David Zaslav Says Studios Overpaid To End WGA Strike; Scribes Deal Valued At $700M

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Paris Hilton‘s eponymous kitchenware brand has joined a growing list of companies and brands to pull ads from X (formerly Twitter), amid concerns over antisemitic content on the platform. Hilton’s “Be an Icon” campaign, featuring videos and photos of the heiress-turned-entrepreneur posing with the pink-hued kitchen items, were pushed out on X up until last week.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ted Sarandos is happy the twin Hollywood strikes are over — but the Netflix co-CEO claimed the streamer didn’t see significant “interruption” in its ability to launch original series and films. “We are mostly just thrilled that the strikes are behind us.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Linda Yaccarino, who’s already facing an uphill battle in winning over advertisers to X, has her work cut out for her to restore trust with big marketers after her boss profanely dissed those who had suspended advertising from the platform. Almost six months into her gig as CEO of X, Yaccarino continues to try to clean up PR messes created by Elon Musk, the shoot-from-the-lip megabillionaire and self-appointed defender of free speech who owns the company formerly known as Twitter.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Disney CEO Bob Iger said at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit (via CNBC) following “The Marvels” flopping at the box office that there was a lack of supervision on the set of the film as a result of the COVID pandemic. The combination of pandemic set restrictions and Disney’s increased output due to the launch of streamer Disney+ made it increasingly difficult for studio executives to oversee the onslaught of new productions.

It’s been a nightmare year for the entertainment business, and veteran industry exec David Madden has said it has still got a way to go to find its feet again.

Shonda Rhimes, CEO and founder of Shondaland, who is behind such hit series as Bridgerton, Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, said the writers’ strike, for her, “wasn’t complicated at all. “I consider myself to be a writer, first and foremost. So I was a writer on strike. And I was very aware that I [was] not on strike the way a lot of people [were] on strike,” she said.

The Walt Disney Co. has added former Group CEO of Sky Jeremy Darroch and Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman to its board of directors and said Francis A. deSouza plans to surrender his seat at the end of his term.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor A visibly irate Elon Musk said advertisers who pulled spending from X/Twitter, following his post that endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory, were trying to “blackmail” the company and threatened to drive it into bankruptcy. Musk, currently the world’s wealthiest individual, had a message to big advertisers including Disney that halted spending on his social network: “Go fuck yourself… Go. Fuck.

Shifting away from sentiments he expressed in an interview last summer that Disney‘s linear TV networks “may not be core” to the company, Disney CEO Bob Iger said they are “not for sale.”

“We’re at a very hard time that requires hard decisions, and many of them are unpopular,” said Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav reviewing the trajectory of a company that has slashed staff and shelved content in an landscape that’s completely transformed from when the Discovery-Warner Media merger was announced in 2021.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav gave former CNN chief Chris Licht a warm endorsement, even hinting at the possibility that the TV news vet could work again with the company.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke recently joined the “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff podcast “Watchables” to reflect on her 2008 vampire romance, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. Hardwicke’s film launched a $3.3 billion movie franchise and turned leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into global superstars. But Pattinson wasn’t exactly an exciting choice at first for Summit Entertainment.

, and took to Instagram to post special memories of the late Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow posted their own, bittersweet farewells.Schwimmer chose to commemorate ten years of Ross and Chandler, posting from an '80s flashback episode and writing, “This photo is from one of my favorite moments with you. Now it makes me smile and grieve at the same time.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav‘s name graced many a picket sign during the Writers Guild of America’s 148-day strike, with everything from his exec comp to content-cutting choices called out in writers’ anti-Hollywood studios jokes. Now that the work stoppage is over, the writers might consider reexamining their opinion of Zaslav, who concedes the WGA was “right about almost everything.” In a profile published by Wednesday by The New York Times Magazine, Zaslav said he does not regret the concessions that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) made to finally close that tentative deal with the writers union Sept.

David Harbour is opening up about his marriage to Lily Allen.

This may ruffle some feathers: speaking to Le Monde about his latest film “The Killer,” David Fincher made some semi-controversial remarks regarding the state of the filmmaking industry. His take?  Netflix, the streamer that’s produced his last two films, is the best place in Hollywood to make movies right now.

After 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative new deal with studios.

EXCLUSIVE: The studios have told SAG-AFTRA they need to come to a deal ASAP to save what’s left of the broadcast season and the 2024 Summer movie slate.

“Let me start by saying that we are hopeful we will reach a resolution to the SAG-AFTRA strike. We made a last and final offer, which met virtually all of the union’s goals, and includes the highest wage increase in 40 years, and I believe it provides for a positive outcome for all involved. We recognize that we need our creative partners to feel valued and rewarded and look forward to both sides getting back to the business of telling great stories,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said at the top of the company’s post-earnings call with Wall Street. He’s spoken in the same vein before about the SAG-AFTRA (and now-settled) WGA strikes — but actors are closer now with the AMPTP’s last and final offer currently being tweaked.

CNN Max is attracting users who are “20 years younger” than traditional TV viewers, according to Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav.