Digital Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

King Charles' noticeable 'sausage fingers' have become a quirky trait associated with the monarch, and it seems this characteristic might be a hereditary feature within the Royal Family.

Naman Ramachandran Revenues at Bertelsmann’s Luxembourg-based RTL Group, a media giant which owns Fremantle, rose 2.6% to €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion), for the first quarter of 2024, driven by buoyant TV advertising and streaming. However, this was offset by decreased revenues at the group’s global content business. Fremantle revenues were down 9.2% to €395 million (Q1/2023: €435 million), due to what RTL describes as “timing effects in the U.K., Italy and Germany.” “Revenue from Fremantle is recognized when a show or series is delivered to its clients, i.e.

Jack Dunn The South by Southwest festival, held annually in Austin, Texas, will launch a European edition in London in June 2025. SXSW London will feature the mix of keynotes conversations, film and TV events, music showcases and showcases for innovations in digital and gaming that have defined SXSW since the festival began in 1987. The London festival will emphasize visual arts, design and fashion with exhibitions and immersive experiences that will be held in the Shoreditch area of east London.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Elisabeth Moss recently appeared on Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast while promoting her new FX series “The Veil” and reflected on the “intimidating” but exhilarating set of James Mangold’s 1999 drama “Girl, Interrupted.” Moss was around 15 years old when she shot the movie and starred as Polly “Torch” Clark, a burn victim who suffers from schizophrenia. The cast was headlined by Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie, the latter of whom won an Oscar for her performance. Because of the tension that exists between their two characters, Moss said the film set became naturally divided into two camps.

Kim Kardashian didn’t wind up at any of the 2024 Met Gala after parties – and there’s a reason!

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Marvel Studios co-president Louis D’Esposito admitted to Empire magazine that “it’s been a rough time” for the Marvel Cinematic Universe following a rocky 2023 that included box office flops “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels.” The latter title is the lowest-grossing MCU movie of all time with just $206 million worldwide. Marvel didn’t fare better on television, where series such as “Secret Invasion” were widely panned by critics. Despite these setbacks, D’Esposito is committed to seeing the glass half full.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Nikki Glaser was one of the highlights of Netflix’s Tom Brady roast, eviscerating the NFL superstar with jokes about his divorce from Gisele Bündchen and her reported new romance with Jiu-Jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente. But Glaser didn’t get to deliver every punchline she intended to during the live comedy event. During a post-roast interview on “The Howard Stern Show,” Glaser rattled off some of the Brady jokes she cut from her set.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor As expected, TikTok filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the U.S.’s new law that would force parent company ByteDance to sell the app — or face a nationwide ban. TikTok filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney‘s adjusted earnings per share for the March quarter beat Wall Street forecasts — but the company’s stock price stumbled amid concerning signs for the Mouse House. Shares of Disney were down 9.5%, to $105.41 per share, as of 11:30 a.m.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director One of the most viral moments to emerge out of Tom Brady‘s Netflix roast was when the NFL icon got up from his seat and told off roaster Jeff Ross after the comedian made a massage joke about Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Brady was heard telling Ross: “Don’t say that shit again.” But according to Ross, Brady was not actually pissed off at him. “Come on, come on, no way, no way,” Ross said on “The Rich Eisen Show,” downplaying that Brady got angry at him for the Kraft massage joke.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Audiences may not be the only thing about TV that continues to shrink. Advertisers are expected to once again press for “rollbacks,” or declines in the rates they pay for reaching streaming and TV viewers, in early “upfront” talks with TV networks, according to five media buying executives and other people familiar with these annual discussions in which U.S. media companies try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory ahead of their next cycle of programming.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Tubi will give up-and-coming creatives a streaming platform — and funding — for their passion projects, with an assist from Issa Rae. The Fox Corp.-owned free, ad-supported streamer launched Stubios, which it calls “a fan-fueled studio” for aspiring filmmakers and their fans.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Disney‘s entertainment streaming segment, anchored by Disney+, scored its first profitable quarter, helping offset continued weakness in the media conglomerate’s linear TV business for the first three months of 2024. Overall, Disney revenue for the quarter ended March 30 was in line with Wall Street expectations, while it beat on adjusted earnings per share.

Pulsar Content has formed a strategic partnership with Digital District Entertainment, a leading post-production, VFX and production facilities company, with offices in France, Belgium and India. The partnership will create “a streamlined and cost-effective production process for international film projects,” according to a statement.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The first reactions for George Miller’s “Furiosa” have trickled in on social media ahead of the movie’s world premiere later this month at the Cannes Film Festival, and it appears the “Mad Max: Fury Road” director has another amazing action epic on his hands. “Brings me great joy to report that ‘Furiosa’ is really, really fucking good,” IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich wrote on X.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Keanu Reeves is more than confident that he and Sandra Bullock could pull off a third “Speed” movie. Jan de Bont’s action thriller “Speed” became the fourth highest-grossing movie of 1994 with $350 million worldwide, largely in part to the sizzling chemistry between Reeves and Bullock. The film turned the two actors into one of the decade’s iconic screen duos, and they reunited onscreen in 2006 for the romance drama “The Lake House.” During a joint interview on the “50 MPH” podcast, Reeves had this to say about “Speed 3”: “I mean, you know — we’d freakin’ knock it out of the park.” “There’s no formula.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kim Godwin hoped to build ABC News‘ future by cutting out some of its past. Tasked, ostensibly, with shaking up a culture of the Disney-backed news organization that pit anchors against one another and led to claims of intolerable behavior behind the scenes, Godwin was supposed to revamp a storied journalism hub without losing any of the impetus that spurred employees to make shows such as “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America” the most-watched in their category.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Warner Bros. Discovery is staying on the sidelines of the Paramount Global acquisition drama — at least for now. That was the signal sent Monday by WB Discovery CEO David Zaslav during his appearance at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills.

Thania Garcia Billie Eilish will host two album listening events ahead of her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” slated for release May 17. The free events presented by American Express, and produced by Live Nation, will take place on May 15 in New York City’s Barclays Center in association YouTube Music and on May 16 in Los Angeles’ Kia Forum in association Snapchat. Eilish’s forthcoming album will be available on all digital platforms, and in a continued effort to minimize waste and combat climate change; across all physical formats in limited variants on the same day, with the same track-listing and using 100% recyclable materials.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director William Shatner recently told Canadian Press that he wouldn’t rule out returning as Captain Kirk in a new “Star Trek” project if the script impressed him. While the actor’s age might pose an issue as Shatner turned 93 years old in March, that’s nothing a bit of de-aging technology couldn’t fix. “It’s an intriguing idea,” Shatner said about returning as Kirk.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The new Superman suit has finally officially debuted. As filming on James Gunn‘s “Superman” (formerly “Superman: Legacy”) continues, the writer-director shared to his Threads account a first look at star David Corenswet in costume as the Man of Steel. The first thing fans might notice is the suit is quite dirty and weathered, which suggests Superman will be doing plenty of down and dirty fighting in the movie.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Chris Pine is shocked Patty Jenkins‘ “Wonder Woman” franchise is dead. The actor recently spoke to Business Insider while promoting his feature directorial debut “Poolman” and said he’s struggling to understand how Warner Bros.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Emily Blunt got candid during a recent appearance on “The Howard Stern Show” (via People) about how she’s had to fake chemistry over the years with certain co-stars she just struggled to connect with on set. Blunt has acted opposite many high-profile leading men throughout her career, from Matt Damon (“The Adjustment Bureau”) to Tom Cruise (“Edge of Tomorrow”), Dwayne Johnson (“Jungle Cruise”), Ryan Gosling (“The Fall Guy”) and Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”). “Have you wanted to throw up?” Stern asked Blunt about kissing some of her male co-stars during filming.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor After more than a year of talks, Condé Nast management inked a new pact with hundreds of union workers at Vogue and other publications — heading off a strike and a picket line that threatened to disrupt the company’s splashy Met Gala on Monday. The two sides reached an agreement on the terms of a new contract in the early-morning hours Monday.

Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert.com has revealed a way for Tesco shoppers to bag up to £50 in bonus Clubcard points.Tesco is testing out a new "Clubcard Challenges" promotion, where customers can earn extra points by completing certain tasks. These could include spending £20 on the Summer barbecue range over six weeks or buying £10 worth of plant-based meals. If you're selected to participate, you'll be presented with 20 challenges - but you only need to complete 10 to secure the maximum £50 worth of additional Clubcard points.

UK holidaymakers heading abroad this year are being warned to stay wary of a hidden charge that could impact the budget they have set by for their trip.

Laura Anderson reflected on her new career at Capital radio, and how the 'juggle struggle' has become real for the single mum.

From Barbra Streisand awkwardly asking Melissa McCarthy if she uses Ozempic to Charlie Sheen accidentally tweeting his cellphone number to millions of social media followers, celebrity online flubs have long been present on the internet. And they keep getting wilder. Some celebrities have caught backlash, while others fully embraced the public embarrassment and joined in on the fun.

Lindsay Lohan left quite an impression on Dennis Quaid when the two worked together on "The Parent Trap." During a recent interview with People, Quaid played the game Drawing from Memory, during which he was challenged to answer questions with a drawing. When asked to draw the infamous torn picture of him and Natasha Richardson that Lohan's characters carry around in the film, he couldn't help but praise the actress.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor UPADTED: After months of M&A talks, Paramount Global and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone might be going it alone after all — for now. Insiders tell Variety that the expectation at the company is that neither of the two offers in play — Skydance Media-RedBird Capital Partners and Sony Pictures Entertainment-Apollo Global Management — will come to fruition. And Redstone is said to have reluctantly concluded that a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance, a longtime partner of Paramount Pictures, will not be possible.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor A muse, a mother, a fashionista, an actor, a rock ‘n’ roll icon — it’s hard to describe exactly why Anita Pallenberg remains such a compelling figure more than a half-century after the captivating blonde sang backing vocals on the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” and starred in movies like “Performance” and “Barbarella.” The new documentary “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg” delves into both the beautiful and tragic moments of her eventful life with the help of a treasure trove of home movies and interviews, as well as an unpublished memoir penned by Pallenberg and narrated by Scarlett Johansson. The footage is coupled with interviews of the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, with whom she had a significant relationship, their children Marlon and Angela Richards, director Volker Schlondorff, who cast her in some of his films, and her former friends and associates.

EXCLUSIVE:  The Lede Company has tapped Kimberly Bernhardt as a senior executive within the firm’s Strategic Communications Division. She will report directly to co-CEO Sarah Rothman in her new role.

Byron Allen‘s Allen Media Group confirmed Thursday that it is undergoing layoffs as part of strategic changes at the media company “to better position the company for growth.”

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor In the latest twist in Paramount Global‘s M&A saga, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management reportedly have made a bid to take Paramount private with an all-cash buyout offer of $26 billion. Sony and private-equity giant Apollo submitted an offer letter Wednesday to Paramount Global, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The report comes as Paramount Global board’s special committee established to consider M&A proposals is evaluating the best and final offer from Skydance Media to merge Paramount and Skydance, while keeping Paramount Global public.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Jessica Casano-Antonellis is exiting SiriusXM to join the new Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery sports-streaming venture as head of communications.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor SAG-AFTRA will license Nielsen‘s streaming content data, which the union will to enforce the terms of its 2023 contract with Hollywood studios. Under the deal for Nielsen’s Streaming Content Ratings, SAG-AFTRA will have “an objective source of domestic viewership data for original streaming programming,” the parties announced.