PRO Tip Sheet: 5 Insights From This Week

This week on WrapPRO 5 Insights From WrapPRO This week on WrapPRO, we decoded the succession drama at Disney, dug into why data has become such a big issue in Hollywood labor disputes and documented David Zaslav's very, very, very bad month. [Read More on WrapPRO]( 1. [‘The Flash’ and ‘Elemental’ Flops Send Red Alerts for 2 of Hollywood’s Biggest Box Office Brands]( By Jeremy Fuster | Source: [WrapPRO]( - The recent poor performance of Pixar's "Elemental" and DC's "The Flash" raises concerns about the robustness of these brands and the general health of the box office in the post-COVID era. - Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian emphasizes that brand alone is not enough. Films must meet high quality standards and garner positive responses from audiences to succeed in today's discerning market. - Despite traditionally high production budgets, Pixar and Disney Animation are losing their competitive edge to studios such as Illumination and Sony Pictures Animation that are producing well-received films on lower budgets. [Keep Reading]( [Save 33% on an annual subscription](and join the ranks of high-powered industry leaders who read WrapPRO every day. Want unlimited access to in-depth reporting, analysis, and industry data?[Save $50 on WrapPRO using promo code Wrap33](and upgrade to a subscription today. 2. [How the Sudden Exit of Disney’s CFO Complicates CEO Bob Iger’s Succession Plans]( By Lucas Manfredi | Source: [WrapPRO]( - Disney CFO Christine McCarthy's sudden departure for family medical leave disrupts the company's plans for finding successors for both her and CEO Bob Iger, according to Wall Street analysts and industry experts, possibly leading Iger to extend his contract beyond the initial two years. - McCarthy, a key player in Disney's strategic decisions, notably the launch of Disney+ and a major restructuring to cut $5.5 billion in costs, has had disagreements with Iger over the company's spending and restructuring strategies. - Interim CFO Kevin Lansberry, with 35 years of experience at Disney, steps into a challenging situation, facing potential difficulties including park growth softening, the time and outlook for direct-to-consumer margin improvement, the impact of making ESPN fully direct-to-consumer and the purchase of the remaining minority stake in Hulu. [Keep Reading]( 3. [A Wave of Native Representation on TV Is Rising - but It Faces an Unforgiving Media Market]( By Brenda Gazzar | Source: [WrapPRO]( - The wave of TV shows featuring Indigenous narratives and creators, including "Rutherford Falls" and "Reservation Dogs," represents a significant shift in Native representation, but the cancellation of "Rutherford Falls" after two seasons highlights the challenges these new shows face, particularly on new outlets like Peacock. - Despite the surge in Native representation, challenges persist, including audience size and the propensity of streaming services to cancel shows that don't immediately garner a large audience or social media traction. - Between the 2021 and 2022 TV seasons, Indigenous lead recurring roles increased 100%, yet Native representation remains less than 1% of on-air roles across broadcast, cable, and digital platforms, according to Nielsen's "Being Seen on Screen" report and the 2022 Hollywood Diversity Report. [Keep Reading]( 4. [Warner CEO David Zaslav Is Having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Month]( By Sharon Waxman | Source: [WrapPRO]( - Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has faced backlash due to decisions such as a lavish Cannes party during the writers' strike, the exit of CNN chief Chris Licht and controversial cost-cutting at TCM, a channel beloved by Hollywood insiders. - The launch of Max, which combines HBO Max and Discovery+ into one streaming service, was marred by a change to the presentation of credits, which the creative community viewed as one more sign of a lack of respect. - High-profile missteps include his public support of Chris Licht only to fire the CNN CEO after terrible performance and bad press and the failure of DC superhero movie "The Flash," which Zaslav had personally lavished with praise, at the box office. - Warner Bros. Discovery's move to explore licensing its content to rival Netflix, beginning with "Insecure," has also raised eyebrows in the industry. [Keep Reading]( 5. [Inside the Turmoil at TCM After Executive Exodus: 'They're Farming Most People Out' | Exclusive]( By Jose Alejandro Bastidas & Lucas Manfredi | Source: [WrapPRO]( - Despite generating an estimated $266 million in revenue in 2022, TCM's budget has been progressively cut, and key executives have been laid off. Some fear this could hurt the quality of programming and the channel's commitment to film history preservation. - Insiders report that responsibility for TCM is now distributed among other units under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella. - Despite official reassurances, insiders suggest that changes in programming to make TCM more "efficient" may lead to fewer co-hosted nights, fewer specialty films, and fewer films licensed for specific events, with the future of TCM potentially resembling the TCM hub on the Max streaming service. [Keep Reading]( With a focus on delivering actionable intelligence, the PRO Tip Sheet empowers readers to stay ahead of the game in the industry. Want to go deeper? [Subscribe to WrapPRO today](. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( TheWrap | 2034 Armacost Ave Los Angeles, CA 90025 [Unsubscribe](