This Bob Iger comment tells you all you need to know about the sorry state of Disney

It's Friday evening, which means it's time for our weekly Friday night pub quiz!

Even if you have religiously watched every episode of The Bold and the Beautiful ever released, there is so much about the soap opera that you probably don’t know.

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.

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 59th Academy of Country Music Awards, one of country music’s biggest nights, will be live from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Many incredible country artists are up for nomination this year. Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson are all nominated for entertainer of the year.

CGI movie technology, it is getting harder and harder to deliver that true spine-chilling internal fear that makes horror films so great.Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids may arrogantly scoff at retro scary movies, but it hasn’t always been this way.There was once a time when picture-goers were so viscerally terrified by what they were seeing on the big screen that it would trigger powerful physical reactions right there in the theater.During Jaws (1975) people fainted and vomited in the cinema during some of the gruesome scenes, while others stopped going swimming in the ocean altogether out of pure fear.Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film Psycho (1960) sparked mania during the infamous shower stabbing scene, with reports of people hyperventilating and passing out in their cinema chairs.However, one of the most horrifying movies to ever hit the big screen, causing widespread panic, fear and repulsion, is William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973).Based on William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, the film follows the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s attempt to rescue her through an exorcism by two Catholic priests.With some wildly disturbing scenes, including some bizarre 360 degree head spinning, eerie spider-walking on the stairs and some disgusting projective lime-green vomit, it shocked those 1970s audiences to their core.One particular vulgar scene involving a crucifix — that is too crude to describe here — shocked and upset many, especially considering the percentage of people who were religious back then.The flick was so scary that even renowned Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert was at a loss for words about how it made him feel.“I am not sure exactly what reasons people will have for seeing this movie; surely

NBC has announced that they are developing a follow-up series to the US version of hit sitcom The Office, with the new show set to stream on Peacock in the US. It was announced on Wednesday 8 May that Peacock had placed a formal series order for the untitled series, which is set in the same universe as NBC's former Emmy-winning Steve Carell comedy.The new TV series is set to introduce a new cast of characters "in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper," according to NBCUniversal Entertainment's Lisa Katz.This will be another addition to the massive The Office universe, reports the Mirror US.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of her acclaimed directorial debut Passing, Rebecca Hall has found her next filmmaking vehicle in Four Days Like Sunday, a mother-daughter drama inspired by her own history, which she’s written to direct and will star in for See-Saw Films.

Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future, according to the CEO of Disney.Bob Iger was speaking to Wall Street analysts when he confirmed that he plans to release no more than three new Marvel films per year, as well as only two television series in the MCU.The studio head said that the plan is part of an overall strategy at Disney to focus on quality rather than quantity, with that applying particularly to their Marvel properties.“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,” he said. “And we’re working hard on what that path is.”He continued that the MCU will have “a couple of good films in ’25 and then we’re heading to more Avengers, which we’re extremely excited about.”“Overall, I feel great about the slate.

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.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company will limit its output of Marvel movies to “two good films” a year — three maximum — from about four and also cut the numbers of TV series spinoffs for the franchise.

EXCLUSIVE: Comedian David Cross has unveiled fall dates for his new tour, ‘David Cross: The End of the Beginning of the End,’ which will see him hit 46 cities across North America from September through December. View the full list below.

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.

Glasgow-born Sally Magnusson has been updating Scots across the country with the latest news on Thursdays and Fridays since 1997.

Don’t call it a comeback!!

Michaela Zee Barry Jenkins defended his involvement in “Mufasa: The Lion King” after he was criticized on social media this week for helming the Disney live-action prequel. Jenkins shared the first “Mufasa” trailer on X (formerly Twitter) following its release on Monday, which prompted some fans to criticize the filmmaker, known for the Oscar-winning films “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” for working on such a mainstream project.

Russ has added new UK and European dates to his ‘It Was You All Along’ world tour. Check them out along with ticket details below.Back in March, the New Jersey rapper first announced his upcoming ‘It Was You All Along’ tour in North American with 6LACK and Melii as support acts.