the highest-compensated top exec saw pay jump 178% |
Sarah Anderson has a strong point of view on U.S. CEO pay: They could take a cut.
“I think you can still motivate people to get out of bed in the morning and go to work and do a good job,” says the director of the Global Economy Projects at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive Washington D.C. think tank. “They need to be fairly rewarded. But they would work for less.”
Would they? Media CEOs benchmark against each other. Company boards look at peer groups and the feedback loop of high pay, which rose again in 2024, continues.
According to preliminary data from 320 S&P 500 companies compiled by leading proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services, median CEO pay grew 7.5% to $16.8 million. For companies that increased pay, the median was 13.2%. In another look, compensation research firm Equilar said the largest CEO pay packages among U.S. companies with revenue of $1 billion or more showed median pay up 9.5% to $25.6 million. >>>Top 10 Media Paydays |
Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
From Wrexham To Center Ice - The Edmonton Oilers’ domination of the NHL in the 1980s will be the subject of a doc series from Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. The Great Ones will run to five parts and explore the Oilers’ remarkable run, winning five Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1990. >>>Will Air In 2027
Full Range - Five years ago this August, a handful of the best and brightest agents from CAA and WME stunned the town by abruptly leaving high-profile jobs to start a new company that sought to be a hybrid between the agencies where they grew up, repping clients as managers. >>>Born Out Of The Pandemic
Fest FAST Feast - In a novel partnership, DirecTV and the Tribeca Festival have launched a streaming hub for films, talks and behind-the-scenes content. The hub and accompanying FAST channel Tribeca Festival+ are available to DirecTV satellite and internet bundle subscribers as well as via the company’s MyFree DirecTV offering. >>>Exclusive Content
Josh O’Connor Q&A - Josh O’Connor is back in Cannes with two movies in contention for the Palme d’Or: Kelly Reichardt’s art heist picture The Mastermind and Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound, in which O’Connor stars with Paul Mescal. He’s also been spending time on the New York set of Steven Spielberg's untitled new film. >>>Read The Interview
It Starts On The Page: 'Adolescence' & 'The Pitt' - Deadline’s It Starts on the Page features standout TV series scripts in 2025 Emmy contention. This round includes HBO Max’s popular The Pitt and Netflix's sleeper hit Adolescence. >>>Read The Scripts
From 'Four Seasons' To 'Capitana' - Four Seasons star Marco Calvani has told Deadline he is set to co-write and direct his second feature, Capitana. Co-written with 'The Vagina Monologues’ playwright V, it is based on the memoir of German marine biologist, Pia Kemp, who faced charges, which were later dropped, of assisting with illegal immigration. >>> International Cast Planned |
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the New Hollywood classic adapted from Ken Kesey’s book, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a special screening today at the Cannes Film Festival and a Stateside re-release by Fathom Films in July.
Here, producer Michael Douglas recalls his remarkable journey with the film, his father’s role in bringing it to him, and the ways in which it remains relevant to this day. >>>Interview |
exclusive Damien Chazelle’s next film looks to have its sights sets on some serious star power as Cillian Murphy and Daniel Craig are in negotiations to star in the new, currently untitled pic from the Oscar-winning director. Chazelle will direct and has written the script and will also produce. Elle Fanning is now set for the role of Effie Trinket, stylist for Haymitch Abernathy in the lead-up to the 50th Hunger Games, in Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Carey Mulligan is is in negotiations to join Greta Gerwig’s Narnia movie for Netflix, based on the bestselling fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis. exclusive Laurie Kynaston, Jamie-Lee O'Donnell and Alex Lawther are toplining Leonard and Hungry Paul, a feel-good drama for the UK's BBC and Ireland's RTÉ.
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Cristin Milioti are in talks to star in The Backrooms, A24's sci-fi horror flick based on the viral series of found-footage videos from Kane Parsons. |
More News
🏀 At the Sports Emmys, Ernie Johnson won in the Outstanding Personality/Studio Host category, Charles Barkley took the Outstanding Personality/Studio Analyst award and Peyton Manning won in the Outstanding Personality/Event Analyst category.
📉 S&P downgraded Warner Bros. Discovery to BB+ amid continued revenue and cash flow declines at its linear TV operations. Anything BB+ and below is junk bond status.
🤖 Generative AI studio Promise has landed a strategic investment and partnership with Google’s AI Futures Fund, joined by Michael Ovitz‘s Crossbeam Venture Partners.
⚠️ Three senators have sent a letter to Paramount Global’s Shari Redstone warning that a potential settlement of Donald Trump‘s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS may violate federal bribery laws.
📺 Days after scoring a series order in the UK, British gameshow Win Win! is making waves in the U.S. NBC is developing a U.S. version of the show, which comes from Hello Dolly, the production company behind Netflix’s Sing On!.
✂️ ITV is overhauling its daytime schedule, and will dramatically scale back the airtime devoted to stalwarts Lorraine and Loose Women. The sweeping cuts will result in more than 220 redundancies. |
BY THE NUMBERS
12.6M - Number of views for'American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden' between May 12 and 18, placing it atop Netflix's English TV list |
Obituaries
🕯️ George Wendt, best known for playing the beloved, beer-swilling Norm on Cheers, died peacefully in his sleep while at home early Tuesday morning, according to a family representative. He was 76. 🕯️ 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery |
On the Radar
Wed - The Studio finale
Thu - Epic Universe opens
Sat - Palme d’Or awarded
Sun - The Last of Us finale
Mon - Memorial Day |
'Great' Company - June Squibb and Scarlett Johansson at the Cannes Film Festival photo call for Johansson's directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. |
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