ITV Quarterly Revenues Down, Streaming Business Soars

ITV Britain's Got Talent viewers were left disturbed by one of the semi finalists during Monday night's show.

Iron Man director Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr. was initially considered for a different role in the film that kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Downey first starred as Iron Man (aka Tony Stark) in the titular 2008 film, and went on to reprise the role in a further nine MCU entries, including two direct sequels to Iron Man (released in 2010 and 2013, respectively).

When you hear the name Tony Stark the actor that comes to mind is Robert Downey Jr. as he played him in the MCU starting with 2008’s Iron Man. However, Downey was not always going to play the billionaire philanthropist and was in talks to play a whole different character.

Playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the 2008 movie that spawned the Marvel Cinematic Universe not only cemented the comeback of Robert Downey Jr., it also made him one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and highest-paid actors.

After years of playing a humble scullery maid in Downton Abbey, Sophie McShera was thrilled to land a “lady of the manor” role in a gripping new period drama. Sophie stars as powerhouse Grace in acclaimed film director Shane Meadows’ BBC drama The Gallows Pole. “Maybe I’m delusional,” Sophie, 37, says.

Robert Downey Jr. is so linked to the role of Iron Man that it is impossible to imagine anyone else playing the mouthy hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Loose Women viewers were surprised to see panellist Jane Moore overcome with cramp after an ad break on Friday (May 26). The cameras returned to the programme to see Nadia Sawalha pushing on Jane's foot on the desk.

Love Island's Teddy Soares has opened up about making "positive changes" to his life following his shock break-up. The 2021 finalist hit headlines earlier this year when he split from girlfriend Faye Winter, who he originally met in the famous villa. But now, in a paid Instagram promotional video, Teddy, 28, is shown splashing 'village maze' and 'pebble shore' colours across his living room walls as a way to uplift the environment, following a downbeat last few months.

Lionsgate again came in above market expectations as it reported results for its fiscal fourth quarter Thursday. It once more topped $1.1 billion in revenue, a 17% year-to-year jump, with $17 million in net income, for adjusted earnings per share of $0.21.

ITV has broken silence on Phillip Schofield's future on Dancing on Ice after his dramatic exit from This Morning.

A woman who put her tiredness down to being busy had the 'battle of her life' in intensive care.

A popular Ayrshire supermarket cafe has been shut down.

The Walt Disney Co. reduced losses in its streaming business by 26% (about $200 million) in its fiscal second quarter as the company’s overall results matched Wall Street expectations.

After Jeremy Renner suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries from a near-fatal snowplow accident, his "Avengers" co-star Scarlett Johansson wasn’t sure if she would ever see her friend again. Johansson, 38, recalled the moment she learned that Renner had been crushed by a nearly 15,000-pound snow machine while he attempted to save his nephew’s car. "I was very upset," the Marvel star recounted during an interview with Variety.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Disney+ shed another 4 million subscribers in the first three months of 2023, marking the Disney-owned streamer’s second consecutive quarterly drop after closing 2022 with its first-ever decline. On the bright side, the Mouse House also managed to narrow its streaming business losses by $400 million, down 26% year over year. On Wednesday, CEO Bob Iger and Co. beat Wall Street estimates for Disney’s quarterly earnings and revenue due to an impressive Jan.-March showing at the company’s theme parks. That win comes during a fiscal Q2, which concluded April 1, plagued by companywide layoffs, a looming (and now active) writers strike, and a turf war with Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis.

Smart-TV maker Vizio reported better-than-expected results for the first quarter but still saw total revenue slump 27% as consumers cut spending in a time of ongoing inflation and economic worries.

Just months after sadly calling time on her romance with Love Island beau Teddy Soares, Faye Winter has once again detailed the real reasons why the pair decided to part ways. The reality star, 27, who met her ex-boyfriend, 28, on the widely-adored ITV2 dating series back in 2021, announced their "heartbreaking and difficult" separation in February after a year-and-a-half of dating. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Faye admitted the duo were both in "different places" and wanted opposing things, in turn putting a strain on their relationship.

Katie Reul editor A brand new trailer for “Oppenheimer,” the upcoming film from director Christopher Nolan, was released Monday by Universal Pictures in anticipation of the feature’s July debut. Set to a dramatic score from Ludwig Göransson, the newly-dropped teaser offers closer looks at the key players of the Manhattan Project, as portrayed by a star-studded cast including Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Leslie Groves Jr. and Tom Conti, who appears briefly as a somber looking Albert Einstein. “Oppenheimer” centers around the legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Murphy), who is credited as the inventor of the atomic bomb. Based on the biographical novel “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” the film follows the physicist as he works alongside a team of government scientists to develop nuclear weapons in the early 1940s.

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said the company’s U.S. streaming operation is “no longer bleeding” after it posted a $50M profit for Q1 this year. “It’s harder to run a business when you have a big bleeder,” he told investors on an earnings call minutes ago.

Max brand name on May 23, the entertainment giant revealed it had added 1.6 million streaming subscribers during the quarter for a total of 97.6 million globally.The direct to consumer division reported a profit of $50 million, a $704 million year-over-year improvement on a pro forma combined basis. Revenue for the segment fell 2% year over year to $2.455 billion, including $2.165 billion in distribution revenue, $103 million in advertising revenue and $185 million in content revenue.