Bob Iger Defeats Nelson Peltz; Paramount Stock Soars as Skydance Deal Talks Progress; New 'Matrix' Movie in the Works; 'Ripley,' 'Mary & George' Reviews

[View on web]( [New reader? Subscribe]( April 04, 2024 What's news: ESPN's planned streaming product will be part of the Disney bundle in 2025. Silver Lake is committing $250m for a new media company led by Endeavor's Patrick Whitesell. Craig Gillespie is in talks to helm Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Julia Garner will play the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four. Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act will open the Cannes Film Festival. ABC has renewed Will Trent. — [Abid Rahman]( Do you have THR's next big story? Confidentially share tips with us at [tips@thr.com](. Iger Defeats Peltz! ►It's over, finally. In a big win for Disney and CEO Bob Iger, the company says that all of its director nominees have been elected by shareholders, rebuffing the activist investor Nelson Peltz, who had been running a high-profile campaign to put himself and former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo on the board. Disney announced the preliminary result at the end of its annual shareholder meeting Wednesday. Peltz’s Trian Partners had been seeking to oust and replace Disney directors Maria Elena Lagomasino and Michael Froman. [The story.]( —On its way. On a busy day for Disney, the company also revealed yesterday that ESPN's planned streaming product will be part of the Disney bundle when it launches in 2025. Bob Iger said during recorded remarks at Disney’s annual shareholder meeting that the stand-alone ESPN streamer will be available through Disney+ for subscribers who bundle their Disney streaming services. He compared the ESPN integration into Disney+ to that of Hulu, which formally launched a week ago. [The story.]( —"Only just the beginning." Disney surprise-revealed concept art for their proposed Avatar land in California’s Disneyland at the company’s shareholder’s webcast on Wednesday. The art, later also released on the Disney Parks Blog, shows an outdoor lake with guests standing at the shoreline, peppered with boats and a large waterfall. Fictional Pandora creatures surround the humans, and tall outcropping of rocks frame the lake in a scene emblematic of the world created by writer-director James Cameron. [The story.]( —Suit filed. Disney has been hit with a new lawsuit from a development executive over allegations that she was underpaid because she’s an Asian American woman. Asta Jonasson, in a suit filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims she was discriminated against by director John Ridley, whose production house has an overall deal with Disney through ABC Studios. She says she was fired in retaliation for issuing a complaint about unequal pay on the basis of her gender and race. [The story.]( Paramount Stock Soars as Skydance Deal Talks Progress ►Something is afoot. Paramount Global shares soared on Wednesday as talks of a deal with Skydance Media continue to heat up. The stock price rose by 15 percent yesterday, after The Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount and its controlling shareholder National Amusements have agreed to an exclusive negotiating window with David Ellison's Skydance in a key step towards a possible sale of the media and entertainment empire controlled by Shari Redstone in a two-stage process. [The story.]( —ICYMI. Silver Lake, the private equity firm that is planning to take WME owner Endeavor private, is also aiming to get further into business with Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell. According to Whitesell’s new employment agreement, which was filed with the SEC in conjunction with the take-private, Silver Lake is committing $250m in seed money for a new media company to be led by the Endeavor executive chairman. [The story.]( Gillespie in Talks to Direct 'Supergirl' ►Up, up and away! Craig Gillespie is in talks to helm Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. If a deal closes, the Aussie director behind Cruella and I, Tonya joins James Gunn (Superman) and Andy Muschietti (the Batman feature The Brave and the Bold) among the filmmakers building out the slate of projects for DC Studios, the Warner Bros. division led by Gunn and Peter Safran. Supergirl stars House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock, who will play Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman. The feature is inspired by the Tom King and Bilquis Evely comic. [The story.]( —🎭 Her-ald 🎭 Fantastic Four has found its Silver Surfer. Ozark star Julia Garner will play a version of the classic character. The Silver Surfer was introduced in the comics as the herald of Galactus, a planet-eating entity, though that version of the Surfer was an alien astronomer known as Norrin Radd. Garner is said to be playing a different surfer known as Shalla-Bal, who was the lover of Norrin Radd. WandaVision director Matt Shakman is directing the feature, which stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. [The story.]( —Mr. Oizo goes to Cannes. Quentin Dupieux’s The Second Act, starring Léa Seydoux and Vincent Lindon, will kick off the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The French director will world premiere his latest film out of competition on May 14, with the surreal comedy to be released in French cinemas on the same day. Dupieux and his cast will walk the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière, to help launch the film and the festival. Dupieux was an electronic artist under his Mr. Oizo moniker before he added screenwriting and directing to his resume. [The story.]( —Lovejoy did it first. Aftersun outfit Tango and A Private War producer Kamala Films are developing an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane short story A Bostonian, tapping Philip Barantini to direct. Damien Ober will adapt the story, with Lehane on board as an executive producer. A Bostonian is a thriller set in the world of antique dealers and estate sales. Lehane's other works Shutter Island, Mystic River, The Drop, Gone Baby Gone and Live by Night have all been adapted for the screen. [The story.]( New 'Matrix' Movie in the Works ►Fifth time's a charm? Warner Bros. is heading back into The Matrix, and this time Drew Goddard is leading the charge. Goddard, the fan-favorite writer-director whose credits include The Martian, The Cabin in the Woods and World War Z, has been tapped to write and direct a new Matrix feature for the studio. This will be the first Matrix film not to directly involve creators Lana and Lilly Wachowski, though Lana will act as an executive producer on the new installment. [The story.]( —🎭 Vet on board 🎭 Delroy Lindo has closed a deal to join Michael B. Jordan in the untitled supernatural horror thriller that Ryan Coogler is directing for Warner Bros. Little is known about that project — and what is known has yet to be confirmed by either the studio or Coogler. Insiders say the feature is set in the Jim Crow-era South, and possibly involves both vampires and Southern supernatural traditions. Jordan may be playing dual roles — as twin brothers. [The story.]( —🎭 Christmas cheer 🎭 Chloë Grace Moretz and The Holdovers' Dominic Sessa are joining Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun., an Amazon MGM holiday comedy that hails from director Michael Showalter, who is behind the studio’s Anne Hathaway romantic drama The Idea of You. The film is described as both a love letter to moms and tonally a cross between Home for the Holidays and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. [The story.]( —🎭 Seeking justice 🎭 Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose has joined Rose Byrne, the in-demand Dominic Sessa and Demi Lovato in Stephanie Laing’s Tow. The drama will center on a real-life unhoused woman, Amanda Ogle (Byrne), who fought her way out of tow-company hell in Seattle through the courts to reclaim her old car and life after receiving a tow bill for $21,634. The project marks a reunion for Byrne, writer Annie Weisman and Laing, who worked together on Apple TV’s Physical. [The story.]( How 'Curb' Manifested Springsteen's Postponed Tour ►"Bruce telling Larry, ‘I never took you for a floor fucker,’ is one of my favorite moments ever — like, in life." THR's queen of chat [Jackie Strause]( spoke to Curb Your Enthusiasm executive producer Jeff Schaffer once more, this time about the penultimate episode of the HBO series that saw Larry David giving Bruce Springsteen COVID and endangering his health — which preceded similar real-life events. Schaffer reveals that story and more as we head to the series finale. Warning: Spoilers! [The interview.]( —Another no-brainer. ABC has renewed its drama series Will Trent for a third season. The crime procedural’s second season has capably anchored the network’s Tuesday night lineup this spring, showing sizable ratings growth compared to its inaugural run last year. The series is averaging 4.47m same-day viewers this season, a 46 percent jump over its 2023 run. Will Trent joins fellow dramas 911 and Grey’s Anatomy and comedy Abbott Elementary in scoring renewals for 2024-25 on ABC. [The story.]( —Not cool, chef! FX is condemning media use of a clip of The Bear from the acclaimed dramedy’s upcoming third season. The scene featured star Jeremy Allen White’s perfectionist chef Carmy characteristically under pressure during a rocky opening night of his revamped restaurant. The clip was apparently illicitly captured during Disney's shareholders meeting presentation on Wednesday, posted on X, and then broadly picked up by the entertainment press. [The story.]( —Thinking outside the box. Fox Sports broadcast more than 300 college basketball games this season — but zero NCAA Tournament contests, as those rights are locked up by CBS and Warner Bros. Discovery. So the network, along with live event promoter AEG, is launching a tournament of its own. The two companies on Wednesday announced the College Basketball Crown, a men’s post-season tournament set to be held in Las Vegas from March 31-April 6, 2025 — the week leading up to the NCAA’s Final Four (which is set for April 5 and 7 next year). [The story.]( Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' Is Haunted by Ghosts of Rejection ►"The gritty defiance of a woman scorned runs through parts of [this album]." In her appraisal of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter, THR's [Lovia Gyarkye]( writes that the music superstar's latest studio album, the second act of a planned trilogy, addresses detractors while doubling down on her country roots. [The critic's notebook.]( —Talent steps up. Jonathan Glazer has donated signed posters for his Oscar-winning movie The Zone of Interest and his 2014 film Under the Skin, to the Cinema for Gaza auction that is raising funds for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. Other entertainment personalities have also offered up items or one-off experiences for the auction. These include a ticket to a Ramy Youssef live show and a meet-and-greet, an original Abigail’s Party poster signed by Mike Leigh, a poster and script book for The Old Oak signed by Ken Loach, and bedtime readings by Tilda Swinton and Rebecca Hall. [The story.]( —Dream team. In more Glazer news, we finally have a follow-up to his film Under the Skin, kinda. Not really. The Brit filmmaker has teamed up once again with Under the Skin star Scarlett Johansson for a glossy ad for Italian fashion house Prada. The ad features Johansson struggling to recite lines from Shakespeare, including famous passages from Anthony and Cleopatra and Macbeth. There's an Under the Skin bonus at the bottom of this newsletter, too. [The video.]( TV Review: 'Ripley' ►"Another strong adaptation of the psychologically rich source material." THR's chief TV critic [Dan Fienberg]( reviews Netflix's Ripley. Steven Zaillian wrote and directed the eight-episode adaptation, an Italian-set, black-and-white thriller starring Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn and Eliot Sumner about the eponymous grifter-turned-sociopath. [The review.]( —"Deliciously soapy historical drama." THR's [Angie Han]( reviews Starz's Mary & George. Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine star in this period miniseries that chronicles the rise of a charismatic young man and his scheming mother during the reign of King James VI and I in early 17th century Britain. [The review.]( In other news... —Hunter Schafer [faces horrors at German resort in Neon’s Cuckoo trailer]( —Isabela Merced [battles anxiety in Turtles All the Way Down trailer]( —Bambi goes on a rampage in [first teaser for Poohniverse movie Bambi: The Reckoning]( —Kristen Wiig’s [old dressing room is ruined by new castmembers in SNL promo]( —Cillian Murphy reveals post-Oscar project: [New Versace Icons campaign with Anne Hathaway]( —Image Comics taps [Jim Viscardi as vp of business development]( —Spotify [names Christian Luiga CFO]( —[Bob Slutske]( tech expert who helped pave way for Hollywood’s digital age, dies at 81 —[David E. Diano]( longtime camera operator, dies at 71 ​​​What else we're reading... —Nadira Goffe looks into why everyone is so mad Beyoncé changed the lyrics to "Jolene" on her new album, Cowboy Carter [[Slate]( —Derek Lawrence sits down with Blockers director Kay Cannon and Game Night filmmakers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to discuss the state of studio comedies [[VF]( —Tania Branigan writes that though Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is sci-fi, what lies beneath is the trauma of modern China [[Guardian]( —Rupert Neate reports the rather grim news that all the billionaires under 30 have inherited their wealth [[Guardian]( —Alex Sherman looks at how Dana Walden could defy critics and become Disney’s first female CEO [[CNBC]( Today... ...in 2014, Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin was released in North American theaters. Loosely based on Michel Faber's novel, the Scarlett Johansson-starring sci-fi film was a huge critical success. [The original review.]( Today's birthdays: Robert Downey Jr. (59), Natasha Lyonne (45), David Cross (60), [Barry Pepper]( (54), Eric André (41), Aki Kaurismäki (67), David E. Kelley (68), Graham Norton (61), Jill Scott (52), Craig T. Nelson (80), Lorraine Toussaint (64), Carolina Gaitan (40), Alexa Nikolas (32), Sarah Gadon (37), Amanda Righetti (41), Hugo Weaving (64), James Roday Rodriguez (48), Jamie Lynn Spears (33), Jeanne Goursaud (28), Collette Wolfe (44), Christine Lahti (74), Nancy McKeon (58), Cherie Lunghi (72), Mary-Margaret Humes (70), Xenia Seeberg (57), Daniela Bobadilla (31), Chris Conner (49), Romuald Boulanger (46), Damian Hurley (22), Julie Carmen (70), Constance Shulman (66), Rachel Korine (38), Maggie Geha (36) Playwright Christopher Durang, a master of satire and black comedy who won a Tony Award for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist with Miss Witherspoon, has died. He was 75. 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