Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount?
Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount?
And Ben Stiller returns from acting hiatus
What to know
Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery are in talks to merge… Axios first reported the news, saying that CEOs David Zaslav and Bob Bakish met in New York on Tuesday to discuss. Warner Brothers apparently wanted to move fast
because Skydance and its CEO David Ellison were potentially looking at Paramount. This comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount was considering laying off more than 1,000 people in early 2024. The streaming wars and the pandemic have created a volatile few years in the media business, so it’s no surprise that the comparatively smaller companies would continue to team up to try and take on the larger ones. Perhaps a WBD-Paramount combo could take on Disney or Netflix. On the one hand, a combined Max and Paramount+ streaming service would have a huge library. We’d get all of HBO, DC, Star Trek, Nickelodeon, Showtime, and the Taylor Sheridan shows (if you’re into that) potentially in one place. On the other hand, less competition can be bad for consumers and lead to higher prices and fewer options. It also gives the corporations more power over the creators (writers, directors, actors, crew, etc). And layoffs always follow mergers as the companies seek to remove redundancy. 🤝
Ben Stiller is going to star in a movie for the first time in 6 years… And honestly, it doesn’t sound great. The movie is called Nutcrackers and it’s being directed by David Gordon Green. Whose work has recently been so all over the map; he simply cannot be trusted as this point. It’s written by Leland Douglas, whose biggest credit is the 2009 remake of Call of the Wild. A movie that exists. In Nutcrackers, Stiller plays a work-obsessed man, “who must reluctantly travel to rural Ohio to look after his four rambunctious nephews after their parents die in a car accident. What begins as a three-day trip to find foster care turns into weeks of farm-life mayhem and the realization that he doesn’t need to find them a home, they’ve found one for him.” I can see a world where this is heartwarming and fun, but the words “rambunctious” and “mayhem” are raising major red flags. Filming is already underway in Ohio, but despite its festive title and the current time of year, it’s unclear if this is actually a Christmas movie. Empire seems to believe it isn’t. I know it’s not entirely fair of me to judge a movie based on who’s making it and its longline, nut the vibes just seem off. 🥜
The Five Nights at Freddy’s sequel is reportedly eyeing next fall… To recap, this fall Five Nights at Freddy’s became Blumhouse’s highest grossing movie ever, making $300 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. So of course the company is FAST tracking a sequel. While Blumhouse has not yet officially announced the sequel, the rumors and reports of its existence have been flying. Now, World of Reel is reporting that Freddys 2 will shoot as soon as the spring of 2024, with a hopeful release date of Halloween later in the year. That’s an astonishingly quick turnaround for a major motion picture but you’ve got to strike when the iron is hot. This is also a good thing for the health of the movie business in 2024. Theaters will be desperate for content due to strike delays. Variety is reporting that total box office next year could be 5% lower than this year. For as successful as it was, Five Nights at Freddys might have made even more money had it not been simultaneously streaming on Peacock. So chances are the sequel will be exclusive to theaters. 🐻
And everything else
Marvel drops Jonathan Majors… This happened shortly after I wrapped writing the newsletter on Monday. Not surprising at all. The question is what Marvel will do now? Its over-arching story was centered around Majors’ villainous Kang. Recasting seems unlikely, my money is on the studio shifting creative direction. 💥
Barbie leads the way in Oscars shortlists… Many of the category finalists for things like song, documentary, international film, visual effects, and more have been announced. If you want to get an early start on your prognosticating. 🏆
Netflix developing series spinoffs of Wednesday, Extraction, and Peaky Blinders… Honestly I’m surprised Netflix hasn’t been more aggressive with greenlighting spinoffs to its hit franchises already. 🍿
Indigo Girls jukebox musical movie getting wide release… “Fantastical queer romance” Glitter & Doom uses the band’s pre-existing music and will hit theaters this spring, followed by VOD. 🎸
What We Do in the Shadows ending with season 6… On the one hand, it’s sad to see such a good show end, but it’s amazing that this series got 6 seasons in the first place. And they already did the movie. 🧛♀️
Ryan Gosling releases I’m Just Ken EP… Which includes 3 new versions of “I’m Just Ken,” including a Christmas take on the song. SUBLIME! 💪
Hannah Waddingham-Octavia Spencer action-adventure series lands at Amazon… Ooo, that sounds good. 👍
Read Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer screenplay… Which is famously written in the first person. 💣
Jordan Peele’s next movie reportedly pulled from Dec 2024 release date… Bummer. 🤔
Vin Diesel accused of sexual battery by former assistant in lawsuit… Yikes. 👎
Universal considering UK theme park… Cheers, I’m proper chuffed about this. 🇬🇧
Jo Koy to host the Golden Globes… Hey, that’s a cool pick! 🌐
What’s new
Percy Jackson and the Olympians — Dec 20 | Disney+ fantasy series | Ⓜ️ 73
Maestro — Dec 20 | Netflix drama film | Ⓜ️ 77
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire — Dec 21 | Netflix space epic film | Ⓜ️ 31
The Iron Claw — Dec 22 | Wrestling drama in theaters | Ⓜ️ 74
Anyone But You — Dec 22 | Romantic comedy in theaters | Ⓜ️ 55
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom — Dec 22 | Superhero film in theaters | Ⓜ️ 45
Migration — Dec 22 | Animated film in theaters | Ⓜ️ 60
American Fiction — Dec 22 | Satirical comedy in theaters | Ⓜ️ 81
The Boys in the Boat — Dec 25 | Historical sports drama in theaters | Ⓜ️ 51
Ferrari — Dec 25 | Historical biopic in theaters | Ⓜ️ 73
The Color Purple — Dec 25 | Musical drama in theaters | Ⓜ️ 69
Returning: Doctor Who Christmas special, Dr. Death s2, Marvel’s What If s2
What to watch
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!