Disney’s Bob Iger On Reducing Marvel Output, Balancing Sequels And Original Films

Happy Gilmore fans are overjoyed after Netflix confirmed a sequel to the 90s classic is in the works.

In July of 2023, recently returned Disney CEO Bob Iger shocked the media industry by indicating he might be open to divesting the company’s declining  linear assets. By last fall, he’d changed his mind, declaring them not for sale. On interviews and earnings calls since, he’s explained why — most recently at the MoffettNathanson media conference, and in the midst of annual upfront presentations to advertisers.

Walt Disney will cut its investment in programming for traditional television networks “pretty dramatically” as the company navigates the consumer shift to streaming, Chief Executive Bob Iger said Wednesday.Iger said linear channels such as ABC still serve as an important marketing tool and reach older viewers who are not watching series such as “Abbott Elementary” on Disney’s streaming platforms.Still, the goal is to “reduce pretty dramatically our investment in content specifically aimed at those traditional networks,” Iger said at the MoffettNathanson’s 2024 Media, Internet and Communications Conference in New York.On Disney’s theme parks business, Iger said he expected continued growth but perhaps not at the same rate as in recent years.“We’ve had double-digit revenue growth in that business for quite some time, and that’s extraordinary,” he said.

Donnie Yen has inked a deal to reprise his role as Caine, the highly skilled, blind assassin introduced in John Wick: Chapter 4, in a new film from Lionsgate set to shoot in Hong Kong next year, the studio announced on Wednesday.

NFL games on Netflix in a deal announced earlier today will each cost the streamer about the same as one mid-sized film, said Spencer Wang, EVP Finance, IR and Corporate Development.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Food Network has a new magical treat in store for viewers this holiday season: The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned cable channel has ordered a baking competition inspired by the beloved “Harry Potter” franchise.

Sheryl Lee Ralph and Lisa Ann Walter from Abbott Elementary got to call roll at the start of the Disney Upfront Tuesday, which allowed many of the stars from the studio’s movies and networks to sound off (in a video) before the presentation kicked off at the North Javits Center.

After a two-year absence from the upfront stage, Jimmy Kimmel was back Tuesday to take aim at Bob Iger, P Diddy, CBS and the new Golden Bachelorette.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer The theme of Disney‘s 2024 upfront presentation to advertisers Tuesday was “connections” — and not just because of the running bit started by “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star Rob McElhenney, which involved their constant replaying of a five-second ad spot that said “Connections!” with a Disneyified logo and voiceover. No, the symbol of unity across Disney’s brands was made up of a slew of announcements from Marvel, and about such other high-wattage projects as “Star Wars,” “The Bear,” “Only Murders in the Building,” the “Wizards of Waverly Place” sequel series, “9-1-1,” Ryan Murphy’s new slate of FX titles and more franchises with intersecting talent. Disney kicked off the event when Oscar-winning “Poor Things” star Emma Stone introduced the Mouse House’s big boss, Bob Iger — a job like that would traditionally go to a top ABC star.

“I am deeply optimistic about our company, and in a world that is so in need of entertainment is a true privilege,” said Disney boss Bob Iger today in a rare appearance on stage at the start of the media giant’s upfront presentation in New York City. “To run a company that is the embodiment of creative excellence, of great and bold storytelling, of quality, and of innovation.”

the Times of London that published May 12. The Australian star continued, “Look, I grew up on a soap opera. And it used to bother me when actors would later talk about the show with guilt or shame.

Naman Ramachandran Animation studio Toonz Media Group has unveiled an eclectic slate for the Cannes Film Market. Drawing stories from popular Indian ancient fables and retelling them with a contemporary flavor, “Return of the Jungle” is set in present-day India and revolves around a group of classmates from junior school who must outwit the biggest, meanest bully in the school. A cool and loveable grandpa by their side peps the fourth graders with inspiring stories from the jungle.

EXCLUSIVE: Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) has signed on to star in My One and Only, a psychological thriller from writer-director Wayne Kramer (The Cooler) that’s being presented for worldwide sales at Cannes by Film Bridge International.

An iconic sci-fi star is joining a legendary science-fiction fantasy series. Sigourney Weaver, known for her turn as Ellen Ripley in the “Alien” series, has been cast in the upcoming “Star Wars” film, “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” according to THR.

Should Sony and Apollo get their hooks into Paramount Global their strategy would be to keep theatrical release output steady between both studios –not reduced– while cutting the more burdensome parts of the conglom, read auctioning off CBS, the linear channels like MTV and Paramount Plus streaming service.

Crash, starring Lee Min-ki, Kwak Sun-young and more. Read on for more specifics about the show’s plot, cast, premiere date and trailers.The series begins when Cha Yeon-ho is assigned to the South Korean police’s Traffic Crime Investigation (TCI) unit, which he is uncannily perfect for.

The South by Southwest festival is expanding to London in June, 2025.

during a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday. “The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in,” he began.

Disney will add select live games and studio shows from ESPN to its flagship streaming service Disney+ by the end of 2024, CEO Bob Iger announced this morning.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company is shrinking the MCU with a new mission to drop the number of Marvel TV series to two a year and the film output to no more than three movies per year. Iger said this is part of Disney’s overall strategy to reduce output and focus on quality, a strategy “that’s particularly true with Marvel.” On the TV side, Iger says that a portion of the upcoming series set for release are “a vestige of basically a desire in the past to increase volume.” “We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three.