☀️ WB’s Big Sean Baker 💰, NETFLIX’s 2 New WWII Pics
‘Pitt’ finale topping ‘Euphoria’ / ‘I Am Legend 2’ gets director / New job board Tuesday!
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, April 21, 2026.
Where Tim Cook is gonna have to start paying for an APPLE TV subscription as of the fall TV season (did you know it’s up to $13 a month? 😱).
Although, as he’ll transition from CEO to Exec Chairman of the APPLE Board on Sept. 1 — maybe they’ll still credit his account.
Eh, I’m sure the Hardware Engineering guy wants to go to The Oscars too, right? 🙏 (Googling John Ternus, alongside everyone else in Hollywood today — anyone know his LETTERBOXD handle?) Seems like this is the APPLE equivalent of hiring “the theme park guy” (i.e., the part of the company where most of the profits are).
So, with that Sept. 1 timing — I guess Tim gets the Ted Lasso season 4 premiere invite . . . John gets the Emmys invite.
ALSO: Ya gotta love Magic Mike’s enduring fandom, 14 years later . . . as Channing Tatum’s experiential business FREE ASSOCIATION LIVE has raised $45M to bring the show to more countries around the world.
WELL: Bloomberg has a look at some choppy waters inside the UNWELL empire, including alleged berating behavioral complaints against leader Matt Kaplan, some notable exec turnover and its lack of success at building other hit franchises outside of Alex Cooper’s show/Alex-related properties.
UH HUH: The price for a family of 4 (with kids over 10 years old) at DISNEY WORLD on the most popular days in 2027 will be $932 — that’s just to get into the park for 1 day. So, be sure to make the most of breakfast at DENNY’S ahead of time — enjoy your week weekend in Orlando!
THEN: This was a #goodread from writer/producer/exec Nick Morton, detailing his shift into construction work after the streaming bubble burst dried up work opportunities, sharing insights with great candor and humor — and a sense of accomplishment.
OH: AMAZON is putting another $5B into ANTHROPIC, on top of $8B it already invested, and has another $20B on layaway that it’ll put in as undisclosed business metrics are hit.
AND: AI video editing software outfit QUICKTURE announced a new $4.5M fundraise, as it has signed up new folks like PSKY, BOX TO BOX, ITV, BANIJAY and others as clients over recent months.
This is AI software that can plug right into any AVID or PREMIERE PRO editing system, and do things like find moments in all of your footage/library just by asking for it — i.e. “give me 5 shots of (insert talent) laughing,” etc. Particularly helpful in reality and news, and it can now create graphics for you too.
MM HMM: YOUTUBE is giving access to its AI deepfake tools to actors, athletes, creators and musicians so they can identify and request removal of deepfakes on its platform (YT channel/presence not required).
YUP: French music streamer DEEZER now reports getting 75k AI-generated tracks uploaded every day, up from 60k in January and 30k just 8 months ago.
AH: META is targeting May 20 for its initial 2026 layoff round of about 8,000 folks, according to Reuters, which will make for an awesome month ahead. More cuts are reportedly planned for H2 2026.
YAH: Ari & Shapiro’s MARI is making a new addition, buying COLLECT-A-CON, a collectors events company with 24 events planned for 2026. No price was disclosed.
PLUS: This was a #goodread from Fast Company looking at the rather shocking state of gambling addiction help services in the U.S., as prediction and gambling apps continue to boom. There are fewer than 10 residential facilities in all of America to help gambling addicts, most taking relatively few patients at a time.
And no, gambling apps are not contributing meaningful funds to finance more direct support — and are fighting against bills proposing the use of gambling tax 💰 to also fund more help services.
ALSO: A billionaire energy trader turned philanthropist is giving $4M to fund further research into the impacts of sports gambling on young men, and is speaking publicly about the behavioral issues being created.
THANKS!: To the folks at DISNEYFOX for the invite to the big NYC Devil Wears Prada 2 premiere last night — I was actually also at the original’s premiere in June 2006 (which I remember as both one of the most humid nights in NYC I’ve ever had at a rooftop event, and a great time). So, it’s always great to complete my movie biz high-fashion event punch card.
Thankfully, the DIET COKE placements in the movie were not as overt as I feared (though certainly there), and yes, Miranda is still drinking STARBUCKS. That’s all.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
