Paramount+ Integrates Showtime Into App, Launches Limited-Time Bundle Discounts

Feline energy! Kim Kardashian took her love of pantaboots to a new level, stepping out in a tiger print pair while visiting New York.

Does the world need another remake of “Let The Right One In“?  Tomas Alfredson‘s 2008 film was already an adaptation of a 2004 novel, and then the American remake “Let Me In” hit theaters in 2010. Make no mistake, it’s still a chilling story and an intriguing take on vampire lore, but is telling it again necessary?   READ MORE: The 25 Most Anticipated Horror Films Of 2022 Showtime seems to think so, but don’t worry: their upcoming series “Let The Right One In” isn’t a remake so much as a reimagining.

Naman Ramachandran Popular Indian actor Parineeti Chopra (“Saina”) and actor and musician Harrdy Sandhu (“’83”) star in “Code Name: Tiranga.” An espionage action thriller, “Code Name: Tiranga” is the story of a spy on an unfaltering and fearless mission for her nation in a race against time where sacrifice is her only choice. Chopra plays an Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who is on a journey across many countries. It is directed by Ribhu Dasgupta (“Bard of Blood”) who previously directed Chopra in “The Girl on the Train.” Co-stars include Sandhu, Sharad Kelkar (“Bhuj: The Pride of India),Rajit Kapur (“Rocket Boys”), Dibyendu Bhattacharya (“Maharani”), Shishir Sharma (“Raazi”), Sabyasachi Chakraborty (“Avijatrik”) and Deesh Mariwala (“Bellbottom”).

William Earl Variety is pleased to announce the honorees for its upcoming Power of Women issue and event on Wednesday, Sept. 28. The event, in partnership with Lifetime, celebrates the Power of Women honorees, who will appear on the cover of the issue, as well as the women profiled in the publication’s annual Women’s Impact Report, which highlights the top women working in entertainment.   This year’s honorees include Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, who will be speaking about the importance of celebrating women and sharing their stories, as they do in their eight-part Apple TV+ documentary series “Gutsy,” which premiered on Sept. 9; Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay, who will highlight the importance of hiring female directors as they did throughout the production of “Queen Sugar” currently airing it’s seventh and final season on OWN; Extracurricular Productions president and the world’s youngest Nobel laureate Malala, who will be speaking about young people in film and television and supporting the Pillars Artist Fellowship; and award-winning actress, producer, and star of Marvel’s WandaVision and this summer’s blockbuster “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”, Elizabeth Olsen, who will be speaking about her support of the The Rape Foundation/ Stuart House. The program will be hosted by Megan Stalter, the breakout star of “Hacks”.  

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Paramount Global has likely explored the idea of a bundled product that includes Showtime and Paramount+ with cable and satellite distributors, the company’s top executive said, as it continues to mull over the best way to package its various products for consumers. “We should have that conversation,” Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said during remarks at an investor conference held by Goldman Sachs. “It’s not like we have made a decision.” The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Paramount might consider discontinuing its Showtime streaming service, in favor of shifting its content to Paramount+. But Bakish suggested the company had not made a commitment to that model, even as it explores all kinds of bundles of its streaming assets. Paramount operates Paramount+ and Showtime, which both hinge on subscribers, and Pluto, which is free and ad-supported.

A little over two years ago, streaming services were launching like there was no tomorrow. There were pundits saying that streaming was going to destroy theatrical film releases and disrupt TV networks in a big, big way.

In the latest sign of companies looking to streamline their brands in an increasingly streaming-centric world, Paramount Global has explored discontinuing Showtime streaming service and folding its content into the Paramount’s flagship Paramount+ offering.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor “You should see the backstage,” actor Diego Luna told the D23 Expo crowd Saturday morning as he talked up his new “Star Wars”-branded Disney+ series “Andor” to the 5,000 faithful fans who packed the Anaheim Convention Center. The assembly of boldface names that were brought out at the three-day Disney fan event for a wave and brief chat about upcoming projects was a visual representation of the breadth of content produced by the studio these days. The list of boldface names included Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Don Cheadle, Owen Wilson, Zoe Saldana, Giancarlo Esposito, Christian Slater, Pedro Pascal, Gael Garcia Bernal, Anthony Ramos and more.The star power on display was impressive and so was the brand power that Disney flexed during D23 Expo by releasing dozens of trailers, teasers and first looks at content bound for Disney+ and theaters in the coming year. The rapid-fire delivery of “Coming Soon” messages was music to the ears of Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who has been telling investors and others that Disney+’s has yet to fully hit its stride in content delivery because of pandemic disruptions.

Rebel Wilson brightens up the green carpet in a neon yellow top while arriving for the Kate Spade presentation during 2022 New York Fashion Week held at 3 World Trade Center on Friday (September 9) in New York City.

Oscar winner Florian Zeller (The Father), fresh off Venice Film Festival drama The Son, is launching production firm Blue Morning Pictures with backing from European studio Mediawan (Call My Agent).

Getting her ass to work. Kim Kardashian has added another business venture to her ever-growing resume: SKKY Partners.

RELEASESThe 1975 have released new single, ‘I’m In Love With You’, and announced UK and Ireland tour dates in January, including a night at the O2 in London on 12 Jan. Their new album, ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’, is out on 14 Oct.Ava Max has released new single, ‘Million Dollar Baby’.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Hillary Clinton and Universal’s Donna Langley praised U.S. director, producer and social justice activist Ava DuVernay for being “a pathbreaker, a change-maker, a historical filmmaker,” as Clinton put it, during the 13th DVF Awards. The gala was held Thursday on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg to honor extraordinary women.  The former U.S. secretary of state noted that DuVernay – who is among this year’s DVF honorees – “became the first African American woman ever nominated for an Academy Award as director [for “Selma”]. “Yes, her visionary works about Black histories and experiences are more relevant today than ever,” Clinton added. But Clinton went on to further praise DuVernay for “opening doors not just for herself, but for so many others.”

Oprah Winfrey doesn't know how to pull off a birthday celebration! The media mogul recently took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes look at the lavish, three-day blowout she hosted in honor of Ava DuVernay's 50th birthday. The duo has been close friends for almost 10 years and have worked together on numerous projects throughout the decade, such as  Disney's  and OWN's Queen Sugar, for which they both serve as executive producers. In a video posted to her page, the 68-year-old surprises DuVernay with a tall bouquet of fresh-picked sunflowers from her garden. Winfrey reminisces on their first meeting in the caption and credited actor David Oyelowo for introducing her to the director through her indie film, «I googled who directed the movie because I had not heard of Ava DuVernay at the time.

Paramount+ and Showtime are combining into a single streaming app.

Oprah Winfrey sure knows how to throw a party.

It seems bright green was the color of the night at the VMAs!