Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY August 19, 2022.
Where Will Smith’s “Q Score” went from 36 in January… to 24 in July. His ‘negativity’ score 2.5X’d from 10 to 26. (#funfact: The bi-annual Q Scores are determined by surveys of 1800 people. huh). Chris Rock saw no difference in his scores fwiw.
Other Q Score info on celebs is in the link – guess who’s the highest ranking actor?
AND: Alexis Bledel & Vincent Kartheiser are splitting up after 8 years of marriage and one child together.
PLUS A DEAL! Forget “Free HBO Preview weekends” (#GetTheVHStapes!) HBOMAX is offering 30% off a year’s subscription as we enter the Return of GOT weekend.
Ad-Supported tier is $70 for a year
Ad-Free is $105 for anyone who signs up through October 30… which is pretty much the run of the “House of the Dragon” season.
Well this should help those US growth numbers… maybe not so much on the #ARPU.
IN THIS EDITION:
WWE board clarifies source of additional McMahon $5 Mil payment.
AMAZON sets Ariana DeBose to star in BLUMHOUSE pic
New names surface for next “Black Mirror” season.
BIG 10 Football sticks with Broadcast TV for rest of 2020’s in new $1+ Billion a year deal.
CNN cancels “Reliable Sources”, parts ways with Brian Stelter as Licht looks to revamp Sunday morning programming, and more.
AND – NEW PODCAST: A new ANKLER HOT SEAT pod will be up this morning – with Janice, Richard, Tatiana and yours truly looking at the increased sense of Anxiety hitting Hollywood this month:
From executives awaiting what the next WBD axing will be
To celebs announcing this week they’re taking a break from social media or public appearances or getting mental health treatment, from Jonah Hill, Tom Holland, to Ezra Miller.
To basically everyone now wondering where… any meaningful business growth will come from in Hollywood in the next few years as the Q2 numbers really start to settle in people’s minds.
Plus a look at what’s up at AMAZON (and NETFLIX?) with the Scott Stuber talk, as they look for a new Film chief visionary.
Subscribe at SPOTIFY or APPLE or wherever you listen and you’ll get it as soon as it’s up TODAY.
📽 THE SILVER SCREEN
AMAZON sets Ariana DeBose to star in BLUMHOUSE pic
Called “House of Spoils”, about a chef who opens her first farm-to-table joint on a remote estate, and – ahhh, spoils… got it. Well creepy stuff starts happening.
Written & directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy (the did a PRIME indie called “Blow the Man Down” in 2019), and will shoot this Fall. /THR
📺 THE TV SET
CNN parts ways with reporter & host Brian Stelter, cancels “Reliable Sources”
The last edition will be this Sunday, after an almost 30 year run. It was actually their highest rated Sunday morning show… but here’s a look inside the thinking.
This has been a preview of today’s edition of THE WAKEUP.
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