Disney "king killer" could succeed Iger

And 'Parasite' director's next pic gets release date

What to know

• “King killer” Christine McCarthy emerges as Iger’s top Disney CEO successor… This might as well be an episode of Succession… or Game of Thrones. Disney CFO Christine McCarthy is reportedly high atop the list of execs that could succeed Bob Iger as CEO in two year’s time. She would be the company’s first-ever woman chief — but what makes this so juicy is she’s allegedly the “king killer” who thwarted Bob Chapek. It seems McCarthy, 67, is a worthy candidate to lead, but Deadline reports her age might work against her. This whole saga will make a fine book or movie one day. 😮

• Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 to hit theaters March 29, 2024… 2024?! That’s far too far away! That means there will be a five-year gap between his last film (Parasite) and this one. I mean, if anyone deserves to take their time it’s him, but still! The science fiction film will star Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, and is based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey 7 about a disposable employee on a human expedition to colonize an ice planet. Maybe I’ll read the book to hold myself over? 🎬

• Kirstie Alley dies at 71… The two-time Emmy-winning actress is being remembered across the industry today after losing her battle with cancer. Alley is probably most well-known for replacing Shelley Long on Cheers and starring in the Look Who’s Talking Movies with John Travolta, but her career spanned several decades and included numerous lead television roles. Alan Sepinwall has a thoughtful reflection on how she pulled off an impossible task when joining Cheers. 🍻

• Showtime to lean into “franchises” as it inevitably becomes a sub-brand within Paramount+… It makes sense that Showtime would end as a standalone streaming service, but I imagine Paramount will feel the loss when Showtime is just another button inside the app and not a cable revenue-driver. As for what Showtime “franchises” are, I have no idea. Dexter and L Word, I guess? Yellowjackets? 🏔

• Research firm says about 1 in 4 Disney+ subscribers will downgrade to cheaper ad tier… I hope Disney is making up that lost revenue in ad dollars. Though I guess having subscribers downgrade is better than losing them completely? It’s going to be really interesting when Disney+ (and all the other streamers, for that matter) start charging more to make up for lost revenue. 🐭

• Black Adam poised to lose $100 million… So no, as /Film points out, the hierarchy of power hasn’t changed much. Maybe it’s time to find a cheaper or better way to market these movies? Or just make them better? Despite having Dwayne Johnson, the movie likely didn’t turn many heads with its 39% RT score. 💸

• Chelsea Handler, Kal Penn, Al Franken, Sarah Silverman, and Leslie Jones to guest host The Daily Show… This might just be temporary stunt casting, but it makes me wonder if Comedy Central is considering someone high profile to host the show permanently. Noah was more of an unknown when he signed up. 🤔

• Netflix isn’t “anti-sports, we’re just pro-profits,” Sarandos says… First off, amazing quote. While some streamers see live sports as key to bringing in more audiences (Amazon, Apple), Netflix execs aren’t buying it. Literally. Sarandos argues, “We’ve not seen a profit path to renting big sports.” It’s true, sports rights are expensive, but I bet one day Netflix does pony up. 🍿

• Ava DuVernay’s new Ben & Jerry’s flavor sounds amazing… Lights! Caramel! Action! is vanilla ice cream with salted caramel swirls, graham cracker swirls, and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough. Dang. 🍨

• Wednesday is already Netflix’s 3rd biggest English-language show ever… Behind Stranger Things 4 and Dahmer — and it did it without being very good. 🙃

• Taylor Kitsch to star in Netflix western series from Peter Berg… It’s a Friday Night Lights reunion, but more importantly it’s a job for Taylor Kitsch. 🏈

• Off-Broadway’s Stomp to close after 29 years… Time to hang up the brooms and buckets. 🥁

• Steph Curry is helping produce a ToeJam & Earl movie at Amazon… Your MadLibs headline of the day. 🎮

• Hugh Grant joins Kate Winslet in HBO miniseries The Palace… Intriguing. 📺

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What’s new

• Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio - Dec 9 | Netflix animated film | 🍅 97%

• Emancipation - Dec 9 | Apple TV+ drama film | 🍅 53%

• The Whale - Dec 9 | Drama film in theaters | 🍅 71%

• Spoiler Alert - Dec 9 | Romantic dramedy film in theaters | 🍅 68%

• Empire of Light - Dec 9 | Drama film in theaters | 🍅 43%

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What to watch

TV Trailer: Shrinking — Jan 27 on Apple TV+

Created by Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence and Jason Segel, starring Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, and Michael Urie.

There’s no actual series footage here, but I kind of like the vibe-poem trampoline jumping instead. It gives you an idea of what the show is likely about thematically: a happy-sad exploration of being happy and sad. At least that’s how I’m reading it. Harrison Ford’s grimace at the end pretty much says it all regarding how his character will relate to the others. The show is literally about a grieving therapist who starts getting too real with his patients, but I only know that from reading the Wikipedia. This teaser also pitches the show as more of an ensemble than the Ford-Segel two-hander I was expecting, which is nice. Great to see Jessica Williams and Goldstein, Lawrence, and Segel all know their way around a comedic ensemble. Therapy shows have become a sub-genre unto themselves (thanks Sopranos!), but I’m optimistic that the creative talent here is planning something really special.

For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!