| NEWS OF PUBLIC AUCTION FOLLOWS REPORTED BID FROM PARAMOUNT; PREVIOUS PLAN TO SPLIT COMPANY STILL IN PLAY | Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that it is up for sale, saying this morning it has initiated a strategic review in light of "unsolicited interest" it has received from "multiple parties."
The announcement of the public auction process follows reports in Deadline and elsewhere in recent weeks about Paramount's interest in acquiring all of WBD. Comcast is also widely believed to be interested, with speculation swirling around Netflix and Apple, though the notion of a tech company swooping in has historically proven to be a mirage.
The latest news comes months after the company said it planned to split into two separate companies, one for its linear TV networks and the other for the Warner Bros. and HBO studio and streaming operations. The split is one scenario on the table, though interest from buyers is presumed to be greater in the studio and streaming side, considering its industry-leading TV output, the prestige of HBO and the vast Warner Bros. library.
“It’s no surprise that the significant value of our portfolio is receiving increased recognition by others in the market,” WBD CEO David Zaslav said in a statement, adding the company's goal is to "identify the best path forward to unlock the full value of our assets.” >>>Stock Jumps |
Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
'Heat'-ing Up L.A. Production - Director Michael Mann is planning another Los Angeles caper with Heat 2, which will shoot in town thanks to some big tax-incentive cash from California. The film is among the projects getting supercharged by a $37.2 million tax incentive award from the state. With the newly fortified tax credit program of $750 million annually, the United Artists Heat sequel was joined by 51 other titles announced Tuesday. The incentive program is estimated to inject $1.4 billion into California’s economy via a combination of spending and wages. >>> Other Films Included
Sundance Sets Park City Swan Song - As it gets ready to shift to its new home base of Boulder, Colorado in 2027, the festival founded by Robert Redford will bid a final farewell to Park City in January with a tribute to the late Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid star and a screening series featuring some of Sundance’s greatest hits. Festival Director Eugene Hernandez revealed the news with Deadline during a wider conversation about Redford's legacy, the Utah goodbye and what's ahead in Boulder.>>> Q&A
Schrader On Springsteen's Creative Larceny - Before he strummed his acoustic guitar and sang “Land of Hope and Dreams” at Lincoln Center following the New York Film Festival premiere of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, The Boss lobbed out a surprise thank you to the writer of Taxi Driver. "I don’t know where the f*ck any of us would be without Paul Schrader," he said. >>> Mike Fleming Jr.'s Column
S.I., Kids & Cricket - Cricket Media, which merged earlier this year with kids streaming service Sensical, is teaming up with Sports Illustrated Kids and bulking up its gaming offering by forging ties with six creators. Under the partnership, SI Kids will anchor a new sports vertical on Sensical. >>>Creator Videos
In Brief - Netflix lands The In-Claus from Lord Miller & Travis Braun... Prentice Penny directing docuseries on Reverend Jesse Jackson |
Lionsgate has upped 11-year studio veteran Jenefer Brown to President, Global Products & Experiences. She was previously EVP and Head of Global Products and Experiences.
The news comes as the latest project under Brown’s oversight, The Hunger Games: On Stage, is beginning previews at the newly constructed Troubadour Canary Wharf in London’s financial district with John Malkovich starring as President Coriolanus Snow in the play from five-time Tony nominee Conor McPherson and acclaimed director Matthew Dunster.
Hunger Games: On Stage, which has been a seven-year journey, is just one of the major endeavors from Brown and her team in what is a rapidly growing sector of Lionsgate in which various pieces of the studio’s IP are adapted into live experiences and attractions. Other properties headed for the stage include La La Land, produced by Wicked’s Marc Platt and targeting a Broadway opening next year, and Dirty Dancing, developed in collaboration with Eleanor Bergstein, the writer of the original film. >>>Read The Interview |
QUOTABLE "One of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of." - Adam Driver on 'The Hunt for Ben Solo,' a Star Wars script written by Steven Soderbergh that Disney turned down |
ExclusiveMelissa Barrera (Scream VI) has joined survival thriller Black Tides as co-lead opposite John Travolta in the Renny Harlin film.
exclusiveTim Heidecker, the alt comic of Tim & Eric fame, and Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany have signed on to star in The Comedy Hour, a late-night-themed dystopian satire.
Colman Domingo has been tapped to voice The Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good. It’s expected that we’ll also see the introduction of other major characters from Wicked inspiration The Wizard of Oz.
Joe Walsh and Zac Brown are joining The Voice Season 28 as mega mentors. Brown will make his debut on the NBC singing competition joining coaches Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg, while Walsh will join Niall Horan and Reba McEntire as the contestants enter the Knockouts beginning Monday, October 27.
In Brief - Tom Hopper joins The Mark; Westbrook Studios also newly aboard... Garrett Hedlund, Jennifer Nettles, Ross Lynch & Ben Dickey join Netflix’s Heartland… Eric Dane to guest star in Brilliant Minds S2 |
MORE NEWS
💵 HBO Max is the latest streaming service to raise prices. Effective immediately for new subscribers and next month for existing ones, Basic with Ads is going up $1 a month to $10.99, with the Standard plan rising $1.50 to $18.49 and Premium going up $2 to $22.99.
🎟️ Ticketmaster said that it would now limit “everyone and every entity” to only one account, amid complaints about scalpers and in the wake of a lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission.
🤖 American Film Market and Marché du Film unveiled a new collaboration called Innovation Hub and an AI-focused programming strand at AFM 2025 next month in L.A.
✍️ Taraji P. Henson has signed a new two-picture acting deal with Netflix. The partnership will see Henson star in two upcoming Netflix films.
🌐 The cyber-attack on Prospect, the parent union of British film and TV group Bectu, has sparked fears that it could have compromised information pertaining to the UK’s national security. Prospect represents members in sensitive professions, including at the Ministry of Defence and military suppliers as well as civil servants across a variety of government departments. |
ON THE RADAR
Tue - Virginia Giuffre’s memoir released; Netflix Q3 earnings; Larry David on Seth Meyers
Wed - AFI Fest begins; NAB Show NY; Gen V finale
Thu - Ben Stiller on Colbert
Fri - World Series begins; NBA Prime Video debuts; New Yorker Festival opens
Sun - It: Welcome to Derry series premiere |
'IT' Lives - The iconic Warner Bros. water tower was transformed for the on-lot premiere of IT: Welcome to Derry. |
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