Tag: Entertainment – Variety

Executives at Paramount Skydance have agreed to pay billions to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, but they may have to do a little more work if they want to put their own stamp on the programming at CNN.

CNN recently struck a new deal with Abby Phillip, anchor of the raucous 10 p.m. roundtable “NewsNight” that keeps al three of the anchors who host its primetime shows at the news giant for the foreseeable future, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Anderson Cooper, who anchors the 8 p.m. slot on CNN, renewed terms last year and it’s widely understood that Kaitlan Collins, who leads the “The Source” at 9 p.m. is working under a contract that has a few more years on left on it. Phillip is the last of the troika to renew alliances with the Warner Bros. Discovery news outlet.

A CNN spokesperson said the network does not comment on contracts with talent.

CNN was likely dealing with each anchor’s renewal as individual contracts opened, rather than deliberately planning a move to slow down a new owner’s plans.

Nonetheless, having contracts in place could mean that Paramount will have to do some additional maneuvering if it wants to rework CNN’s programming lineup or rearrange the anchors who fill it. To be sure, a network can easily move an anchor if it wants — CNN forced Don Lemon to move out of his late-night roost on the schedule in 2022 to an ill-conceived morning-show concept after Warner was put under the control of CEO David Zaslav — but the new contracts mean that the anchors have some guarantees about the money they are owed in case changes are made.

CNN staffers have been on edge as the Paramount deal moved closer to consummation. There is palpable concern that Paramount CEO David Ellison will assign oversight of CNN to Bari Weiss, a digital entrepreneur and opinion writer installed last year as editor in chief of CBS News. Her tenure at the news division has generated significant scrutiny and controversy, and has included the ouster of top producers and correspondents at the long-running newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” viewed for years as one of the jewels of the CBS lineup. There are growing fears within CNN that the Paramount acquisition would spur programming and talent changes that could be seen as being made to placate the Trump administration, rather than holding it to account. Inside CNN, there is a strong concern that Paramount’s executives “don’t know or don’t care” about managing the news giant for profit or for the future, according to one staffer. 

All three anchors have taken on responsibilities beyond their evening-host duties. Cooper hosts the Sunday deep-dive program “The Whole Story” as well as “All There Is,” a podcast that examines grief. Collins anchors a primetime show while also working as the network’s chief White House correspondent. Phillip also hosts a Saturday-morning program, “Table for Five,” which, like “NewsNight,” is presented in a roundtable format. Phillip recently took up digital duties, hosting the new program “Confessions and Obsessions,” which focuses more on guests’ personal interests than their political leanings.

Signing Phillip to a new contract also means that CNN will likely rely heavily on the trio as the midterm elections approach. Elections can bring an injection of new viewership to news networks, as the drama around the race for federal office often lures people beyond CNN’s immediate crowd. CNN’s ad revenue is projected to increase about 4% to $510.4 million in 2026, according to Kagan, a market-research unit of S&P Global Intelligence, compared with $489.8 million in 2025.

NBCUniversal‘s Peacock launched a limited new membership program in a beta test with a variety of perks — aimed at keeping them from flying the coop as streaming subscribers, as well as driving incremental revenue from marketing pacts.

The test of Peacock’s membership program is available initially to a limited, “randomly selected” group of Peacock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers, according to NBCU. “Through a mix of NBCUniversal benefits, partner offers and exclusive experiences, the program will recognize and reward Peacock subscribers, deliver added value, and create deeper connections to the fandoms that power NBCUniversal,” the company said.

NBCU’s test of the Peacock rewards program follows similar efforts by other streamers, including Disney+ Perks, which offers customers an array of different promotional offers and discounts.

Launched in July 2020, the Peacock streaming service turned its first-ever quarterly profit for Q2 2026. Peacock paid subscribers totaled 48 million as of the end of June, with 2 million net additions during the period.

As Peacock continues to test and evolve the program, NBCU said, additional rewards are expected to be added over time, including Universal Parks perks and experiences, NBCU content previews and early access to NBCU live events.

On a recent episode of Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast, Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, spoke about the Peacock membership program. “[W]e’re starting to evolve from thinking of this as streaming to entertainment, from subscription to membership,” he said. “Again, we’re always charting out what we see as the next white space. This is where we see, at least for NBCUniversal, the next wave of growth for streaming and the broader business as we’re continuing to build out where we see the big opportunity.”

During the beta test, Peacock’s membership program will group participants in three tiers based on their tenure as subscribers: Gold (3 months-1 year), Platinum (1-3 years) and Diamond (3+ years), with select rewards tailored to each tier.

At launch, members in the beta test will have access to the following rewards: 

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance asked the judge overseeing the antitrust lawsuits filed by 12 states and the WGA to force the plaintiffs to pony up a whopping $1.88 billion bond to cover the company’s losses related to the delay in its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Paramount filed the motion Monday with Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin, who has scheduled a trial start date of March 2, 2027. The $1.88 billion would be payable to Paramount in the event Paramount prevails in the antitrust litigation.

Paramount “hereby moves this Court for an order modifying the Stipulation and Order Not to Close, Dkt.170, to require dissolution of that order unless Plaintiffs post a $1,884,726,092.73 bond by September 30, 2026,” the company said in the motion.

In a statement to Variety, a representative for Paramount said, “Today, Paramount requested that the court enforce the statutory requirement that the plaintiffs post a bond in connection with their pending litigation, which blocks us from closing our merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.”

Variety has reached out to the California Department of Justice and the WGA for comment on Paramount’s motion.

The 12 states, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, sued in federal court in July to block Paramount’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. The states allege the proposed merger will illegally reduce competition in the markets for theatrical and blockbuster films, as well as basic cable TV. The Writers Guild of America filed its own suit, arguing that the deal also will illegally reduce the number of buyers for writers’ work.

Paramount agreed to put the merger on hold until the trial concludes, after Martinez-Olguin granted a temporary restraining order to pause the deal for 28 days. In granting the TRO, Martinez-Olguin waived a bond requirement because “Plaintiffs have demonstrated that Plaintiff States bring suit to enforce important public interests.”

The antitrust lawsuit by the states and WGA are the only barriers remaining to the closing of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which has received regulatory clearances from 68 jurisdictions.

Paramount execs were confident its deal for Warner Bros. would easily clear regulatory hurdles by the third quarter of 2026. Indeed, as a sweetener in its bid for WBD, Paramount added a provision that requires it to pay Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders a “ticking fee” amounting to roughly $7 million per day, starting Oct. 1, until the merger closes. That would total more than $1.2 billion by the time the trial is scheduled to conclude in March 2027.

Paramount is seeking a bond “based on the straightforward calculation of the maximum potential ticking consideration and financing costs from this litigation,” the company spokesperson said. “But these are not the only costs of delay. By virtue of what will be at least an eight-month delay in closing, there will be no integration and no ramped-up investment in content, production and creative talent by the combined company. Of course, in addition, employees of both Paramount and WBD are also harmed by the uncertainties caused by the delay.”

According to Paramount, the Clayton Act — the federal antitrust law on which the lawsuits by the states and WGA are based — and other federal laws “expressly provide that plaintiffs are required to post a bond covering the potential harm from halting a transaction to litigate, so that if they lose, the injured party has a source of recovery for the damage caused.” In the case of the Paramount-WBD merger, “every month of delay carries substantial and quantifiable financial consequences,” the company rep said.

California’s Bonta has said repeatedly that the states are focused on winning at trial rather than reaching a settlement, and that Paramount’s proposed conditions do not go nearly far enough to address the anticompetitive concerns raised in the lawsuit. Bonta has argued that “behavioral” remedies — such as promises to release a certain number of films — have proven ineffectual in the past, and has said that he is focused on structural changes that Paramount has been unwilling to make.

Bonta, asked about a potential settlement Monday on MS Now’s “State of Play With Peter Alexander,” said that “we prefer to resolve disputes in the boardroom, not the courtroom, if possible.”

“And so coming to the table in this case in good faith to sincerely discuss how to resolve this case has always been on the table and remains on the table,” Bonta said. “But Paramount, Warner Bros. breaking the law and expecting us to let them get away with it, that is not on the table and never will be on the table. And that’s essentially what they’re asking for right now.”

In Paramount’s statement Monday, the company spokesperson said, “We remain confident that plaintiffs’ case is without merit and will defend our pro-competitive transaction in court. We look forward to closing this transaction and delivering its benefits to consumers and entertainment industry workers in California, the United States and around the world.”

“It: Welcome to Derry” has been renewed for Season 2 at HBO.

The show originally premiered on HBO Max on Oct. 26, 2025. It is based on Stephen King’s “It” novel and builds on the two-part “It” film reboot from 2017 and 2019. The show serves as a prequel to the films.

The first season is mostly set in 1962 in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, and details earlier experiences the town’s residents had with the evil shape-shifting clown, Pennywise. Season 2 goes back in time to 1935 and takes place during the Great Depression. Per the logline, the story “centers on the bloody massacre of the Bradley Gang, a group of bank robbers who stop in Derry to buy ammo and end up facing unimaginable horror.” The Bradley Gang Massacre is one of the interludes in King’s original novel.

The series was developed for television by filmmakers Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, all of whom worked on the new “It” films. Brad Caleb Kane, who served as co-showrunner of Season 1 with Fuchs, is the sole showrunner of Season 2.

Casting has not yet been announced for Season 2, but the cast for Season 1 included Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe and Rudy Mancuso, with Bill Skarsgård reprising his role as Pennywise.

Andy Muschietti directed multiple episodes of the first season. He and Barbara Muschietti executive produce through their Double Dream production company along with Kane, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Jamie Travis and Dhana Gilbert. It is produced by HBO and Warner Bros. Television.

Andy Muschietti told Variety earlier this month that a writers’ room had opened for Season 2, even though a renewal had not yet been formally announced. “There’s gonna be a lot of that depression-era hustling in the air in our characters. Everybody’s trying to get by and survive the circumstances. They are gonna do crazy things,” Muschietti said. “And of course, the social, cultural, horrible things that were happening in the era, too. We’re not going to skip those. [They are the] very center and the heart of our story.”

While Season 1 focused on the evil lurking underneath suburban comfort, Season 2 will have a different aesthetic. “In this case, on the surface, Derry is a graveyard almost. It’s a carcass of something because people are depleted, poor, tired, jobless, homeless. The kids don’t have a suburban, comforting life,” Muschietti said. “They’re in a very different situation. Some of them are orphans or runaways, and so the environment is pretty bleak. But there’s always the aspect of hope that is always there, burning, and it’s what keeps our new group going.”

The co-creator had previously told Variety of his three-season plan for “Welcome to Derry,” which would include an additional chapter on the book’s 1908-set interlude.

Disneyland Paris may have just launched a new World of Frozen land earlier this year but it’s already looking towards its next land, which is set to be inspired by “The Lion King.”

Imagineers offered fans a sneak peek of the attraction at the D23 expo in Anaheim over the weekend, including a look at concept art featuring an animatronic Scar.

The ride will bring to life the iconic scene in the 1994 animated classic, where Scar confronts his royal nephew. Set in a new 30,000 square metre area designed to reflect an African savanna, it will include attractions, stores, restaurants and character interactions.

Although no opening date was announced for the highly-anticipated area, which will be the first in Disney’s global stable of immersive properties to be entirely dedicated to the big cat movie, construction is well under way at Disney Adventure World, one of two parks at the Disney’s French outpost.

“The teams at Walt Disney Imagineering, Disneyland Paris and Disney Animation are hard at work bringing to life the beloved world of ‘The Lion King,’ which has captivated audiences for more than three decades,” said Michel den Dulk, VP portfolio executive at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris. “We believe this epic story was also embraced thanks to its unforgettable villain, so we are excited to lift the curtain on Scar’s presence in this major attraction. Thanks to an extraordinary level of detail, our guests will experience the very heart of the film’s story, its emotion and thrills, in an entirely new way.”

In the meantime, visitors to the Paris-adjacent resort will have other attractions to look forward to. An “Up”-inspired ride called Wilderness Explorers Sky Swings will open next year while in 2028 Space Mountain is set to be re-themed, returning to its original 1995 version “De la Terre à la Lune” (“From the Earth to the Moon”) based on Jules Verne’s novel of the same name. (For the past ten years it has been themed to “Star Wars” as “Hyperspace Mountain.”) The ride will close towards the end of next year to accommodate the update, which will see a new spin on the original steampunk theme. Steve Bramson’s original score is also set to be fully remastered as part of the refurb.

Also in 2028, for the first time since 2017 Disneyland Paris will debut a unique new daytime parade led by Mickey Mouse and friends. It will include eight new floats with beloved characters from films including “Aladdin,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Rapunzel” and “Coco.” By the time of its launch, it will have required more than 10,000 hours of research and technical development and 225 sketches of costumes, wigs and makeup.

“A new dawn of storytelling is upon us at Disneyland Paris,” said Christophe Murphy, president of Disneyland Paris. “From a vibrant daytime parade and a classic comeback for Space Mountain in Disneyland Park to the continued development of a themed area inspired by ‘The Lion King’ in Disney Adventure World, we are investing in the stories our guests love while continuing to evolve what a Disney visit can be. By listening to our fans and never standing still, I’m confident we are creating experiences that will delight people for years to come.”

Gillian Anderson has said that Sony ditched a deal to distribute “The Salt Path,” in which she starred alongside Jason Isaacs, after a scandal broke last summer over alleged fabrications in the supposedly true story.

Based on a memoir of the same name by Ray and Moth Winn, the book and film tell the story of a down-on-their-luck couple who walk the south coast of England after their home is repossessed and Moth is diagnosed with a terminal illness, emerging stronger and with a newfound sense of purpose.

Anderson played Ray while “Harry Potter” and “White Lotus” star Isaacs played Moth. Both the book and the screen adaptation were billed as a true story.

However last summer the U.K.’s Observer newspaper reported that key elements of the Winns’ story had been misrepresented, claiming that the couple had lost their house after Ray embezzled money and casting doubts on Moth’s diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration which sees sufferers given an average of eight years to live. The couples’ names were also revealed to be pseudonymous.

The Winns, who won numerous awards for the book, disputed the allegations at the time.

“It was really disappointing, a huge letdown,” Anderson has now said of the scandal. “The story came out the week we were signing U.S. distribution and Sony withdrew. We had been so surprised by its success: ‘What, really, this film about two old people going on a walk?’ It felt like such a betrayal because we’d spent time with [the Winns].”

Speaking to The Times of London, Anderson said she has not heard from the couple but seemed to have some sympathy for them, telling the newspaper: “It must have been really unsettling, to be potentially, allegedly, not telling the truth on live TV.”

She added: “I was interested in the due diligence — like, how has it come to this? What degree of proof was there? They had told us that they couldn’t talk about [a previous] legal case because it was ongoing. Anyway. It was unfortunate.”

As Variety exclusively reported earlier this year, the film is set to get a North American release via Rialto Distribution International later this month. “This is a film of quiet power,” Kelly Rogers, CEO of Rialto, said at the time. “It speaks to something deeply human – love, endurance and the idea that it’s never too late to begin again. We’re thrilled to share this remarkable screen work with viewers in the United States and Canada and believe it will leave a lasting impression.”

Variety‘s review, published before the scandal broke, praised the film, saying: “this portrait of loss, humanity and rebirth makes it worth the emotional investment.”

A rep for Sony did not respond by press time.