IJust six weeks ago, Technicolor CEO Caroline Parot triumphantly assured thousands of global employees during an online Town Hall: "We're back."
The iconic film company is now in ruins and thousands out of jobs after one of the swiftest and most painful corporate implosions in recent years. In the space of just a few days in late February, the company cratered in the U.S., UK, India and Canada, while operations in France continue amid a receivership process.
Technicolor had been on shaky ground for a number of years but the full-scale implosion still took many by surprise, even among senior leaders at the group. It was in stark contrast to Parot’s virtual Town Hall message at the end of January, which Deadline obtained from a source.
“We will see progress in our pipeline and delivery. We’re opening the year with excitement," the former Europcar CFO told workers. "We acknowledge we have a lot to do but we see our trajectory as being better. ... We will celebrate success quarter by quarter.”
One executive from a rival VFX firm described the scale and swiftness of the damage as a “holy shit moment for everyone." >>>Impact On Studios |
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| Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
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'Bachelor' Producers Resign - Deadline understands that The Bachelor co-executive producers Michael Margolis and Keely Booth have exited the ABC dating franchise. It comes amid challenging circumstances behind the scenes of the Warner Bros TV-produced show and its spinoffs. >>>'Bachelorette' Paused Oscars' Wandering Eye - After 50 years with ABC, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is shopping for a new television and/or streaming partner, Deadline sources have confirmed. A license fee increase sought by the Academy is said to be the main sticking point, especially given the trajectory of viewership. Last Sunday's show saw ratings slip 7% from the prior year and recent editions have drawn about half of the audience of 1990s and 2000s Oscar telecasts. >>> Parallels With Grammys
'Yellowstone' Opens Doors For SkyShowtime - As the Comcast-Paramount joint venture upstart marks its second anniversary, CEO Monty Sarhan reflects on the story so far and looks ahead at what’s to come in an exclusive interview with Deadline. As well as giving the low-down on the impact of the juggernaut U.S. series, he shares news of the SVoD’s plan to bring a "channels"-type service to subscribers. “Yellowstone has been the biggest driver of subscriber acquisition for us since launch and it remains the case today.” >>> Results From 20 Territories
School Back In Session - Maxton Hall – The World Between Us Season 2 is now penciled in to premiere at the end of this year, Deadline has learned. No specific date for the premiere has been given, but it will be within this calendar year, Amazon confirmed. The second run of the breakout Prime Video young adult series wrapped filming in September last year, and with Season 1 launching in May 2024. >>> Rumors Fly About A Season 3
Nkechi Okoro Carroll's Juggling Act - Deadline spends time with All American and Found showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll in writers' rooms and editing bays as she navigates an uncertain TV landscape with shows on two different networks. >>>No Time To Second Guess
What You Didn't See At The Oscars - Live awards telecasts like The Oscars air with commercials that take up about 15 minutes every hour, which means that we see those attending for about three-quarters of the ceremony. During the remaining quarter when the cameras are not rolling, they tend to mingle and have fun. Sunday was no exception. >>>Colman Domingo Takes Charge |
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Sunday's Oscars was a night described by Rob Mills, EVP Unscripted & Alternative Entertainment at Walt Disney Television, the man in charge of the telecast, as a “great experience.” In an interview with Deadline, Mills addresses the show, its length, Conan’s performance, those musical performances, James Bond, Adrien Brody’s speech, Sean Baker’s theatrical call-to-arms, the In Memoriam, Hulu going down, Luke Skywalker saving Han Solo and his thoughts about next year’s telecast. >>> Read The Interview |
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Lucy Halliday (Blue Jean) has been tapped as a lead opposite Chase Infiniti and Ann Dowd in The Handmaid’s Tale sequel The Testaments for Hulu. Like The Handmaid’s Tale, it is based on a novel by Margaret Atwood and created by Bruce Miller, who serves as showrunner.
Exclusive
More names have been added to the fifth movie in the Descendants franchise for Disney Channel and Disney+. Joel Oulette (Trickster), Zavien Garrett (The Flash), Ryan McEwen (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies) and Dayton Paradis have been cast in the film, which is slated to begin production shortly. |
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BY THE NUMBERS
18.07M - Ratings for Sunday's Oscars ceremony, which experienced some hiccups on Hulu, down 7% year-on-year |
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More News 🤖 Staircase Studios AI, a new maker of films, TV series and video games founded by Pouya Shahbazian, producer of the Divergent franchise is promising to deliver “near-major-studio” levels of quality at budgets under $500,000.
⚖️ Jay-Z filed a defamation and malicious prosecution complaint on Monday in federal court in Alabama against the now middle-aged Jane Doe, as well as attorneys Tony Buzbee and David Fortney.
🥇 Despite the setback of this year’s wildfires, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be “out-of-control good” and credit for their success will be due to Donald Trump, according to Endeavor and TKO exec Mark Shapiro. “President Trump is going to walk out of office with the trophy that is the L.A. Olympics, that ‘I did it, I brought it back,' " he said.
📽️ Former Warner Bros International Distribution Chief Andrew Cripps, who recently exited that studio, is driving down the street to Walt Disney Studios as their new Head of Theatrical Distribution. The three-decades-plus international distribution exec starts the job immediately.
✍️ France’s Canal Group has signed a new agreement with French cinema guilds that calls for an investment of at least €480 million ($503 million) over three years and other measures. |
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On the Radar
Tue - Daredevil: Born Again & With Love, Meghan series premieres
Wed - A+E Networks upfront
Fri - SXSW begins
Sat - Lady Gaga hosts SNL |
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Killer Smile - Uma Thurman on the set of Dexter: Resurrection in Central Park this week. The actress is playing Charley, the Head of Security for mysterious billionaire Leon Prater. |
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