‘Where Is Wendy Williams?’ Gets Strong Ratings for Lifetime
Lifetime’s controversial Where Is Wendy Williams? documentary proved to be a big draw for the cable network. The 4 1/2-hour documentary, which aired over two nights on Feb. 24 and 25, averaged 1.04 million same-day viewers, according to Nielsen. That’s more than triple the average primetime audience for Lifetime in the previous three weeks, which […]
- By
Taylor Swift, Rolling Stones Help Drive Universal Music Group Quarterly Results
Universal Music Group, whose artist roster includes the likes of Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, reported improved fourth-quarter financials. Quarterly revenue rose 9 percent, or 15.6 percent on a constant currency basis, to 3.2 billion euros ($3.5 billion), with UMG touting “strong growth across all segments.” It cited album top sellers from the likes of […]
- By
Guy Ritchie to Direct a ‘Ray Donovan’ Spinoff ‘The Donovans’ for Paramount+
Paramount+ has ordered a spinoff of its crime drama Ray Donovan that will be directed and executive produced by Guy Ritchie. Titled The Donovans, the new series is “loosely based” on the successful series that ran for seven seasons on Showtime and starred Liev Schreiber as a professional “fixer” in Los Angeles. The official description: […]
- By
Hunter Schafer Taken Into Police Custody During Protest at Biden’s Visit to ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’
Hunter Schafer was among a group of protestors who were taken into police custody on Monday during a demonstration planned to disrupt President Joe Biden’s appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. The protest organized by the activist organization Jewish Voices for Peace took place at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the famed headquarters of NBC television […]
- By
CNN Gives Phil Mattingly New Role After Morning Show Cancellation
CNN has found a new role for Phil Mattingly. The veteran journalist will become the channel’s chief domestic correspondent and an anchor, delivering enterprise reporting and filling in as a host on programs across the daypart. Mattingly, whose first assignment will be covering Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, will also appear in 2024 convention programming, […]
- By
‘Outlaw Posse’ Review: Mario Van Peebles Gets Back in the Saddle in Daffy but Fun Western Pastiche
Whoopi Goldberg, Edward James Olmos, Cedric the Entertainer and M. Emmet Walsh are among the veteran actors popping up in this tale of a badass cowboy looking to retrieve a stash of Confederate gold.
- By
Spike Lee and Gersh’s HBCU Program Partners With Ralph Lauren to Dress Students for Success
As a director known for his sartorial flare, it’s only fitting that Spike Lee’s fellowship program would also ensure his participants are dressed for success. The Spike Fellows, a partnership with the filmmaker’s agency Gersh, has linked up with Ralph Lauren for an innovative initiative that will see the iconic American label providing a chic […]
- By
Behind Sony’s Four-Movie Beatles Bet
Days after Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love overperformed in its opening weekend at the box office, Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman stole a bit of the spotlight Feb. 20 in unveiling not one but four intersecting feature films from Sam Mendes about The Beatles, each focusing on one member of the Fab Four: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, […]
- By
Kassandra Lee Diaz Stars in ‘Swoon’ Thriller
Kassandra Lee Diaz has nabbed the lead role in Byron Manuel’s thriller and feature directorial debut Swoon. Diaz plays a woman tied to a bed while her captor manipulates her into believing they are engaged. The mysterious men in her life are played by Rich Morrow and DeRon Cash, while Efrangeliz Medina, Dean Wil, Herbert Morales […]
- By
After MSNBC Exit, Mehdi Hasan Launching Media Company Zeteo
Mehdi Hasan is going independent. The former MSNBC host will launch a new publication called Zeteo, combining video, podcasts and text journalism that Hasan says in a video introduction “will bring you hard-hitting interviews and unsparing analysis that you won’t find elsewhere.” Hasan is working with Substack on the launch, with subscription prices set at […]
- By
Reneé Rapp Sings Openly About Assault, Anxiety and Sexuality. She’s Even More Candid in Person.
Reneé Rapp is running late. Blame it on Beyoncé. “I’ve had the greatest morning of my life. I’m gassed. Beyoncé sent me flowers today,” says Rapp, her mouth wide open, still in shock. The gift arrived at her hotel room in Amsterdam, the fourth stop of her first European tour, four days after the 24-year-old […]
- By
Disney Inks $8.5B Deal to Merge India Business With Reliance Industries
Disney is officially merging its India business with Reliance Industries, forming a joint venture that will bring together Reliance’s Viacom18 and Disney’s Star India. Disney has been exploring options for its India business for months, and the deal with Reliance has been rumored for some time. On Wednesday, the companies made it official. Under the […]
- By
Formula 1 Profit Jumps Amid Growth Year for Racing Brand
Liberty Media, the company controlled by billionaire mogul John Malone that owns such assets as audio entertainment giant SiriusXM and the Formula 1 racing circuit, reported fourth-quarter financials on Wednesday, touting growth at Live Nation Entertainment, which recently posted a record 2023 and projected continued momentum in 2024. Live Nation is “capitalizing on the globalization of the […]
- By
German Politicians Call for “Consequences” Amid Debate Over “Antisemitic” Berlinale Awards Show
The heated debate over the awards ceremony of this year’s Berlin Film Festival shows no signs of cooling down. On Tuesday, German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann called out the Berlinale for allowing what he called “antisemitic” statements to go unchallenged at the awards gala in Berlin Saturday night. Speaking to newspapers of Germany’s Funke media […]
- By
Shane Smith and the Final Collapse of Vice News
Just weeks after the company he founded entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy last May, Shane Smith jetted to the French Riviera. But this wasn’t a vacation for the 54-year-old flamboyant former Vice CEO to drown his sorrows. Smith landed in Cannes on a mission to save the media company that he had started as a scrappy […]
- By
Endeavor Earnings: Representation Business Grew Despite Strikes, Strategic Review Ongoing
Despite the SAG-AFTRA strike dragging on well into the fourth quarter (not to mention the Writers Guild strike ending just as the quarter began), Endeavor’s representation business (including WME) saw earnings growth in its fourth-quarter thanks to the agency’s music, sports and fashion representation segments. Endeavor disclosed its latest earnings results Wednesday morning, reporting revenue […]
- By
First Look at German Fantasy Epic ‘Hagen’
Constantin Film has released the first images from Hagen, its hotly-anticipated new fantasy drama, which is looking to tap into the global Game of Thrones and Vikings fan base with a swords-and-magic tale inspired by the Teutonic Nibelungen saga. Fremantle has picked up worldwide distribution rights outside German-speaking territories to the series from Constantin. Fremantle […]
- By
Catherine McCormack Joins Colin Firth in Peacock, Sky Limited Series ‘Lockerbie’
Catherine McCormack (Slow Horses, Temple) has joined Sky and Peacock original limited series Lockerbie to star opposite Colin Firth. McCormack will play the role of Jane Swire, wife of Dr. Jim Swire who will be played by Academy Award- and BAFTA-winning star Firth (The King’s Speech, A Single Man, The Staircase). The couple lost daughter Flora […]
- By