Warner Bros. Discovery Splitting In Two; Tony Award Snubs & Surprises; Lionsgate 'Reaping' Rewards

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View on web New reader? Subscribe SUBSCRIBE. IT'S FREE. WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY TO SPLIT, SEPARATING STUDIOS FROM NETWORKS CREATION OF TWO COMPANIES COMES AFTER $43b MERGER YIELDED MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF STOCK PRICE STAGNATION Warner Bros. Discovery, after three years of lackluster returns since the close of the $43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, has decided to split into two separate companies. The David Zaslav-led conglom had signaled the move with an internal reorganization last January that grouped its businesses into Streaming & Studios and Global Networks. Today — a bit earlier than many expected — it announced the separation will become an actual breakup along the lines of what Comcast has underway, spinning out its cable networks from NBCUniversal. Wall Street never fully bought into the WBD merger, with the combined company saddled with debt and coping with steep declines in linear TV viewing and advertising, which account for most of its profits despite the sparkle of HBO and Warner Bros. Zaslav will lead Streaming & Studios while CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels takes on the President and CEO fo Global Networks role. Both will continue in their present roles at WBD until the separation, which is expected to close in mid-2026. >>>Latest M&A Move For Legacy Media 78th Annual Tony Awards ‘Oh, Mary!’ Loses, Cole Triumphs And Oprah Shades Patti Lupone: The Biggest Takeaways From The Tonys Winners List: ‘Maybe Happy Ending’ Takes Best Musical & Five Others Cynthia Erivo's Lively Tony Awards Opener Earns A Standing Ovation ‘Hamilton’ Reunion Performance Rouses Crowd Read Deadline's Live Blog Deadline Exclusives & Originals Lionsgate 'Reaping' Rewards - Intrigue continues over the destination of Lionsgate’s flagship IP, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping with studios, streamers and indie buyers in the mix to pay a lot of money for rights to the movie. >>>Sony, Amazon Among Suitors 'Ballerina' Slow Dances At B.O. - Lionsgate‘s John Wick offshoot Ballerina, projected to come in at $35M, had a $25M opening even after an A- CinemaScore, one of the best in the Wick franchise. >>>Could It Leg Out? Courting Leatherface- Talks for who'll wind up with the much-prized Texas Chainsaw Massacre IP are beginning today as anywhere from five to eight studios and/or streamers are vying for rights of the Tobe Hooper- and Kim Henkel-created property that encompasses film, TV, live events and games. >>>Taylor Sheridan's Name Mentioned 'Bold' Move - Production of The Bold and the Beautiful is on the move. The venerable CBS daytime drama, which has called Television City home since its 1987 launch, will leave the Los Angeles mid-city studio complex, which is embarking on a multi-year, billion-dollar renovation and expansion. >>>Staying In L.A.              The Deadline Q&A ‘Ginny & Georgia’ Star Scott Porter Talks Mayor Paul Randolph’s “Reckoning” In Season 3 Scott Porter’s Mayor Paul Randolph has quite the arc in Ginny & Georgia Season 3, in which he gets caught up in the cyclone that is Georgia Miller’s (Brianne Howey) murder trial. Porter unpacks Paul’s “point of no return,” in his relationship with Georgia, what is going through his character’s mind in that scene when he jogs alongside Ginny, what could be in store for Paul in Season 4 and more in the below interview.  >>>Read The Interview Renewals, Cancellations & Pickups   Exclusive ‘Étoile’ Canceled By Prime Video After Season 1 Of Two-Season Order ‘Maxton Hall — The World Between Us’ Renewed For Season 3 At Prime Video​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​ ‘Alert’ & ‘The Cleaning Lady’ Canceled By Fox ‘Bake Off’ Champion Presenter Nadiya Hussain Announces On Social Media The BBC Have Axed Cookery Series Casting About exclusive HBO's Harry Potter series has cast another key character. Tony and Olivier Award winner Bertie Carvel (The Crown) has been tapped to play Cornelius Fudge in the high-profile TV adaptation. Exclusive Ryan Murphy’s new series American Love Story has expanded its cast with Grace Gummer (American Horror Story), Sydney Lemmon (Succession) and Alessandro Nivola (The Brutalist). Exclusive Deadline has learned that Kelly Thiebaud, who played Dr. Britt Westbourne on General Hospital, is returning to the ABC sudser in July. ​​​​​​​Mia Goth is set to join the cast of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling. Shawn Levy is directing the pic. Rachel Zoe is set to join the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 15 in her return to Bravo. Quotable   "Arrest me. Let’s go." - California Gov. Gavin Newsom daring Donald Trump's border czar to come after him amid ICE crackdowns and protests  in L.A. More News 🤖 Scripts from more than 130,000 films and TV shows have been used to train generative AI models, which a BFI report said today “poses a threat to the fundamental economics of the screen sector." 👀 Lauren Tomasi, the U.S. correspondent for Australia’s 9News, appeared to be shot by the LAPD with a rubber bullet while reporting on the immigration protests in Los Angeles. 👎 In a year marked by some high-profile instances of shareholder activism, Netflix stockholders have voted director Jay Hoag, a venture capital investor, off the board. by the numbers   $800M -  Global box office thus far for 'Lilo & Stitch' Obituaries 🕯️ Pippa Scott, the veteran actress who appeared in films like 1958’s six-time Oscar-nominated Auntie Mame and 1956’s The Searchers, has died at the age of 90. 🕯️ Wayne Lewis, a founding member of the R&B band Atlantic Starr who contributed vocals, played the keyboard and penned hits like “Always” and “Secret Lovers,” has died. 🕯️ 2025 Hollywood Deaths Photo Gallery On the Radar Mon - Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference Wed - Snow White premieres on Disney+ Sat - FIFA Club World Cup kicks off Photo of the Day Show Time - George and Amal Clooney at the The 78th Annual Tony Awards. 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