ICYMI: TV's Darwin Event; WBD Endgame
Catch up on our recent best
Happy Easter! (If your face is smeared with chocolate while reading this, major respect.) I’ve been at The Ankler just over a month and unlocked a big achievement this week with my debut on The Ankler podcast. I’ve listened to every single episode, so I was thrilled to join Sean, Elaine and Richard to talk about both the Michael Kassan story I co-authored and the March Madness-style Players Tourney we’re running to decide the most important person in the history of Hollywood. Let me know how I sounded at david@theankler.com.
Separately, I want to let you know about our partnership with Backstage, the longtime bible for actors, for The Ankler x Backstage Screening Series. We’re kicking off with two big events, one with Disney/Marvel for Loki, featuring a Q&A with Tom Hiddleston, on April 12th; and a Prime Video event for Expats, a limited series created by Lulu Wang, starring Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo and Sarayu Blue, on May 13th.
Read details here:
And remember to RSVP to the Loki-Tom Hiddleston event:
Now, our best of the week, ICYMI:
Jobs and Production Slowdown from Hell
Strikes can’t explain away California’s production drought. Elaine Low obtained early FilmLA data and visited companies around L.A. to learn how the California’s uncompetitive tax credit, a rise in offshore productions and series cutbacks have the bread and butter of Hollywood hurting :
Listen to Elaine speak with Morning Edition’s Suzanne Whatley about the situation on LAist 89.3 FM, which features Ankler stories on air and online every Thursday:
WBD, Disney and the Great Entertainment Semi-Finals
With WBD’s deal lockup about to end, Paramount on the block and an election that could impact M&A activity, Richard Rushfield evaluates a potential Comcast/Warner marriage, Paramount under a PE regime and why the dream of Apple buying Disney may be dead:
Richard also sizes up two coming Disney-Uni Barbenheimer opps/potential disasters; praises Netflix’s brutally honest 3 Body Problem China depiction (and Ted Sarandos’ possible motivations); and reveals McKinsey’s startling report on entertainment’s demographic gold mine:
NBC’s Ronna McDaniel Drama
Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff details how Ronna McDaniel went from RNC chair and Donald Trump water-carrier to a lost and quite bungled opportunity for NBC:
Tech vs. Hollywood and Streaming’s Double Standard
Nothing rankles Entertainment Strategy Guy more than Big Tech being praised for all its moves (even its missteps) while traditional entertainment’s criticized for the same strategies. Start with Peacock and Amazon’s NFL deals and go from there:
Oh, Snap!
This week’s photo newsletter, Todd on the Town, brings you along to the Road House and Parish premieres, plus All American’s 100th episode bash:
☀️THE WAKEUP
Sean McNulty took stock of industry happenings this week, and offered one of his exclusive pieces of analysis, taking a broader look at how many new series, movies and specials the streamers released during Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023:
🎧 PODCASTS
THE ANKLER
UTA vs. the Talented Mr. Kassan The curious history of one of the media world's top connectors:
MARTINI SHOT
The ‘10 Pages in One Night’ Trick Dreaming of money? Rob Long says Haraka Baraka is the answer:
👓 THE OPTIONIST
FINAL HOUSEKEEPING!
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My money is on Iger leaving by the end of the week should Peltz and Rasulo win their board seats. As much as he's helped goose the stock price in the past two quarters and promised all these cost-cutting and stock buybacks, it's clear many investors want him gone and the company broken up to maximize value, his supporters and Hollywood be damned. They see no path to growth.