben Chapple (Good Cop Bad Cop) and Evelyn Miller (Foundation). |
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5.3M - Live + same-day viewership for the midseason premiere of 'Sheriff Country' |
MORE NEWS
📈 Shares in Versant Media, which spun off from Comcast in January, climbed 4% in early trading this morning, after the company posted its first set of financials for all of 2025. Even though the results showed declines from the boom year of 2024, investors are encouraged by the company's pursuits beyond its portfolio of legacy cable TV networks. 🍽️ Donald Trump said that he will attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, marking the first time he will do so as president. Trump posted on Truth Social, “The White House Correspondents Association has asked me, very nicely, to be the Honoree at this year’s Dinner."
📺 Weeks out from the launch of its first season, Saturday Night Live UK has announced its inaugural writing staff. The team includes Al Roberts, Ayo Adenekan, Bella Hull, Celya AB, Charlie Skelton, Chris Cantrill and many more.
⚕️ The Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell revealed he has been diagnosed with a "treatable" but not "curable" type of cancer, forcing him to seek medical care and cancel forthcoming public appearances.
✍️ Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale’s Artists Equity has signed a multiyear streaming first-look, production and distribution agreement with Netflix. Under terms of the partnership, Artists Equity will be the lead studio on the films it produces for Netflix. |
OBITUARIES
🕯️ Todd Meadows, a deckhand on Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, has died at the age of 25. Meadows was working on the Aleutian Lady, one of the vessels filmed for the long-running show, fishing for crabs on the Bering Sea at the time of his passing on February 25. Details of the nature of his death are unclear. 🕯️ 2026 Deaths Photo Gallery |
| ON THE RADAR
Wed - Young Sherlock series premiere
Thu - Final Oscar ballots due; GLAAD Media Awards
Sat - Ryan Gosling hosts SNL
Sun - WGA Awards in New York |
Back In Birmingham - Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth at the world premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in Birmingham, England. |
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