MultiChoice, NBCU & SKY Partner On Showmax In Africa; Mexico & Hollywood Studios Forge Working Group; More – Global Briefs

Ellise Shafer “The L Word: Generation Q” has been canceled at Showtime after three seasons, but a reboot of the original series is in the works, Variety has confirmed. More to come…

Yellowjackets kicks off its second season this month.Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the mystery thriller series follows a girls’ football team in 1996 who, while travelling to a tournament in Seattle, crash-land in the Canadian wilderness and are left stranded for nineteen months. Between their attempts to survive, the show also jumps to their adult lives in the present day.The show’s first season received seven nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards last year, including Outstanding Drama Series and acting nods for Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci.Other members of the cast include Tawny Cypress, Ella Purnell, Sophie Nelisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, Sammi Hanratty and Juliette Lewis.The exact number of episodes hasn’t been officially confirmed.

John Wick manages to achieve new bombastic heights in its third sequel.Directed once again by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4 is the longest and arguably most ambitious entry in the franchise yet – with bigger action sequences and an expanded cast including singer Rina Sawayama.A synopsis reads: “John Wick uncovers a path to defeating the High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.”Not officially. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lionsgate planned to shoot John Wick: Chapter 4 and 5 back to back, but this idea was scrapped due to production delays.While this would suggest a fifth entry is still on the cards, Stahelski told The Hollywood Reporter in March that they are planning to give the franchise “a rest”.“In our minds, Keanu and I are done for the moment,” Stahelski said.

The Smile have confirmed that they have been working on their second album.The supergroup – made up of Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner – told fans the news at the end of an email newsletter that was announcing additional North American tour dates. “We’re deep in recording, week 7,” The Smile wrote.

to its website, offering what it calls a “fascinating learning experience” into failed innovation. “Every item provides unique insight into the risky business of innovation,” continues the site. “The museum aims to stimulate productive discussion about failure and inspire us to take meaningful risks.” The Museum of Failure showcases more than 159 retail items that didn’t quite take off, including the infamous and much-reviled Google Glass and the ill-fated DeLorean car, which was made famous by the “Back to the Future” franchise.Other items that made the museum’s not-so-hallowed halls include 1985’s Coke II — also known as New Coke and revisited in Season 3 of the mid-’80s-nostalgic Netflix series “Stranger Things” — as well as the 2003 Nokia N-Gage smartphone, which despite its failure in the US helped jump-start Finland’s mobile gaming industry.

Old Hollywood glam! Margot Robbie stunned on stage at the 2023 Oscars.

first full-length trailer dropped during the 95th Academy Awards Sunday. The movie stars Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King, Simone Ashley Jacob Tremblay, David Diggs, Lin-Manuel, Awkwafina, Javier Bardem and more. As social media always does, it reacted with some responses praising the film, while others shared their criticisms of it.

Surprise – Margot Robbie is at the Oscars!

Refresh for latest…: Paramount/Spyglass Media’s Scream VI has slashed its way to a franchise-record opening at the global box office with $67.1M, topping Scream 3 for the best in the bunch of this long-running Kevin Williamson-created series. At the international box office, it also set a franchise-best start with $22.6M from 53 markets, a whopping 60% above the 2022 Scream. Domestic, too, was a record launch.

Film project auctions are some of the more interesting deals made in Hollywood, as you’ll see studios/streamers throwing around a lot of money to outbid each other if there is intense competition. Netflix, of course, has plenty of original movies cooking at any moment.

EXCLUSIVE: If some of film executives have looked a bit distracted at the agency Oscar parties tonight, it’s because they were waging a rather breathtaking auction for I Am Not Alone, a 22-page short story that is an ideal template for a major genre film. The dust is just settling, but I am hearing that Netflix is closing up a high-six figure deal for an outright buy of the story, with mid-seven figures pledged to Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green to write the script and direct as a star vehicle for Oscar winner Jessica Chastain.

contract negotiation website that Hollywood “remains highly profitable” and vowing to ensure that writers get their fair share of that profit in upcoming contract negotiations with studios.“Gloomy stories about business model uncertainty, company layoffs and the industry’s impending downturn are both standard refrains during union contract negotiations and the predictable result of Wall Street’s narrow focus on stock price and short-term profits,” the WGA wrote. “Such coverage distracts from a fundamental truth: the content created for this industry has tremendous value, and the companies have demonstrated time and time again that they can and will capture that value.”The WGA’s new “State of the Industry” report argued the guild’s case, pointing to the combined annual operating profits of Netflix, Paramount, Warner Bros., Comcast, Fox and Disney.

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is reportedly in talks to reunite with Tim Burton for a role in Beetlejuice 2.A sequel to Burton’s 1988 film, starring Michael Keaton, has been in discussion for a decade, with Keaton declaring his interest back in 2014 before the script was rewritten in 2017.As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the film now looks set to shoot in London this May and June, with Burton and Keaton likely to return.Ortega, star of the hit Netflix Addams Family spin-off from Burton, is now reportedly in talks to join the film.Sources say that she would likely play the daughter of Lydia (played by Winona Ryder in the original) in the film.Neither studio Warner Bros. nor representatives for Ortega responded to requests for comment.Elsewhere, Ortega is presenting tomorrow’s (March 11) episode of Saturday Night Live, with musical guests The 1975.Ahead of the show, Ortega said in a video posted to social media that she doesn’t want to do the viral Wednesday dance in an SNL promo.Appearing alongside the Please Don’t Destroy crew, Ortega is seen raising her concerns about her and the crew doing the dance – before some hilarity ensues.The skit (see below) was posted to the SNL YouTube on Wednesday (March 8), and begins with Ortega saying: “Honestly, this is really well-written, I just don’t feel like I want to do the Wednesday dance for promo because we’ve seen so much of that already and I think it’s time to do something new.”Today (March 10) saw the promo arrive, with cast member Bowen Yang says he “feel[s] so old” after Ortega introduces The 1975.“I don’t understand any of your generation’s slang,” Yang adds before asking the band: “Are you guys getting any of this”.

Rachel Seo Jenna Ortega is eyeing a role in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice 2,” Variety has confirmed. Ortega, best known for her role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s recent series reboot “Wednesday,” is in talks to play the daughter of Lydia Deetz, portrayed by Winona Ryder in the original film. This marks her second time working with Burton, who was an executive producer on “Wednesday” and directed four of its eight episodes. Michael Keaton is also set to reprise his role as the title character. Representatives for Warner Bros. and Ortega did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

After weeks of speculation, Oscarcast director Glenn Weiss said today that Lady Gaga will not perform her Best Song nominee “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick at Sunday’s 95th annual Academy Awards.

EXCLUSIVE: After earning rave reviews on the Apple limited series Black Bird, SAG-nominee Paul Walter Hauser is returning to the studio as he joins Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in The Instigators for Apple Original Films. Hong Chau is also on board with Doug Liman on board to direct.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Paramount Global is unveiling today a corporate image campaign that builds on the sentiment of a popular self-help affirmation: You are loved, and you are enough. Just in time for media upfront season, the company’s “Popular is Paramount” marketing push is designed to burnish its image within Hollywood and on Wall Street. Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish wants the town and the Street to know that the company is fielding a new generation of hits – from “Top Gun: Maverick” to “Yellowstone” to “Paw Patrol” — and is not intimidated by having to compete against larger rivals such as Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast. The campaign will include with outdoor advertising in highly trafficked corridors of New York and Los Angeles, as well as on digital and TV platforms, both on and off Paramount’s own air.

13D and 13G reports. For those outside of the inside-baseball world of corporate finance: Forty-five days out from the end of the year, companies are required to have filed 13D and 13G disclosure forms with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These reports are required for investors who amass 5% or more of a company’s total stock issue. Starting with this primer on how to monitor big-dollar investment bets, Variety will offer a quarterly survey of how the media and entertainment sector is faring among the world’s most sophisticated stock pickers.

Elon Musk prodded advertisers “to use Twitter yourselves, and believe what you see on Twitter, not what you read in the newspapers.”

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter in a $44 billion, debt-laden deal a little over four months ago, said advertising revenue has dropped as much as 50% since he took over. But the mega-billionaire tech mogul said a few large advertisers have continued to spend with Twitter, and he specifically called out — and thanked — Disney and Apple as remaining two of the biggest marketers on the social network, speaking Tuesday at the 2023 Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in San Francisco. According to Musk, Twitter is improving its ability to serve timely and relevant ads. He said he was speaking with David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, who asked Musk why Twitter couldn’t put an ad with the trailer for HBO hit show “The White Lotus” next to every tweet that mentions “White Lotus.” Musk responded affirmatively, describing it as basic keyword-based ad buys that Twitter is now selling: “It’s just Google AdWords but applied to tweets.”

EXCLUSIVE: After launching the first original court show on streaming with Judy Justice on Amazon Freevee, Judy Sheindlin could make history again with the first streaming show to sell in broadcast syndication. Former CBS executive Scott Koondel’s Sox Entertainment, which distributes Judy Justice, is actively exploring selling the show’s library — approximate 260 episodes — to TV stations for fall 2023 or fall 2024, sources tell Deadline. Additionally, cable syndication also is a possibility, I hear.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor All four of this year’s original song Oscar nominees have been confirmed to perform at the ceremony on March 12 — except for Lady Gaga. Gaga, who was deemed a frontrunner early in the race, landed her fourth career nomination for the “Top Gun: Maverick” song “Hold My Hand,” but has yet to be confirmed for the show. In Oscars tradition, all nominated songs are sung during the ceremony. Rihanna (“Lift Me Up”), Sofia Carson and Diane Warren (“Applause”), Stephanie Hsu, David Byrne and Son Lux (“This Is a Life”) and Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava (“Naatu Naatu”) will all be making appearances this year.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Marc Guggenheim has been a staple of DC Entertainment on television for over a decade as the co-creator of The CW’s Arrowverse, which launched in 2012 with “Arrow” (Guggenheim developed the series with Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg) and continued through “The Flash,” “Supergirl” and more. In a February 2023 blog post that’s now circulating online (via Entertainment Weekly), Guggenheim lamented over not being included in the new DC Universe that’s taking shape at Warner Bros. under DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran. Guggenheim admitted in his blog post that friends had told him Hollywood would come calling after he pulled off The CW’s ambitious “Crisis On Infinite Earths” storyline. That crossover event, which aired in December 2019 and January 2020, brought together six different superhero series for a story that ran through five hours of television. It was no easy feat, and Guggenheim said he even put up thousands of dollars of his own money to pull it off.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Warner Bros. Discovery, which is struggling with billions of dollars in debt, is willing to pay more money to executives who might be able to help reduce it. The owner of HBO, Discovery Channel and Food Network said Monday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it would pay out new rewards to CEO David Zaslav, six senior staffers and an unspecified group of others if they could meet certain goals of new generation of free cash flow. “The changes to the Warner Bros. Discovery executive compensation program are designed to further incentivize Company employees, including members of its leadership team and others whose efforts are critical to achieving the key near-term financial objectives of increased free cash flow and reduced leverage,” said WBD board chairman Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr. in a prepared statement.“The WBD board is confident that these additional incentives offer a more competitive package against the backdrop of ongoing industry-wide transformation and economic headwinds, and better position the company to advance core drivers of shareholder value.”

Warner Bros. Discovery has tweaked its CEO’s employment contract, granting a bigger pot of restricted stock units but linking them to free cash flow targets.

A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once won a pair of awards as did Rob Lowry for his music supervision on both Cha Cha Real Smooth and Do Revenge on Sunday at the 13th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.

The power of a wide theatrical release was realized this weekend by streamer Amazon in its pivot back to the big screen with MGM/United Artists Releasing’s Creed III. It easily minted the best opening ever for the Seattle-based parent, as well as for the Rocky franchise, with $58.6M domestic, $100.4M worldwide.

Refresh for latest…: MGM’s Creed III is enjoying a knockout opening weekend, punching up $100.4M globally. Of that, $41.8M is from 75 international box office markets. Domestically, the Michael B Jordan-directed movie opened to a franchise record and the best debut ever for a sports title.

“Deadpool 3,” another beloved actor just revealed he would have loved a shot at the role: Keanu Reeves.While taking part in a reddit AMA, Reeves was asked if there’s ever been a role in his career that he regretted turning down. He said no, but that he “did always want to play Wolverine,” no doubt jump-starting a whole new fan campaign to get the 58-year-old actor in the role if/when the Marvel Cinematic Universe recasts.Reeves is no stranger to comic book movies, having led 2005’s DC adaptation “Constantine,” a role he intends to reprise in an upcoming sequel at Warner Bros.

The Penguin has found its mob moss.

MGM’s Creed III  is off to a powerful start at the international box office with the Michael B Jordan-directed movie grossing $6.9M through Thursday in 56 markets.

Naman Ramachandran A rerelease of “Superman the Movie” will kick off a year-long 100th anniversary celebration of Warner Bros. Studios across the U.K. and Ireland, Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed. Warner Bros. was founded by Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack Warner and incorporated on Apr. 4, 1923. The “Superman” rerelease at BFI Southbank and BFI Imax in April will coincide with the 85th anniversary of the character. The rerelease of “The Exorcist” in September will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the horror classic. An Imax version of “Elf” will be released in November. In Ireland, a restored “Cool Hand Luke” screening kicked off the celebrations on Feb. 27, in partnership with the Dublin International Film Festival. The event also featured a Q&A with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lenny Abramson, discussing the impact of the film as a key influence on his career. 

EXCLUSIVE: Sing Again, a Korean singing competition series that’s outperformed The Masked Singer and I Can See Your Voice, has landed a third season on the JTBC network and Discovery+.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer After months of speculation, Amazon Studios has made it official with seasoned movie executive Courtenay Valenti. While many expected her to take the top film job at MGM, acquired by Amazon for $8.5 billion last year, Valenti has hammered out a hulked-up role that will give her considerable influence in feature programming. Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke told staff on Tuesday that Valenti has been named head of film, streaming and theatrical at both Amazon Studios and MGM. She will report directly to Salke, and be responsible for delivering “a well-rounded selection of tentpoles, prestige films and genre fare,” according to a memo.

The Overlook Film Festival has unveiled the full lineup for its 2023 edition, taking place in New Orleans from March 30-April 2, naming the world premiering Universal horror-comedy Renfield as its opening night film, and Warner Bros’ Evil Dead Rise as its closer.

If you dig down into it, it’s pretty complicated to discuss the rights situation surrounding “The Lord of the Rings” IP. Warner Bros.