It was a big week here at Ankler HQ with our unveiling of a new website, subscription platform and sophisticated visual upgrade (courtesy of design director Kelsey Stefanson). The changes made a LOT of news in various corners of the media — and Janice and Richard explain it all here:
Meanwhile, our No. 1 mission hasn’t changed at all: to provide indispensable news and analysis to our subscribers, the kind of premium information you can’t get anywhere else.
Case in point: Dealmakers’ Ashley Cullins delivered the must-read of the week — a gaming-out of the frontrunners in the Wasserman sweepstakes, with insiders-only details about who’s coming to the table with the strongest hand:
Then, in Series Business, Elaine Low kicked off her must-read Spring Sellers’ Guide — which reveals the wish lists of every major TV buyer right now — with Apple TV (paid subscribers can stay tuned tomorrow for her report on the big kahuna, Netflix):
We hope you agree our newsletters and modern, intuitive site look pretty amazing. Remember to add newsletters@mail.theankler.com to your contacts to be sure you’re receiving everything in your subscription — and let us know what you think of our new digs!
Now, ICYMI, the rest of our best of the week:
Series Business
↑ Scandal, Loyalty & Summer House: Frances Berwick’s Bravo Playbook NBCU’s top unscripted exec unpacks her winning strategy for Lesley Goldberg — franchises plus volume — and teases a juicy “new scene” on Summer House spinoff In the City.
YouTube Series Are Hijacking Reality TV. Studios Want In Banijay bets on French YouTuber Squeezie’s Stop the Train as Manori Ravindran breaks down how creators are reshaping the global format business.
TV in 3: The Messy Truth Behind Amazon’s ‘Apprentice’ Fantasy Lesley gets inside discussions at the streamer about a Donald Trump Jr.-led reboot and why they fizzled.
Richard Rushfield
↑ The Case Against Paramount-WBD Keeps Getting Louder Richard lays out five reasons to keep fighting.
Kimmel Fights. Tech Bros Bow Before The King A who’s who at the state dinner tells us what we need to know about CEOs vs. creatives in Hollywood, Richard writes.
Like & Subscribe
↑ Alex Cooper’s Unwell Deals: What the Contracts Reveal — and Why Talent Thinks Twice Her feud with Alix Earle isn’t the only controversy swirling around the Call Her Daddy star. Like & Subscribe‘s Natalie Jarvey breaks down what she saw in an Unwell podcast contract — and speaks with multiple sources familiar with the company’s deals. The terms explain what’s really happening behind the scenes and why some talent reps are steering their clients away from Unwell.
Prestige Junkie
↑ The Santos & Whitaker Moment You Missed on The Pitt Katey Rich chats with Isa Briones and Gerran Howell about deleted scenes and what’s next for their characters. Plus, Patrick Ball joins the Prestige Junkie podcast to tell Katey about all the Langdon stans out there and his long road to success on the show.
Dan Levy’s Big Mistakes & Crime’s New Comedy Boom The Schitt’s Creek creator and Taylor Ortega bring Katey in on their Netflix caper as more shows skirt the wrong side of the law
The Wakeup
It’s a Gen X world — at least on the Netflix film charts. A Charlize Theron wilderness thriller is just the latest Gen X-starrer to top the rankings, and Sean McNulty lays out all the other recent hits:
Friday → ☀️ A24 Sets Another Wedding Movie, NETFLIX’s Next YT Series Deal
Thursday → ☀️ NETFLIX, Claire Danes Re-Team, Exec Private ✈️ Use Rankings
Wednesday → ☀️ NETFLIX Gen X Blitz Continues With Charlize
Tuesday → ☀️ SONY Tarantino Expansion, Diller’s IAC Layoffs, Rebrand
Sunday → ☀️ Michael Soars As Most Box Office Falls Off Cliff
Podcasts
Ankler Agenda
Elaine, Sean and Ashley break down the Wasserman bidders, the stakes for the representation business and what the multibillion-dollar price tag reveals about the industry — and who has the juice:
Shows
Monday Morning QBs
Lionsgate’s Michael scored the biggest opening in biopic history at $97 million. But Sean and Christopher Rosen break down why the rest of the box office lags way behind:
Rushfield Lunch
In almost every part of the industry, “we’re seeing the numbers go backward” in working women, says Kirsten Schaffer, the CEO of WIF (formerly known as Women in Film Los Angeles). She explains what’s behind the dreary figures:
Katey & Chris on the New Oscar Rules
The film Academy announced changes to the Oscars on Friday, and Katey & Chris went live to break down what they mean for actors, AI, international feature and more:
The Optionist
Andy Lewis’ latest IP picks:
