WGA and AMPTP to Meet Saturday as Talks Go Down to Final 72 Hours

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Directors Guild of America is disputing a Writers Guild of America strike rule that forbids writer-directors from making minor script changes. The conflict revives a decades-old battle — which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978 — over the WGA’s jurisdiction. Though the Supreme Court ruled against the WGA, the guild has continued to argue that “hyphenate” members are prohibited from making minor script modifications during a strike. The dispute turns on eight types of activities — including cutting material for time, making adjustments in dialogue, and changing stage directions — that the WGA sees as writing work under its jurisdiction.

Facing the music. Tom Sandoval breaks down in tears while talking to Lisa Vanderpump about his infidelity scandal in a teaser for the Vanderpump Rules season 10 finale.

Note: This story contains spoilers from the “9-1-1” Season 6 finale.Filming for the Season 6 finale of “9-1-1” pushed Oliver Stark to the limit, and that’s just how he likes it.The first responder drama took a massive swing with its final episode at Fox, featuring a massive overpass collapse that put the lives of the entire crew of station 118 in danger. A mildly injured Buck (Stark) — who saw his own life hanging in the balance after being struck by lightning earlier this season — got to help rescue his teammates, including performing an elaborate stunt where he repelled back and forth to save people stuck in an ambulance hanging off the collapsed piece of highway.“That was one long take!” Stark shared with TheWrap.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton have friends in host places: each other, as they prepare to co-helm the 58th annual Academy of Country Music Awards show Thursday night. Parton has done the hosting thing for the ACM Awards or CMAs a bare handful of times over the years (including taking on the role for last year’s ACMs); it’s Brooks’ first time, meanwhile, emceeing a kudocast. Regardless of their awards-show resumes, this pairing is not your average “get,” as landing hosts goes. There’s a good argument to be made that Parton is the biggest female star in the history of their genre, and just as good a case for thinking Brooks is the all-time biggest male star in the format, as they step down from country’s Mount Olympus to chaperone the prom.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced a joint media blackout on Wednesday, as the two sides met for their first day of collective bargaining. The DGA negotiators are convening at the AMPTP headquarters in Sherman Oaks to present their proposals, which include a hike in international streaming residuals and an increase in scale minimums to account for inflation. The talks are beginning on the ninth day of the Writers Guild of America strike. Talks with the writers broke down on May 1, after the studios rejected WGA demands for a TV staff size minimum, a minimum number of weeks worked and a viewership-based streaming residual, among other issues.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor BuzzFeed’s revenue was down substantially in the first three months of 2023, dropping 27% in the period — and the company projected sales would be off as much as 29% for Q2. Given the decline, last month BuzzFeed announced it was shuttering its unprofitable BuzzFeed News division and laying off about 180 people across the organization, about 15% of its employee base. “We have reached an inflection point in digital media. Over the last few months, we have made significant strategic and organizational changes to position the business for long-term growth. Peretti continued, “By leaning into Creators and AI, I believe we can unlock new opportunities across our portfolio of trusted brands — including Tasty, First we Feast, Complex, HuffPost and BuzzFeed,” Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed founder and CEO, said in announcing the Q1 results.

Scarlett Johansson is one of the most famous people on the planet and one of the most in-demand actors around. But in the mid-to-late-2000s, that was far from the truth.

Axios reported Monday, citing an internal memo.In the note to staff, editor-in-chief Jon Kelly thanked Purzycki and hailed him as “incredibly gifted at operationalizing start-ups during the incredibly fraught zero-to-one stage.” He added that the company is seeking a new chief executive to lead Puck through its “next phase of execution.”Purzycki co-founded Puck with Kelly and Max Tcheyan in September 2021, aiming to cover what it called the “four centers of power”: Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Washington and Wall Street. It raised $7 million in Series A funding and will begin pursuing another round, Axios reported.Purzycki “will remain as an advisor to the company in the coming weeks as we transition,” Kelly’s memo said.

Prince William and Kate Middleton left Coronation Concert-goers shocked after they arrived to greet them on The Long Walk. For the surprise walkabout, the Princess of Wales donned a light blue blazer, which she wore over a casual white T-shirt.

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are set to join the historic grand carriage procession after King Charles’ Coronation. Prince William and Kate Middleton’s children will be given a starring role in proceedings after watching their grandfather being crowned during the momentous ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday.

The King and the Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived on The Mall to greet members of the public in a surprise appearance less than 24 hours before the Coronation.The road leading to Buckingham Palace was cleared and royal fans eagerly lined the route, having likely figured out that they may well catch a glimpse of the King due to the security and media presence. People cheered and could be heard shouting God Save the King.

finally returning with season 3 on May 4, fans are about to get a double dose of Brandon Scott Jones. Not only does he play Curtis on the HBO Max series, but he has recently enjoyed breakout success as Isaac on the CBS comedy , which wraps its second season on May 11.

EXCLUSIVE: Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are in talks to star in an adaptation of Hamnet for Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows. Chloé Zhao will direct the film is based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who will adapt the script with Zhao.

EXCLUSIVE: The current Writers Guild of America contract expires in just over 48 hours, and the scribes and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers are taking it down to the wire in hopes of reaching an agreement.

Love Island's Samie Elishi has bared all in her most recent YouTube video, addressing her recent breakup and a cancer scare. The 22-year-old who appeared on the most recent series of Love Island filmed the 17-minute video from the passenger seat of her car reports OK!

earlier this month.The first “Street Fighter” game was released in arcades in 1987 and has sold over 49 million units worldwide, becoming one of the most well-known and highest-grossing video game franchises of all time. It featured two playable characters, Ryu and Ken, who traveled the world fighting other martial artists in a tournament.

IATSE has joined SAG-AFTRA and the DGA in support of the Writers Guild in its ongoing negotiations for a new film and TV contract.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google and YouTube, bucked the recent trend in the tech sector and topped Wall Street’s financial expectations in the first quarter.

Adele and James Corden reunited for the last  segment, and it was a wondrously touching final drive.In the 21-minute long video, the «Someone Like You» songstress surprises the  host in his home before the duo buckles up and takes a drive down memory lane, reminiscing on previous guests like Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, and giving viewers an intimate peek inside their close friendship.Adele reveals that Corden and his wife, Julia, have been her two greatest confidantes for years, especially after she relocated to Los Angeles after her split from Simon Konecki, the father of her son, Angelo. The singer explains that a conversation between her and Corden inspired the song «I Drink Wine,» which she boasts has some of her «best writing.»   «We'd been on vacation together with the kids and we were on our way home and my mood had changed. And it was the first year that I felt like I had to hold myself accountable for being an adult whereas the year before that, I had just left Simon and stuff like that,» she recalls.

Adele and James Corden reunited for the last  segment, and it was a wondrously touching final drive.In the 21-minute long video, the «Someone Like You» songstress surprises the  host in his home before the duo buckles up and takes a drive down memory lane, reminiscing on previous guests like Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder, and giving viewers an intimate peek inside their close friendship.Adele reveals that Corden and his wife, Julia, have been her two greatest confidantes for years, especially after she relocated to Los Angeles after her split from Simon Konecki, the father of her son, Angelo. The singer explains that a conversation between her and Corden inspired the song «I Drink Wine,» which she boasts has some of her «best writing.»   «We'd been on vacation together with the kids and we were on our way home and my mood had changed. And it was the first year that I felt like I had to hold myself accountable for being an adult whereas the year before that, I had just left Simon and stuff like that,» she recalls.