Disney Inks Deal With ValueAct, Gains Backing of Blackwells Capital Amid Peltz Board Battle

Blackwells Capital, a Disney shareholder with plenty of opinions about who should sit on the company’s board of directors, blasted the rival Trian Group for its own board maneuvering.

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham has opened up on what life is like with his wife of two years Nicola Peltz in a rare insight.The eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham married the actress in 2022 in the Florida mansion of Nelson Peltz, Nicola's billionaire investor father. And in the past two years the young couple have carved out a beautiful life for themselves which consists of five dogs and two whopping homes. Speaking to The Times about his lavish life, the 24-year-old shared that he has a "good schedule" in Los Angeles, filled with dog walks, working out and "hanging out" with his wife.

Alex G has announced a record deal with RCA, along with details of a 2024 tour.The Pennsylvania indie musician had formerly been signed to Domino since 2015, with his most recent release being ‘God Save The Animals‘ (2022).Now following his RCA deal, Alex G will be touring across the US. Presale will begin on Tuesday (January 23) 10:00am local time here, whilst general sale will follow on Friday (January 26) at 10:00am local time here.

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures has quietly extended the studio’s output deal with MGM+ through 2025, sources tell Deadline. The companies’ last pact, inked in 2021, ran through December 2023, and another extension was not a given since there have been major changes at the network — known as Epix at the time of the deal — in the two years since. It got new ownership as well as a new name, MGM+, following MGM’s 2022 acquisition by Amazon.

The Trian Group’s Nelson Peltz has formally asked Disney shareholders to elect himself, as well as former Disney executive Jay Rasulo, to the company’s board of directors at the annual meeting this spring.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney CEO Bob Iger saw his compensation hit $31.6 million in 2023 — down from $45.9 million in 2021, his last prior full year of employment at the company. Iger’s 2023 pay package included $865,385 in base salary, plus 16.1 million in stock awards, $10 million in stock-option awards, $2.14 million cash bonus and $2.48 million in other compensation, according to the company’s proxy statement filed Tuesday with the SEC. His contract with Disney runs through the end of 2026.

Disney CEO Bob Iger’s compensation totaled about $31.6 million for the company fiscal year ended Sept. 30. It includes most of the year. Iger returned to lead Disney in November of 2022.

Chad Stahelski, who Deadline already told you was set to direct the reboot of starring Henry Cavill, has inked a deal with Lionsgate to oversee the creative on both that franchise and John Wick. Remember, John Wick is beginning to spinoff with the Ballerina this summer; Stahelski already an EP on that film.

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated Yellowjackets executive producer Drew Comins has signed a first-look deal with film and TV studio Fifth Season for his Creative Engine Entertainment production company. Under the pact with the indie studio, run by co-CEOs Graham Taylor and Chris Rice, Creative Engine will continue to develop talent-driven original series for streaming platforms and premium cable outlets, which Comins will be executive producing.

It's no secret that Michelle Keegan has had an extremely good start to the year.The 36 year old - who first found fame back in 2008 when she was cast as Tina McIntyre in the ITV soap Coronation Street - has just starred in the major Netflix thriller, Fool Me Once. In the drama, Michelle plays Maya Stern, a mother who is "trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe." However, while grieving for Joe, "Maya installs a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter", and is "shocked to see her husband in her house." Upon release, Michelle's performance received instant critical acclaim, and the star herself has since shared how "overwhelmed" she's been with the response.

Earlier this week, news broke that Tom Cruise signed a film deal with Warner Bros. to produce and star in movies for the studio. But what does Cruise’s new deal really mean? It’s not an exclusive deal, and Cruise has a couple of titles to finish making, including the upcoming sequel to “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning,” before he pivots to WBD.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram, dubbed the “queen of Arab pop” by Spotify, has inked a publishing deal with U.S. indie music company Reservoir Media and PopArabia, its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region partner.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Seth Rogen‘s production company Point Grey Pictures is teaming up with the studio that backed its raunchy, R-rated hits like “Neighbors,” “Good Boys” and “Blockers.” Universal Pictures has forged a first-look film partnership with Point Grey Pictures, the company that Rogen co-founded with Evan Goldberg in 2011. James Weaver, a longtime producing partner, is the president of Point Grey, which is named after the Vancouver secondary school where Rogen and Goldberg first met.

BreAnna Bell Amazon MGM Studios has signed an exclusive first-look TV and film deal with “Lizzo’s Watch Out For the Big Grrrls” Director Nneka Onuorah, the studio announced on Tuesday. “Nneka has a track record of crafting stories that excite, intrigue, and inspire,” said Vernon Sanders, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of television. “This is a process we’ve been fortunate to experience firsthand, and we cannot wait to reignite our professional relationship under this formal deal.” Onuorah won the Primetime Emmy award for outstanding directing for a reality program for Prime Video’s “Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls” in September 2022.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer SAG-AFTRA signed a deal on Tuesday with an AI voiceover studio that sets terms for the use of artificial intelligence in video games. The union announced the deal with Replica Studios on Tuesday at CES in Las Vegas. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director, said that the terms include informed consent for the use of AI to create digital voice replicas, as well as requirements for the safe storage of digital assets.

Amid a lengthy contract negotiation with the video game industry, SAG-AFTRA has inked a deal with Replica Studios regarding the use of AI digital voice replicas in video games.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon MGM Studios has signed an exclusive first-look series and film deal with Emmy-winning director Nneka Onuorah.

Kevin Negandhi will continue to be a presence on ESPN. The anchor and studio host has signed a new multi-year contract with the network in which he’ll continue to host weekday SportsCenter, as well as Special Olympics and ABC’s coverage of college football and the NBA draft.

The Walt Disney Company has struck an agreement with ValueAct Capital Management, gaining the support of the activist investor for its board nominees at the crucial upcoming annual meeting.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Paramount Global has clinched a deal that is crucial to its future — but it’s not the transaction that Wall Street has been buzzing about for a few weeks. Paramount Global and Comcast have set a new carriage agreement covering Paramount’s cable channels and CBS-owned stations. The pact averts the prospect of a blackout for CBS stations and Paramount channels across Comcast’s cable systems, which reach about video 14.5 million subscribers and 29 million broadband subscribers.