☀️ ‘Michael’ Soars As Most Box Office Falls Off Cliff
PSKY’s $230M+ top exec ’25 paydays / McConaughey’s big Cannes pic / ‘White Lotus’ parts ways with cast member
Evenin! 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 SUNDAY, April 26, 2026.
Where on one of those days where we’re just thankful that everyone is safe after another high-profile shooting incident in America . . . I’ll take a moment to shine a little light on mental health at large in this country — and offer an inspiration that change can happen when folks and funding come together to actually give a shit about making a difference.
The NY Times took a look at the creation of the 9-8-8 mental health crisis hotline in 2022, and how young adult suicides notably dropped in the subsequent 2.5 years since its creation — particularly in states where call volume to the hotline was greatest.
As for other factors possibly playing a role in the decrease, it’s not like younger Americans were using less social media as the 2020s have progressed . . . nor was any other suicide decrease noted in some other developed countries examined in that time.
This effort resulted from the Department of Health and Human Services revamping the hotline (including changing the number to a 3-digit one rather than a 10-digit one) and Congress agreeing to fund it to the tune of $1.5B in the Biden era.
So, sometimes positive change can still happen in this country when folks put their minds and efforts toward it. The project is currently asking Congress for another $500M for 2027 to continue — we’ll see if the Trump administration comes through.
PLUS: The WGA-AMPTP deal was ratified by membership, with 90% voting yes . . . although only about half the votes were cast (4,700-ish) compared to the 2023 deal (almost 9,000 votes). The WGA has about 11,000 members. See you in 2030.
SAG-AFTRA / AMPTP talks resume tomorrow.
AND: The radio business is apparently getting jealous of Hollywood converging into 4 companies . . . as America’s only satellite radio provider, SIRIUSXM, and America’s largest terrestrial radio company, IHEART, are having talks about merging, according to Bloomberg.
Although this would really be more of a situation where SIRIUS (nearly $9B market cap) is buying IHEART ($850M market cap), given their sizes.
IT’S PAYDAY SEASON!
Here are the totally well-earned salaries at the top of Hollywood at 2 of our studios last year.
COMCAST
Over $143M paid to just 5 people in 1 year, with everyone making at least as much as they did in 2024, or more.
Unlike TKO’s +50% stock rise in 2025 (re: the paydays I reported on Friday) — COMCAST stock was -20% in 2025 . . . so, job well done, everybody! How do I get one of these gigs?
CEO Brian Roberts: $35.1M, up from $33.9M in 2024.
$23M is in stock, $290k is for personal security and $191k is in personal use of the COMCAST PJ 🛩️ .
(Wait, do I have to start disclosing my annual PJ use, or does that fall outside the bounds of journalism ethics? Eh, Rushfield tells me he doesn’t either . . . so I think I’m good 😅.)
Prez Mike Cavanagh: $71.8M, up from $28.2M in 2024.
Mike, geez — leave something for everyone else. Think of those important broadband installers you guys keep talking about!
$60.3M was in stock, and $221k was in personal use of the COMCAST PJ 🛩️.
CFO Jason Armstrong: $16.4M, up from $15.1M in 2024
$9.7M is in stock. They still won’t tell Jason where the PJ is . . . so no personal use for Mr. Armstrong.
CLO Thomas Reid: $14.4M, about the same as 2024
$7M is in stock.
CCO Jennifer Koury: $5.7M, about the same as 2024.
$1.5M is in stock.
PSKY
CLO Makan Delrahim: $63.6M
Yes, in a move that couldn’t be more on-brand for PSKY — the legal guy and former Trump 1.0 admin official got the biggest compensation package in 2025 at the company.
$57.4M was in stock grants.
CEO David Ellison: $63M
$58.7M is in stock, and $1.7M is in personal security.
Prez Jeff Shell: $60.7M
$58.7M was in stock (and yes, he gets to keep this).
Jeff got paid his 2026 salary/bonus ($5M) for basically 3 months’ work after being let go this month, but did not get any additional stock to go with it.
COO Andy Gordon: $48.5M
$47M was in stock
Former CFO Andy Warren: $2.2M (all in 💰, no stock)
As the company was only formed under this leadership for less than half of 2025, I’ll forgo any stock price comps . . . but I will say the stock is still below where it was when PSKY was formed.
The stock grants will fully vest over a 5-year period.
WAKEUP BOX OFFICE POLL
The 21% Michael bulls take it! Kudos on the bolder thinking above my fellow 27%.
🎥 THE BOX OFFICE
It’s always nice when the theatrical box office mirrors the state of the American economy — the winners are winning big, and then there’s a huge chasm to the rest of the box office, which is really struggling.
BASICALLY: Whatever you do, don’t look past the Top 5 movies — and I’m not too sure the “let’s go 60 days!” CINEMACON cheerleading for exclusive theatrical windows would really solve the sector’s ills.
SO YEAH: Let’s focus on the, uh, “more movies” thing instead.
NOW: Here’s what we’ve got on our hands this weekend, plus a look ahead at a May that will likely not be a happy story by the time June gets here. Remember that 2025 had some good times, too.