Inside The FCC-ABC Battle; David Zaslav's Latest Payday; Cannes Market Preview

🏃‍♀️ Exclusives, Breaking News & Deadline Originals

View on web New reader? Subscribe SUBSCRIBE. IT'S FREE. NO LAUGHING MATTER: HOW THE FCC-ABC BATTLE MAY PLAY OUT INSIDERS ACROSS MEDIA, D.C. & WALL STREET WEIGH IN ON CLASH Outrage moves at the speed of social media in the Donald Trump era, but the wheels of media regulation turn far more slowly. That is the main takeaway from Deadline’s conversations in recent days with more than a dozen sources across media, Washington and Wall Street about the clash between ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and the Trump administration. Although Trumpworld is demanding quick action, an early review of ABC station licenses ordered by the FCC isn't likely to bring about any near-term changes due to the complexities of the process, sources say. Behind the scenes, Disney insiders also say some lessons were learned from the last bout of rancor over Kimmel.  While Kimmel never formally apologized and no pound of flesh was taken by the administration, the upshot was that Disney was believed to have acted a bit too hastily. >>>Brendan Carr's Track Record CANNES MARKET PREVIEW   Exclusive Buffalo 8 Distribution Acquires Feature Doc ‘Ice Ice Baby   Exclusive Mark Rylance To Star In & Make Movie Directorial Debut With Comedy ‘Nice Fish’ Alongside Michelle Williams Electric Entertainment Acquires ‘O Horizon’ Starring Maria Bakalova & David Strathairn   Exclusive Pole-Dancing Drama ‘Exotic’ Starring ‘Green Border’ And ‘Sweat’ Actresses Acquired For Sales By Pluto Film Tessa Thompson, Owen Cooper & Ebon Moss-Bachrach To Star In Thriller ‘Foxfinder’   Exclusive Vorteks Boards Sales On SXSW Horror Hit ‘Grind’ Deadline Exclusives & Originals AI Meets John Milton - Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction co-writer and The Rules of Attraction director Roger Avary has been set to write and direct a feature version of Biblical epic Paradise Lost for emerging AI-oriented production company Ex Machina Studios. >>>Many Have Tried C-SPAN Bears Witness - For years, C-SPAN has offered the most comprehensive coverage of the White House Correspondents' Dinner and, on Saturday, it once again was the sole operator of pool cameras in the ballroom, offering the the first images of the commotion, confusion and chaos that took place that night. >>>Moment-By-Moment Account Cantona Heads To Cannes — Cinetic will handle sales on Cannes-bound documentary Cantona, about Manchester United great turned actor Eric Cantona. The film, which was four years in the making, will feature new and archive interviews with Cantona and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. >>>Managing The Unmanageable   THE DEADLINE INTERVIEW ‘The Boys’ Star Jensen Ackles On The “Mental Adjustment” Of This Week’s ‘Supernatural’ Reunion & Exploring Soldier Boy’s Origin In ‘Vought Rising’ It’s a Winchester family reunion on this week’s episode of The Boys, as creator Eric Kripke assembled the stars of his previous hit series Supernatural for some killer cameos. Jensen Ackles, who stars as Soldier Boy on the Prime Video series and its upcoming offshoot Vought Rising, told Deadline there was a “minor mental adjustment” in working with Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins in a “new environment” from their 2005-’20 CW series. Ackles also discusses the Supernatural reunion as well as what’s in store for Vought Rising. >>>Q&A Related: ‘Gen V’ Season 3 Story Could Possibly Show Up In Vought Universe In The Future: “We’re Brainstorming A Couple Different Ideas” ‘The Boys’ Creator Thought Homelander Claiming He’s God Was Too “Out There” Before Trump’s AI Jesus Post: “Really Hard To Out-Satire” QUOTABLE "I was ready to retire" - Meryl Streep on how she got the studio to double her payday for 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' RENEWALS, CANCELLATIONS & PICKUPS Netflix Lands ‘Lovesick’ Starring Claire Danes With Series Order ‘Thunder Road’ Starring Dennis Quaid Greenlit At AMC Netflix Orders ‘Dad’s House’ Adult Animated Series CASTING ABOUT Exclusive Chris Evans is joining the crime-thriller My Darling California, the next project for writer-director Elijah Bynum. The movie will also star Jessica Chastain, Chris Pine, Mikey Madison, Charles Melton and Don Cheadle.   Exclusive Mark Williams has rounded out the cast of his indie drama Hal, starring Alexander Ludwig and Emma Roberts. Newcomers include Matthew Goode, Kate Walsh, Taylor John Smith, Garret Dillahunt, Robert Patrick, Colm Meaney, Justin Bartha and Nicolette Sheridan.   Exclusive The Morning Show has added Sydney Park (Scary Movie) and Jeff Wilbusch (Something Very Bad is Going to Happen) in recurring roles for the upcoming fifth season. DEVELOPMENT   Exclusive ‘Casper’ Live-Action Series In Works At Disney+ From Rob Letterman, Hilary Winston, Steven Spielberg, DWA & UCP AMC Development Updates: ‘Bannerman’ Spy Drama Advances To Writers Room, ‘Point Break’ Reboot Eyes Greenlight, ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ Gets Co-Writer Keke Palmer & Zack Gottsagen Lead Thor Freudenthal’s ‘Lottery’ For Searchlight BY THE NUMBERS 76% - Increase in Amazon's net income from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026 MORE NEWS 💰 Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav saw his 2025 pay package triple to $165 million from $51.9 million the year before on option awards valued at $109.6 million. That hefty figure is on top of a separate pay package for shepherding the company's pending merger with Paramount, with the deal payout ranging from $500 million to as much as $886 million based on several variables. ⛳ LIV Golf has confirmed it is seeking “secure long-term financial partners” as part of a major restructuring, with Saudi Arabia set to withdraw funding. 🖥️ In a competitive situation, AMC+ has nabbed exclusive U.S. streaming rights to Crave's Yaga, starring Hudson Williams in his first role following the breakout success of another series he has for Canadian streamer Crave, the global phenom Heated Rivalry. 🤖 Meta beat on the top and bottom lines last quarter but the stock dipped more than 5% in late trading Wednesday on market jitters over expanding capex, due in part to AI, which the company anticipates in the $125 billion-$145 billion range this year. ⚖️ As the explosive Australian legal battle over Rebel Wilson‘s directorial debut nears the finish line, the Pitch Perfect star has been forced to deny that she orchestrated a cyber attack on Charlotte MacInnes that led to a nude photo of The Deb actress being leaked. 📈 YouTube ad revenue rose 11% in the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025, flirting with the $10 billion mark. The ad revenue haul of $9.883 billion was one of many solid parts of parent company Alphabet‘s overall quarter reported Wednesday. ON THE RADAR Thu - Apple earnings Fri - Deadline Reality TV Summit Sat - Kentucky Derby; Olivia Rodrigo hosts SNL Mon - Paramount earnings; The Met Gala; Netflix is a Joke Fest begins Tue - Tony noms; Obama on Colbert Wed - Sound & Screen Television; Disney earnings PHOTO OF THE DAY Night Of The Huntr/X - Audrey Nuna, Ejae and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X at the Billboard Women in Music 2026 in Hollywood. This email was sent to punjabsvera@gmail.com by Deadline. Please add email@email.deadline.com to your address book to ensure delivery to your inbox. Visit the Preferences Center to update your profile and customize what email alerts and newsletters you receive. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2026 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 11355 W Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA, 90064 View in Browser | Privacy Policy | Your Privacy Rights | Ad Choices | Terms of Use | Unsubscribe