Which guild will go first at the bargaining table – the DGA, the WGA or SAG-AFTRA – remains undetermined for the upcoming cycle of film and TV contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. If history is any judge, who goes first could foreshadow whether there will be a strike – or more than one strike – this year. Who goes first is important because whoever it is tends to set the pattern of bargaining for the others to follow, though each guild has its own unique needs that pattern bargaining can’t address. But issues such as annual pay raises and residual rates tend to be set by the first one at the bargaining table and are generally passed along to the next two guilds when it’s their turn, as the companies are loath to give much better terms to one guild over the others. The last time the DGA didn’t go first was in 2010, when pre-merger SAG and AFTRA came to the bargaining table first. The last time the WGA went first, back in 2007, a 100-day writers strike ensued... >>> Lessons From History |
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The War For 'Weapons' - Days after a feverish auction wrapped up for Weapons, it is still the talk of the town. The Dish hears that the deal for the Zach Cregger-directed horror film is remarkable in that this is only Cregger’s second film. New line won the auction, but the bidding also included Universal, with Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw set to produce. >>>Chorus Of Rumors
'Criminal' Mastermind - Amazon Studios is finalizing deals for Criminal, a TV adaptation of Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips’ bestselling crime comic book series. The project — written by Brubaker, who serves as executive producer and showrunner — is described as an interlocking universe of crime stories. >>>Writers Room Up & Running
LatinX List Finalists - The 2022 finalists for the Latinx List, showcasing top works by up-and-coming Latinx screenwriters, have been unveiled by The Latin Tracking Board, NALIP, the Untitled Latinx Project and The Black List. The batch of selected scripts consists of five original pilots and six original features. >>>Two Netflix Deals
Channel 4 Deep Dive - Deadline has spoken to nearly two dozen people about how the UK government’s plan to privatize Channel 4 was doomed to failure. Among the revelations: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp held informal talks with ministers about the crown jewel of British broadcasting. >>>Removing The 4 Sale Sign
In Brief - Chloe Graze Moretz signs with CAA...Ancient Empires: Julius Caesar, Alexander The Great & Cleopatra to be brought to life by latest History Channel mega-doc...Vera Miao has boarded The Lighthouse Witches series adaptation as Showrunner. |
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Sitting down for a wide-ranging interview with Deadline in mid-January, BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell discussed the attention-grabbing deals his team struck with Bad Wolf and Disney+ that have reshaped Doctor Who ahead of the series' 60th birthday. In short, they represent the future of a more aggressively commercial BBC Studios. >>>"Ticks All The Boxes" |
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Casting About
Exclusive
Tom Hardy and Zazie Beetz are set to star in Apple TV+ drama series Lazarus, which is nearing development and closing deals. The project is a co-production between A+E Studios and Range Studios.
Annette Bening is set to headline Peacock’s upcoming limited series Apples Never Fall in her return to television nearly two decades after starring in HBO’s 2005 TV movie Mrs. Harris, which earned her an Emmy nomination.
Exclusive
Lidya Jewett will star in The Exorcist, the first film in the rebooted trilogy. The pic, directed by David Gordon Green (of the recent Blumhouse/Miramax Halloween trilogy) is on track for an Oct. 13 theatrical release.
Exclusive
The West Wing star Joshua Malina will join the hit Broadway show, Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, taking over the central role of patriarch and businessman Hermann from David Krumholtz.
In Brief - Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming Broadway Camelot will feature Fergie Philippe as Sir Sagramore and Dakin Matthews as Merlyn/Pellinore...Tosin Cole, Michael Gandolfini, Nadine Marshall, James Norton and Anthony Welsh have joined the cast of the untitled Bob Marley biopic for Paramount...NBC‘s Lopez Vs. Lopez is expanding its family with the addition of three cousins played by Harvey Guillén, Chelsea Rendon & Jessica Marie Garcia. |
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Renewals, Pickups & Cancelations
Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches is set to fly again after being renewed for a second season at AMC ...Paramount+ has ordered a second season of Taylor Sheridan's 1923 starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford...NBC has renewed Night Court for a second season following the airing of the revival’s first four episodes...Amid strong ratings, CBS announced it has renewed So Help Me Todd starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin for the 2023-24 broadcast season...Peacock has renewed the reality show competition The Traitors for a second season. Additionally, Peacock announced a Season 1 reunion special hosted by Bravo’s Andy Cohen that will stream on February 28. |
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More News
🤝 UTA has expanded its board of directors, adding Main Street Advisors CEO Paul Wachter and Nexus Management Group founder Ceci Kurzman as independent members. Wachter is becoming board chairman, replacing Jim Berkus, who stepped down a couple of months ago.
 Avatar producer Jon Landau has divulged new details about what we can expect from the next three instalments in the franchise — first, when it comes to the nature of Oona Chaplin’s previously announced role in Avatar 3. The Game of Thrones alum will play Varang, the leader of the more evil, fire-themed Na’vi tribe known as the Ash People, who will be at the crux of the third instalment.
🌈 Justin David Sullivan, a nonbinary performer who plays the character of May in the hit Broadway musical & Juliet, has withdrawn from Tony Award consideration due to the gendered nomination categories. Tony administrators suggested they’re considering a rule change after the current season.
🍺 Dan Aykroyd will host A History of the World in Six Glasses, a six-part comedic docuseries coming to Fox Nation. The show also features fellow SNL alums Jim Belushi, Jon Lovitz, and Kevin Nealon along with Cheers stalwart George Wendt. The series will chronicle the history of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, soda and their respective impact on the world.
📺 Netflix teased new Nordic projects at the Göteborg Film Festival TV Drama Vision sidebar including The Nurse and Dance Brothers.
❌ The closure of Israeli public broadcaster Kan has been delayed "until further notice," a government spokesman said. Deadline understands organizations including the U.S. Democratic Party had been lobbied to oppose the move.
🕯️ Paco Rabanne, the Spanish fashion designer whose signature metallic work made a Hollywood mark in the Jane Fonda-starring film Barbarella, has died at age 88.
In Brief - NFL Sunday Ticket will be getting an array of digital enhancements when it shifts to YouTube this fall from its longtime home on DirecTV...Ginny & Georgia, which debuted its second season on January 5, sat in the No. 1 spot on Nielsen's streaming chart with 2.5B viewing minutes. |
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TRENDING  Amazon said today its revenue rose 9% to $149 billion for the fourth quarter, beating forecasts despite its worst holiday season ever.
🔻 Google parent Alphabet reported an 8% drop in ad revenue at YouTube in the fourth quarter while Google’s struggles in all ad categories dragged Alphabet earnings below expectations. |
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Hirings, Promotions & Exits
After expanding his role to include Nickelodeon Studios back in March, Paramount COO Andrew Gumpert is exiting the Melrose lot, effective this week. The announcement came from studio boss Brian Robbins last night...Former Amazon Studios Canada originals boss Christina Wayne will be the new Managing Director of Saudi Arabia-based MBC Studios... Christina Malach , most recently a senior development executive at Amazon Studios, has joined independent studio Media Res as senior vice president of development.
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On the Radar
Fri - Academy Museum kicks off Regeration Summit
Sun - Grammys; 1923 season finale
Tue - State of the Union
Wed - Disney, Fox Corp. earnings |
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"I’m Ready To Go On Her Journey" - Sir Ian McKellen shared a picture of himself in costume from the upcoming Mother Goose show, which will start a tour of the UK and Ireland next week. "Once I slide into this first frock and spy Mother Goose’s ample figure in the mirror," he wrote, "I’m ready to go on her journey through the Show." |
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