After last year’s Great Netflix Correction, the streaming sector in 2023 entered a decidedly more pragmatic phase. As viewers continued to flock to streaming as their primary source of entertainment, subscriber levels stabilized and Netflix returned to its leadership perch after last year’s scare. Profitability for all players has become the new North Star, especially given how radically different (read: worse) the new economics are compared to the glory years of pay-TV. Top-line growth is always welcome, but Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke for many last February when he said the company had become “intoxicated” by the early subscriber gains by Disney+ and had therefore mismanaged its streaming business.
In Deadline's recap of the year that was, the eight top streamers get the once-over. The field remains crowded but one truth emerged over the course of this strike-altered year of austerity: predictions that Netflix would fall from grace turned out to be wildly incorrect. >>>More Ads, More Bundles |
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Hazardous? - John Schneider is now insisting he never threatened the life of President Joe Biden, but the Secret Service isn't so certain. It has opened a probe into statements the former Dukes of Hazzard star made online toward the President and his son, Hunter Biden. >>>In The Preliminary Stages
Making A Mark - The December 15 premiere of the Mark Wahlberg-starrer The Family Plan on Apple TV+ debuted as the most viewed movie ever for the service, and now stands as the most viewed movie in Apple TV+ history, per insiders. >>>Viewership Up 42%
'Maestro': Read The Screenplay - Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Maestro, which is directed, co-written, produced by and starring Bradley Cooper. The actor wrote the script with Spotlight Oscar winner Josh Singer. >>>Script
State Of The Union - British director Ken Loach has been suspended from holding a decision-making role at Bectu amid simmering internal tensions at the UK’s biggest film and TV union. Two others were also suspended and six more members faced disciplinary measures. >>>Ousted After 60 Years
'Origin' Story - Ava DuVernay is handing out a big-screen holiday gift on Christmas Day. The Oscar nominated filmmaker will be holding mid-day screenings of her latest film, Origin, at no charge for guild members on Monday. West Coast and East Coast members of the WGA, PGA, DGA, American Society of Cinematographers, American Cinema Editors and other guilds are invited, Deadline was told.>>> "My Favorite Day To See Movies" |
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Hanging on the wall next to a picturesque window view of the White House grounds in Doug Emhoff’s sunlit corner office is a handmade rectangular wood carving with the words, in all caps, “SECOND GENTLEMAN.”
When the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and veteran entertainment lawyer took this newly titled role, it was, as he put it, an “open slate.” The election of his wife as the country’s first female VP meant that, for the first time, there would be a male spouse of one of the White House principals.
The role, Emhoff said in an interview with Deadline this week, has “evolved into helping the administration in any way I could, and unfortunately, with the rise of hate and the rise of antisemitism, even prior to October 7, being the first Jewish person ever to be a White House principal, that was a real natural area for me to jump into.” >>>Read The Interview |
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Exclusive
Oscar nominee Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) joined Oscar nominee Steve Coogan in the feature drama The Penguin Lessons, which recently wrapped in Spain.
Exclusive
Skye Townsend (Black Lady Sketch Show) has joined the cast of the CBS comedy The Neighborhood for Season 6 in a recurring role.
Comedian Jo Koy has been set to host the 81st Golden Globe Awards, in what will be his first outing in that capacity at a major awards show. |
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More News
🤝 Lionsgate‘s long-gestating plan to split the studio with Starz is finally a go as the company announced today that its TV studio, motion picture group and film and television libraries will merge with Screaming Eagle Acquisition Corp., a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) led by Eli Baker. The transaction sets a $4.6-billion enterprise value on Lionsgate Studios.
🎫 Box office will likely be sluggish this Christmas weekend, based on results from Thursday previews. Warner Bros’/DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom posted $4.5M last night at 3,400 locations, while Illumination/Universal’s Migration did $1.5M.
⚾ The Dodgers signed coveted pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million contract. The Japanese free agent is a two-time winner of Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award.
⚖ In a lawsuit, Vin Diesel's former assistant accused the actor of sexually molesting her in Atlanta during the filming of Fast Five in 2010 and then firing her in retaliation soon afterward.
🍿 Apple Original Films' thriller Wolfs with George Clooney and Brad Pitt is now slated to hit theaters on Sept. 20. The studio's Greg Berlanti-directed movie previously known as Project Artemis (title forthcoming), starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, will bow in theaters on July 12.
💪 UTA has added veteran lit agent Max Grossman to its expanding theater department. Grossman comes to UTA from A3, where he served as co-head of the theater division and co-ran day-to-day operations. |
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Trending
 Wednesday’s three-hour Survivor Season 45 finale episode managed an audience of 4.53M, according to early Nielsen data. That marks a 6% increase over last season's finale.
🔻 A third season of Starz‘s period erotic comedy Minx isn’t likely in the cards, according to co-EP and star Jake Johnson. Though there's no official word, in a recent Zoom chat with Deadline, the actor said he doesn’t expect a renewal. |
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On the Radar
Fri - Aquaman 2 opens; Saltburn arrives on Prime Video
Sat - Night Court S2 premiere
Sun - NFL Christmas Eve games
Mon - Christmas Day; NBA and NFL multi-game slates
Wed - Kennedy Center Honors on CBS |
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El Niño Arrives - Forecasters have been predicting another wet winter for Los Angeles for months. It seems to have arrived, dumping a month's worth of rain in two days in some places, snarling traffic and forcing some local attractions – like Six Flags Magic Mountain – to close temporarily. |
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