☀️DIRECTV Next To Give VENU-ish Bundle A Go
'Succession' creator sets new HBO project / New Jobs Tuesday! / MSNBC Prez out
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect with me on LinkedIn here if ya like or email me at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com), and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on TUESDAY, January 14, 2025.
Where understandably script deals and casting news don’t exactly seem to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind to start the week, so a very quiet morning here.
So, for the “short and sweet” contingent — this one’s for you.
DELAYED ACTIVITIES:
Oscars voting has been extended again until Friday at 5 p.m. PT.
Noms now will be Thu., Jan 23 at 5:30 a.m.
The nominees luncheon on Feb. 10 has been canceled this year.
Scientific and Technical Awards have been postponed from Feb. 18, with no new date set.
WGA Award nominations have been postponed, with no new date set.
ASC Award nominations have been postponed, with no new date set.
UNIVERSAL MUSIC canceled all Grammy-related events around the Feb. 2 show, which is still going forward.
AND: MSNBC is joining the RTO chorus spirit, with Rachel Maddow back in the anchor chair 5 days a week starting on Inauguration night until May 1. Alex Wagner, who has been hosting the Tues.-Fri. editions of the show will go on a special assignment on the road filing reports across the country.
AND AND: MSNBC Prez Rashida Jones is out — Rebecca Kutler is the new interim Prez.
PLUS: MSNBC will indeed keep its name after SPINCO is uh, spun.
THEN: Over at CBS NEWS — Susan Zirinsky is returning as an interim Executive Editor to oversee standards and vetting.
ALSO: WALMART’s VIZIO is offering a STARZ / AMC+ combo for $14 a month.
PLUS: Barry Diller is taking the CEO role at his IAC company once ANGI is spun out into its own company (current IAC CEO Joey Levin is going to be Exec Chairman of ANGI).
BTW: IAC’s DOTDASH MEREDITH appointed Charlotte Triggs as the new GM and Editor-in-Chief of People. Current Editor-in-Chief, Wendy Naugle, has decided to leave the company to complete her novel.
PSA: I found this a fascinating NYT read from this weekend, and potentially helpful for anyone with a chronic or unexplained ongoing physical pain condition, or who knows someone dealing with one.
FINALLY: Just a bit of scope here to keep in mind from this NYT piece this morning looking at how production is continuing in L.A. this week. Well, TV production that is.
UNI, SONY, LEGENDARY, NETFLIX, AMAZON MGM, PARAMOUNT and WARNER BROS. all currently had . . . zero films shooting in L.A. over the past week.
DISNEYFOX is at least shooting The Hand That Rocks the Cradle in L.A. (filming was paused) and some Avatar 3 stuff.
Welcome to the movie business in 2025 — studio 💰 donations are great and important, but constructively finding ways to get more folks in this industry back to work in L.A. is a conversation that shouldn’t be too far behind. Plus, good news — unlike a donation, you’ll actually get a movie back in return!
🎥 THE SILVER TV 📺
LITERALLY JUST THIS
HBO is setting a 2008 financial crisis pic from Jesse Armstrong (Succession), with Frank Rich on board as an EP. Not many details, other than it revolves around 4 friends who meet up during the turmoil. /Deadline
🏟️ THE SPORTS GAME
