Small Screen: 2023 Wonder Woman Picks Honored, 'Reservation Dogs' Comes to an End
Sterling K. Brown - Stefanie Keenan
Broadcast: Adjani Salmon’s series Dreaming Whilst Black has added Jessica Hynes (Shaun of the Dead) and Akemnji Ndifornyen (Famalam) to its cast. The show is created by and stars Salmon and is based on her web series by the same name. The pilot was greenlit for a six-part series in the fall. Additional cast includes Isy Suttie (Peep Show), Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick), Roger Griffiths (Chef!), Martina Laird (The Little Mermaid), Jo Martin (Doctor Who), Steve Furst (The Serpent Queen) and Ovie Soko (Love Island). The series, based on real events, follows aspiring filmmaker Kwabena as he balances family, money, and career while losing his grip on reality. Dhanny Joshi and Thomas Stogdon of Big Deal Films will executive produce along with Salmon. Jermain Julien, Koby Adom, Sebastian Thiel and Joelle Mae David direct. The series will drop on BBC Three and iPlayer later this month as the first UK co-production for A24.
Sterling K. Brown teased a new television series with This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman at the premiere of Biosphere on June 27th. The series is reported to be a thriller starring Brown as the head of a president’s security detail. Brown, who won an Emmy in 2017 for his role as Randall on This is Us, said of the upcoming series,
“It’s not Randall. The character is completely different, completely different milieu. But you know Dan [Fogelman] — he can’t help but throw some heart in there. There is always going to be heart.”
Brown also discussed working with Jennifer Lopez on Atlas. Brown plays Ray in Biosphere, which follows the last two men on Earth, Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray, as they try to save humanity amid dwindling resources, limited food, and dying animals. Duplass says of the film,
“We’ve kept the movie under wraps, because we realized the less people know about it, the better going in. Doing it inside of such a crazy set, like the biosphere, and inside of a plot that was quite different and was really the element that was a stretch for us. It was really fun to kind of like give Mel the reins for the first time. She’s been backseat driving a lot of our productions for many years. I started writing the script and I was like, I don’t have it, I need help. So something in my perspective combined with Mel’s ended up creating the little monster that it became.”
Brown recalls shooting the entire 100 page script in two weeks, saying,
“[W]e were flying, we shot it real real fast. It was an incredibly collaborative experience. The spirit of the film was just love. You could tell from the crew, [and] everybody a part of it, that they cared about the story that we were telling and wanted to see it told well. I think we accomplished what we set out to do.”
Biosphere premieres July 7 in theaters and on VOD.
Jessica Hynes (Shaun of the Dead) and Akemnji Ndifornyen (Famalam) are joining the BBC, A24, and Big Deal Films series Dreaming Whilst Black, created by and starring Adjani Salmon (Doctor Who). Greenlit for a 6 part series last fall after the pilot met critical acclaim, the series is adapted from a web series of the same name, co-written by Salmon and Ali Hughes and created by Salmon, Max Evans, Laura de Sousa Seixas, and Natasha Jatania of 4 Quarters Films. Based on real events, Dreaming Whilst Black,
“... tells the story of aspiring filmmaker Kwabena [Salmon]. Stuck in a dead-end job, he is hoping to take the next step in his career but quickly finds himself trying to balance finances, love and his sense of reality.”
Salmon plays alongside Dani Mosely (Everything I Know About Love) as Amy, and the cast is rounded out by Demmy Ladipo (We Are Lady Parts) as Maurice, Rachel Adedeji (Champion) as Funmi, Babirye uBkilwa (We Hunt Together) as Vanessa, Alexander Owen (Jurassic World Dominion) as Adam and Will Hislop (Gangs of London) as Lewis (all returning from the pilot), as well as Isy Suttie (Peep Show), Peter Serafinowicz (The Tick), Roger Griffiths (Chef!), Martina Laird (The Little Mermaid), Jo Martin (Doctor Who), Steve Furst (The Serpent Queen) and Ovie Soko (Love Island). The series is co-produced by Big Deal Films and A24 (representing international sales) and is the first U.K. co-production for A24. Salmon co-executive produces the series with Dhanny Joshi and Thomas Stogdon from Big Deal Films. Nicola Gregory produces and Jermain Julien, Koby Adom, Sebastian Thiel and Joelle Mae David direct. Jon Petrie, BBC’s director of comedy commissioning, and Fiona Campbell, youth audience controller for iPlayer and BBC Three, commissioned the series with Tanya Qureshi as the commissioning editor for the BBC. BBC and A24 are also developing a series adaptation of Shuggie Brain from Douglas Stuart and The List from Yomi Adegoke. You can see Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC Three and iPlayer in late July.
Streaming: Apple TV+ has set a premiere date of August 23 for its sci-fi series Invasion. The series from Simon Kinberg and David Weil is a “sweeping, character-driven” sci-fi drama that tells the story of an alien invasion from different global perspectives. Season 2 begins as the aliens’ attacks become an all-out war with humankind. It stars Golshifteh Farahani, Shioli Kutsuna, Shamier Anderson, India Brown, Billy Barratt, Azhy Robertson, Paddy Holland and Tara Moayedi, with new series regulars Enver Gjokaj, Nedra Marie Taylor and Naian González Norvind. Kinberg says of the next season,
“I couldn’t be more excited about the return of Invasion on Apple TV+. It’s a bigger, more intense season that drops our viewers into a wide-scale, global battle from the start. At its core, the show is about the power of the human spirit and the emotional connections that hold us together especially when facing incredible obstacles.”
FX has announced the end of its Hulu-distributed series Reservation Dogs, which will air its third and final season in August. The series is the first to have an all-Indigenous team of writers and directors, and follows four teens in Oklahoma as they try to move to California. Series co-creator Sterlin Harjo announced the show’s end in an Instagram post, saying,
“The third season of Reservation Dogs will be the final season. That’s a difficult line to write and a more difficult decision to make. However, it’s the correct decision creatively for the show.”
FX released a statement as well, writing,
“People throw around the words historic and groundbreaking far too often and without merit: Reservation Dogs is worthy of those superlatives. Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi created one of the most important TV shows ever made. They gave the world a wholly unique, original, and honest portrayal of Native people — one that has never before been seen in television or film. It’s difficult to say goodbye to these indelible characters and to an award-winning series that The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Variety and Vulture named The Best Show of 2022. That said, we support Sterlin and Taika’s decision to end the series in a way that will cement its legacy. We, along with our partners at Hulu, are forever grateful to the producers, writers, directors, cast, crew and the Native land and communities in eastern Oklahoma who collaborated to make this masterpiece. While we’re sad to see the show come to an end, we’re excited for Sterlin, Taika and Garrett Basch to continue to tell stories for FX. And Rez Dogs fans, we hope you share our excitement and anticipation for the coming season.”
The series stars Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Paula Alexis and Zahn McClarnon.
Following the outcry, Max has updated its content details page to rectify the consolidation of writers, directors, and producers under a single “creators” heading. When Max launched last month, viewers and creators were upset to find that the content details page of the service listed series’ writers, directors, producers, and other team members under one heading. Take Oscar-winning film Raging Bull: at launch, Max grouped director Martin Scorsese, writers Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin, producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, and source material creators Jake La Motta, Joseph Carter, and Peter Savage, under one heading. Five weeks ago, Warner Bros. Discovery promised that it would change the listings, and updates now appear on the max.com site and its app on iOS, with the change to take effect on other device platforms later in the week. A WBD rep attributed the original listing to an “oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max,” when the addition of thousands of episodes of Discovery content like 90 Day Fiancé and Fixer Upper required a standardization of metadata. The DGA and WGA were quick to call out the streamer, lambasting the “unilateral decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to change the long-standing individual credits of directors and writers in the new rollout of Max,” especially in light of the ongoing union strikes. Max will continue to list credits for TV series by episode, not on show pages.
Netflix has removed its $9.99/month “basic” subscription tier for new customers in Canada. On its Canadian plans and pricing page, the streamer posted the following message:
“The Basic plan is no longer available for new or rejoining members. If you are currently on the Basic plan, you can remain on this plan until you change plans or cancel your account.”
There is no indication that the same move will take place in the US, though Netflix is tight-lipped about its reasoning for cutting off the basic plan in Canada. Most speculate that a goal of revenue growth led to the change. Canadian users can now opt for the standard with ads tier, $5.99 per month, the standard tier, $16.49 per month (which allows up to two screens in simultaneous use), or the premium plan, $20.99 per month (up to four screens in simultaneous use). Canada was also a test market for Netflix’s recent enforcement of anti-password-sharing measures, a pilot program that the company says saw more Canadians subscribing to the platform than before the new rules. Netflix told investors,
“In Canada, which we believe is a reliable predictor for the U.S., our paid membership base is now larger than prior to the launch of paid sharing and revenue growth has accelerated and is now growing faster than in the U.S.”
Omdia reports that of the nearly 15 billion viewing hours Netflix racked up from January to March of 2023, only 35.6% comprised original content. The research company’s findings clash with the idea that the “oracle-like brilliance” of Netflix executives Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos in building up original content – with a budget of $17 billion, no less – was a sound prediction for the market. In places like Japan, only about 20% of viewing hours were for original content; in Korea, that number is only 25%. But the streamer was wise in its local production strategy: 68% of that viewing in Korea was for series and films shot locally. Of the 935 original series and movies produced by the company last year, 403, were made in the United States.
After writers, directors, producers, and others were lumped together under the heading “creators” on the streaming service Max when it launched last month, Warner Bros. Discovery has updated the listings to differentiate categories. While it’s not clear why credits were listed this way on titles’ details pages on Max – the rebranded version of HBO Max – a WBD rep had said the listings “were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.” This transition involved the addition of thousands of episodes from Discovery networks such as 90 Day Fiance and Fixer Upper, which required standardization on a common metadata framework. Whatever the cause, though, the timing was particularly bad as it fell in the first few weeks of the Writers Guild of America writers strike. The WGA and Directors Guild of America criticized the “unilateral decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to change the long-standing individual credits of directors and writers in the new rollout of Max.” However, two months after Max rolled out on May 23, and five weeks after WBD apologized and promised to rectify the situation, credit updates appear to be live on platforms including the max.com website and iOS and will be rolling out across all device platforms this week.
Vernā Myers, the first head of inclusion strategy at Netflix, will step down from the role she’s had since 2018 at the end of September. Myers will remain as an advisor to Netflix, working with her replacement Wade Davis, but will return to her consulting company, the Vernā Myers Company. Davis, former NFL player and currently Netflix’s vice president of inclusion strategy, has consulted on inclusive corporate culture for Google, Procter and Gamble, and Viacom (now part of Paramount Global) and has worked with Myers for four years. Myers leaves a legacy of numerous strategic interventions, including the release of Netflix’s first inclusion report in 2021 to build awareness across the company. She also created a curriculum that has guided over 600 executives around the world in small workshops on leading inclusively over the past year. Since she began 5 years ago, Myers and the inclusion team have led employees all across Netflix and its global operations in focusing on “culturally relevant” practices in all operations, from hiring and compensation to feedback and development. While it is hard to step away from a job and people she loves, Myers has said, she is excited to see the progress Davis and the Inclusion Strategy team continue to make.
Using data from PlumResearch, Omidia, an Informa research company, has concluded only 35.6% of the 14.8 billion hours viewed on Netflix from January through March of this year was for original TV series and movies. This points away from the popular narrative that Netflix executives Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos brilliantly and predictively prepared to fill a gap in content from traditional Hollywood production companies with $17 billion in original content. Contrarily, in Japan, only about 20% of Netflix viewing is for originals. That being said, though, viewing numbers are much higher for locally shot productions. For example, in South Korea, only about 25% of Netflix viewing is for originals, but 68% of that viewing is for locally shot series.
Pluto TV has launched OUTtv Proud, an LGBTQ+-created, free, ad-supported streaming channel created by Fuse TV and the Canada-based OUTtv streaming service. The channel will feature LGBTQ+-centric programming as well as library content from OUTtv’s original series documentaries, films, and specials. Rolling out as Pride Month comes to a close, Pluto execs hope the channel will not only expand its diverse programming, but specifically amplify LGBTQ+ voices. Says Pluto TV senior VP of programming, Scott Reich,
“Pluto TV strives to offer a diverse range of programming for a wide range of audiences, and OUTtv Proud is a great addition to our channel lineup. It’s important to deliver viewers opportunities to see themselves represented and celebrated in the media they consume.”
NBCUniversal is launching over 20 new free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels on Xumo (a joint venture of NBCU parent company Comcast and Charter Communications) and Amazon Freevee this summer. While NBCU nixed the free tiers of its Peacock streaming service, it now appears to be turning away from the strategy many media companies have adopted of hoarding its programming for its own direct-to-consumer streaming services. It follows in the path of Warner Bros. Discovery which has also been moving content onto FAST channels with Roku and Tubi, as well as Fox and Paramount, which own the FAST platforms Tubi and Pluto TV, respectively. The new NBCU FAST channels span a broad range of offerings, from the Bravo Vault channel (including Shahs of Sunset, Flipping Out, and other Bravo programs), to the Lo Mejor de Telemundo channel (recent and old hits from Telemundo), to the Universal Monsters channel (iconic Universal monster movies as well as modern classics).
Stephanie Azam is leaving as Disney + Canada’s head of content after company reorganization and the elimination of several positions. The shuffling comes after news that Disney + is pausing original commissions in Canada (while sources say Disney + is still looking at Canadian originals, the timeline around any commissions is unclear). Disney+, along with several other streamers, just recently entered the Canadian market, pushed by the controversial streaming bill, Bill C-11. Though the CRTC, Canada’s media regulator, must still create a clear outline around the act, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and Prime Video all announced original commissions, with Disney+ being the only streamer with a Canadian team to not yet greenlight any original Canadian programming. While Jason Badal is still the VP and general manager of Disney+ in Canada, Stephanie Azam has been let go after less than a year. Before her role at Disney, Azam was the National Feature Film Executive at Telefilm Canada for 12 years where she oversaw production financing for English Canada, as well as piloting the role of VP of development and acquisitions at the independent Canadian distribution company MK2/MILE END for a year.
Apple TV+’s acclaimed sci-fi series Invasion will premiere its second season on Wednesday, August 23. Renewed for season 2 before ending its first season in 2021, the series, created by Simon Kinberg and David Weil, follows different characters around the world as they live through an alien invasion. Kinberg describes the new season as,
“a bigger, more intense season that drops our viewers into a wide-scale, global battle from the start. At its core, the show is about the power of the human spirit and the emotional connections that hold us together especially when facing incredible obstacles.”
Executive produced by Boat Rocker, Kinberg and Weil are joined by Audrey Chon, David Witz, Alik Sakharov, Andrew Baldwin and Katie O’Connell Marsh as executive producers. The series stars Golshifteh Farahani, Shioli Kutsuna, Shamier Anderson, India Brown, Billy Barratt, Azhy Robertson, Paddy Holland and Tara Moayedi, who will be joined by series regulars Enver Gjokaj, Nedra Marie Taylor and Naian González Norvind in the new season. You can watch the 10 episode-long season 2 of Invasion (which picks up a few months later to see the aliens escalating their attacks on humanity) on Apple TV+, one episode every Wednesday from August 23 to October 25.
The upcoming third season of FX’s Hulu-distributed dramedy series, Reservation Dogs, will be the last. While Reservation Dogs was named the Best Show of 2022 by The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Variety and Vulture, co-creator Sterlin Harjo (Taika Waititi being the other co-creator) said in a June 29th Instagram post that ending the show now is the “correct decision creatively for the show”. The series follows four teenagers in rural Oklahoma looking to move to California by any means necessary and boasts an Indigenous-led cast as well as an all-Indigenous group of writers and directors (the first series to do so). Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Paula Alexis and Zahn McClarnon star and Harjo, Waititi and Garrett Basch executive produce. In its official statement on the ending of Reservation Dogs, FX said,
“Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi created one of the most important TV shows ever made. They gave the world a wholly unique, original, and honest portrayal of Native people — one that has never before been seen in television or film.”
Industry: The C-suite of Dish Network continues to shift as the company attempts to transition from satellite TV to wireless provider (and avoid bankruptcy). An SEC filing from the company revealed that Chief Operating Officer Narayan Iyengar (former Disney e-commerce executive), who joined Dish in March 2022, had left last week. Just before Iyengar joined, in early 2022, John Swieringa was hired as COO of Dish Wireless. Several other execs have also left, though, including Executive VP of Retail Wireless Stephen Stoklis, who reported to Swieringa and left in April, as well as Chief Commercial Officer Stephen Bye who said bye-bye in January.
Netflix’s First Head of Inclusion Vernā Myers will step down from the role in September. Myers was the first to serve in the position when she joined in 2018. She will stay on as an advisor to Netflix and return to her consulting company The Vernā Myers Company. Netflix’s vice president of inclusion strategy Wade Davis will take Myers’ place in the role. Netflix chief talent officer Sergio Ezama said of Myers’ time as Head of Inclusion,
“Vernā has had an immense impact on Netflix over the last five years and I’m glad we’ll still get to work together and benefit from her deep expertise. I’m very grateful for everything that she’s done to help strengthen our collective inclusion acumen and capabilities so that we can make Netflix a place where everyone feels welcome and can thrive.”
Myers launched many strategic interventions during her time in the role and saw the company through the release of its first inclusion report in 2021. She also created an inclusivity curriculum that has educated more than 600 executives across the world in the past year. She led the inclusion team’s growth to include employees in all regions and functions across the company to “focus on ‘culturally relevant’ practices in hiring, compensation, onboarding, feedback, growth, and development,” and says she enjoyed her time in the role.
“I will be returning to my consulting company working across global organizations and industries, while continuing to advise Netflix. It’s hard to step away from the company and this role because of how much I love Netflix and the people here. I’m so excited for the talented Wade Davis who will be taking the lead of the I&D work along with our incredible Inclusion Strategy team and I can’t wait to see the continued progress we all will make together.”
NBCU will launch more than 20 FAST television channels this summer. The channels will feature NBCU content from news to sports to Spanish-language entertainment, with shows like Saturday Night Live, Top Chef, Real Housewives, and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Classics such as The Lone Ranger, Lassie, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents will also be featured on the platforms. The move comes after NBCU axed the free tiers of its streamer Peacock. NBCU has been losing money from stockpiling programming for its own direct-to-consumer business, and the release of the new FAST channels could be a way to generate revenue from the backlog. With many streamers raising prices and cracking down on account sharing, FAST channels have been growing in popularity and number. Warner Bros. Discovery has moved some content onto FAST channels like Roku and Tubi, while Paramount and Fox now offer Pluto TV. Matt Schnaars, president, of NBCUniversal Content Distribution says of the shift in strategy,
“NBCUniversal is in the enviable position of owning a vast array of iconic shows that are not part of our broadcast and cable networks to curate a valuable portfolio of FAST channels. These channels, with content from some of the most recognizable brands in television, will find an immediate audience in the growing FAST ecosystem, and create value for NBCUniversal, our distribution partners and our advertisers.”
NBCUniversal president and chief revenue officer, of global distribution Belinda Menendez said,
“In this ever-growing entertainment landscape, we are proud to be a company that offers an extensive library of beloved film and TV series to fulfill the appetite of every viewer. With decades worth of titles from various genres, audiences will now have more ways to find our popular content through this wide assortment of hand-selected FAST channels.”
NBCU already has some FAST channels to its name, most of which focus on national and local news from NBC, Telemundo, and Sky News International. The company describes its new channels as follows:
Bravo Vault: From Shahs of Sunset to Flipping Out, Bravo Vault immerses you in all the high-sheen content and drama you love with our rotating content library.
E! Keeping Up: Keep up with each breakup and breakdown from the first family of reality TV, the Kardashians/Jenners. The E! Keeping Up Vault has the episodes and spin-offs that created an empire. Re-live it all now.
Million Dollar Listing Vault: Dig deep into the many seasons of Million Dollar Listing from L.A. to N.Y., S.F. to Miami. Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing vault introduces you to the best of real estate and all the deals and drama.
Oxygen True Crime Archives: Oxygen True Crime Archives is your home for deep dives into infamous cases and binge-watching original series. True crime, all day, every day.
Real Housewives Vault: Revisit the Real Housewives that launched the iconic franchise, showcasing the glitz, glamour, and drama of the reality show’s wealthy female stars.
SNL Vault: See your favorite characters, sketches, and hosts in an array of Saturday Night Live clips.
Top Chef Vault: Bravo’s Top Chef Vault has a rotating library to catch up on and learn the latest in sous-vide, gastronomy and more from the ultimate food competition show.
American Crimes: Explore the dark side of the American dream and life behind bars, featuring award-winning series American Greed and Lockup.
GolfPass: GolfPass brings together thousands of lessons from the game’s biggest instructors, exclusive series, Golf Channel news and features, and much more.
NBC Sports: Stay updated on the latest sports news with entertaining talk programs, including Premier League Stories and The Dan Patrick Show.
Historias de Amor: Delightful romantic comedies and emotionally charged dramatic sagas of love and revenge. Based on authentic storytelling, offering familiar content for the bilingual U.S. Latino population.
Lo Mejor de Telemundo: Discover recent fan favorites and revisit hits from Telemundo, including dramas, reality, and novelas, featuring popular series such as El Caso Cerrado, El Domo del Dinero, and more.
Noticias Telemundo Ahora: 24/7 Spanish-language news channel from the U.S. Hispanic community’s most trusted news source, featuring breaking news, interviews with leading newsmakers, live reports from major cities across the country and lifestyle content.
Telemundo al Día: Offering the latest in entertainment and sports news. Content includes shows like Al Rojo Vivo, La Mesa Caliente, Telemundo Deportes and more.
Rotten Tomatoes: The Rotten Tomatoes channel is the one-stop source for movie and TV fans, with fresh takes on favorite scenes, previews of blockbusters, and weekly content highlights.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Emmy-winning anthology series created by Alfred Hitchcock features suspenseful and delightfully twisting mysteries.
Bad Girls Club: Watch as seven outrageously bold, brazenly misbehaved women attempt to transform their reckless ways. Can they change — or will chaos rule?
Lassie: Join Lassie, the Martin family’s beloved canine, and her human and animal companions as they embark on adventures. Learn why dogs truly are a man’s best friend in this Emmy-winning series.
Little House on the Prairie: Set in the late 1800s, the Ingalls family pack up their belongings and venture out west in search for new life in the new land. Starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, watch this family of five adjust to their new home in Plum Creek, on the plains of Minnesota.
Made in Chelsea: Follow the sensational lives, loves, and careers of eight high society friends who live in London’s most affluent neighborhoods.
Murder, She Wrote: Join mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (played by legend Angela Lansbury), as she solves crimes in this Emmy-winning drama.
Saved by the Bell: Share the inventive schemes and mischievous dreams of these tight-knit friend groups. Watch them grow from Bayside High in Saved by the Bell to after graduation in The College Years, and later with the next generation in The New Class.
TNBC: Rediscover these laugh-out-loud fan-favorite sitcoms from Teen NBC. These timeless stories about the highs and lows of growing up are relatable for any audience, young or old. Series include: Punky Brewster, City Guys, Hang Time and Major Dad.
The Lone Ranger: The masked cowboy known as the Lone Ranger, and his trusty accomplice Tonto, fight for justice in the Wild West.
Universal Action: Buckle up and hold on tight! Helicopters, fast cars, and fight scenes are packed into this channel. Here you’ll find riveting shows that are sure to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing, such as Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, The A-Team and many others.
Universal Crime: Mystery, suspense, and action culminate in these notable drama series. From the scene of the crime to the courtroom, follow along with some of your favorite stars as they fight for justice to be served. Series include: Columbo, Kojak and The Rockford Files.
Universal Westerns: Cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws roam the Wild West in these series. Get swept away by these classic tales of heroism and family adventure set against scenic frontier backdrops, such as The Virginian and Tales of Wells Fargo.
Universal Monsters: Blood-sucking vampires, stitched-together monsters, and howling werewolves. From iconic monster movies to modern classics, these films are guaranteed to give you goosebumps, which include titles such as Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man.
Iñaki Godoy, the star of Netflix’s upcoming series One Piece, has signed with M88. The 19-year-old has also been seen in Netflix’s The Imperfects and the Spanish-language drama Who Killed Sara? His newest project, One Piece, will premiere on Netflix on August 31st. The series is a live-action adaptation of the eponymous 1997 Eiichiro Oda manga series, in which Godoy plays the protagonist Monkey D. Luffy. Luffy is a pirate captain who, along with his crew, goes on the hunt for a fabled treasure called “One Piece” in order to earn the title of Pirate King. Godoy has also been featured in No Abras La Puerta, MexZombies, Go Youth, Los Elegidos and Sin Miedo a la Verdad.
As it continues the process of transition from satellite TV company to wireless provider, the executive board at Dish Network remains fickle. As the company fights not to see the inside of a bankruptcy courtroom, they have announced the departure of chief operating officer Narayan Iyengar. Iyengar, who was previously an e-commerce exec at Disney, had been with Dish since March of 2022. Iyengar’s departure is not the first shake-up at Dish in recent months. The company’s executive structure has been volatile for months, with new COO John Swieringa coming on as COO early in 2022, the company’s executive vice president of retail wireless Stephen Stoklis leaving in April, and the chief commercial officer Stephen Bye departing in January.
Stephanie Azam will leave her role as head of content for Disney+ Canada. After less than a year in the role, Azam was let go as part of a company restructuring. Along with reports that Disney+ has halted original commissions in Canada, multiple other positions were eliminated within the company. VP and general manager of Disney+ in Canada Jason Badal had previously indicated that the streamer was pursuing Canadian content for the Star arm of Disney+, which includes Hulu, FX, and Fox content that isn’t distributed to other Canadian broadcasters, telling the audience at a Content Canada conference to pitch Azam. With Azam out, the future of Disney+ in Canada is unclear. Prior to Disney, Azam worked as the National Feature Film Executive at Telefilm Canada for 12 years, after which she worked at independent Canadian distribution company MK2/MILE END as VP of development and acquisitions. Among other streamers, Disney+ recently entered the Canadian market ahead of streaming bill Bill C-11, a controversial piece of legislation that now awaits a clear outline from Candian media regulator CRTC. Before the bill passed, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and Prime Video announced original commissions in the country. Disney+ remains the only streamer with a team in Canada that has not greenlit any original programming there.
Netflix stands to benefit from two new tax incentives in California and New Jersey. In California, a five-year extension of a $330 million incentive for film and TV production was approved in June. The tax credit will be refundable for the first time, which means that companies without California tax liability will benefit. The legislation comes after more than a year of negotiations between unions, studios, and legislators to include refundability and safety regulations, as well as a provision encouraging workforce diversity. Under the new legislation, companies will receive 96% of their tax credit, and will receive the additional 4% only if they “show a good faith effort” to hire a workforce that is “broadly reflective” of California’s race, ethnicity, gender, and disability demographics. An annual report from the California Film Commission will show which productions met this goal. The law will also increase funding for the Career Pathways Training program. The safety provision is a response to the 2021 shooting on the New Mexico set of Rust, and requires armorers and property masters to undergo firearms training. It also establishes a program requiring state-subsidized projects to hire safety advisers with authority to shut down production in cases of hazardous working conditions. In New Jersey, a state incentive for film and TV infrastructure will undergo a considerable expansion, in part to help Netflix develop their Fort Monmouth production facility. State senator Vin Gopal, who sponsored the bill, says,
“It’s going to have a huge local economic impact. New Jersey wants to be the East Coast hub of arts and cinema.”
The New Jersey tax credit legislation will increase incentives for studios that commit to facilities investments and for production companies that lease space in New Jersey studios. Netflix is in the process of purchasing 300 acres of land at former army base Fort Monmouth, where it will develop 12 soundstages.
Yellowstone’s Q’orianka Kilcher has signed with Silver Lining Entertainment for management. Kilcher is most known for her role as Angela Blue Thunder, a business consultant, in Paramount Network’s acclaimed series Yellowstone. She started acting at 14 with a role as Pocahontas in Terrence Malick’s The New World alongside Colin Farrell and Christian Bale, for which she was nominated for Best Young Actress at the Critics’ Choice Awards. She also co-starred opposite Channing Tatum in Dog, in Paramount’s Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and in Hostiles. She appeared in Season 1 of The Alienist, as well as on Longmire, The Killing, Sons of Anarchy, and Drunk History. She wrote, produced, and starred in the Adam VillaSeñor thriller Yesteryear.
ChimeTV has announced it will join the Society 1 umbrella of companies. Chime is the only Asian-owned TV network in English, and showcases AAPI programming. Takashi Cheng will serve as the new executive after Faith Bautista left the company. Society 1, which calls itself “a privately funded members club founded by highly esteemed members of Southern California’s Asian American community,” offers access to resources aimed at increasing the presence, impact, and participation of Asian Americans in “elite” circles. In 2022, they announced an investment into Character Media, the company responsible for the longest-standing AAPI awards show in the country, Unforgettable Gala. Cheng says,
“We have a healthy audience of nearly 20 million eyeballs across all our companies. Each media asset has a unique connection to the other, but all are unified in their commitment to raising the profile of [A]API content and propelling [A]API creators.”
ChimeTV emerged into the public eye after signing a deal with Charter Communications, Inc. to carry its content on Charter’s Spectrum TV Select video tier. Cheng will lead ChimeTV in introducing new original content. Society 1 will fund an enhancement of Chime’s existing tech infrastructure and aid in the expansion of client acquisition. ChimeTV announced the deal at the end of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Speaking on an increase in bigotry and hate crimes against the AAPI community, President Bob Rose said,
“Oftentimes, people fear the unknown. By educating the masses about history, origins, culture and contributions, we can start the process of healing and foster a new era of understanding and acceptance.”
Demand for AAPI content is growing, with the share of global demand for Asian language content growing from 15% in the first quarter of 2020 to 25% in the first quarter of 2023. Society 1 companies hope this will lead to a broader audience for their content, and company growth.
Pluto TV has launched OUTtv Proud, an LGBTQ+-created FAST channel. The channel was created by Fuse and Canadian streaming service OUTtv, and features programming targeted towards the LGBTQ+ community. It will carry OUTtv originals, including series, documentaries, films, and specials. Pluto TV senior VP of programming Scott Reich says of the new channel,
“Pluto TV strives to offer a diverse range of programming for a wide range of audiences, and OUTtv Proud is a great addition to our channel lineup. It’s important to deliver viewers opportunities to see themselves represented and celebrated in the media they consume.”
Fuse CEO Miguel Roggero hopes that the launch of OUTtv will contribute towards “amplifying LGBTQ+ voice and spreading our mission of equality and inclusion.”
Tax incentives for film and TV production and infrastructure are moving through California and New Jersey state legislatures this week. In California, a 5 year extension of the $330 million incentive for production is set to be approved by the legislature with a few provisions. In a win for studios, the tax credit will, for the first time, be refundable, and companies such as Netflix, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Sony, which have little to no tax liability in the state, can get cash back, claiming up to 90% of the credit with a payout over 5 years (Netflix, for example, has built up hundreds of millions in state tax credits that it mostly can’t claim). In a win for unions, a set safety provision establishes new requirements for firearms training and formalized firearm handling standards, in part responding to the shooting on the set of Rust in 2021. A pilot program will also be established for state subsidized projects that hires safety advisers to share the responsibility of safety oversight with first assistant directors. A priority provision for legislators will also be included that requires companies to show a good faith effort to hire representative numbers in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and disability status in order to get the last 4% of the tax credit allocation. This provision is already part of the $150 million soundstage credit and will apply to the main $330 million credit in 2025. The provision also increases funding for the Career Pathways Training program, which aims to train a diverse workforce, and sets up an annual report from the California Film Commission on which productions meet diversity goals and which don’t. Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo (D-Los Angeles) calls the provision,
“... an opportunity for everyone to commit and have results to those commitments… The Legislature will be looking at what that annual report looks like.”
In New Jersey, the legislature is moving forward on expanding tax incentives for entertainment companies that commit to making facilities investments or leasing New Jersey studio space. The program was partially designed to help Netflix redevelop Fort Monmouth on the Jersey Shore, a former military base that the company is buying 300 acres of to develop into 12 soundstages. The incentives will also help Lionsgate, which is set to lease and develop a production facility in Newark. The bill has its critics, though, and Peter Chen, analyst at New Jersey Policy Perspective, argues it presents a negative return on investment, explaining,
“We end up in a race to the bottom… When everyone starts jacking up their tax credits, you’ve got to go with them.”
However, proponents like state Senator Vin Gopal (Democrat and sponsor of the bill) hope and argue that these incentives will help turn New Jersey into the “East Coast hub of arts and cinema.”
INCOMPAS, which counts among its members Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Netflix, says that instead of going to the edge providers, the FCC should include ISPs in the Universal Service Fund (USF) subsidy pool, as the subsidy money is being transitioned from landline phones to broadband buildouts. But some say that the inclusion of ISPs in USF fees, which are passed along to consumers, would mean an increase in bills and discourage uptake of service regardless of improvements in availability and access. The Biden administration will pour over $60 billion in subsidies into several infrastructure programs with a goal of universal access and affordability for broadband services by 2030.
Video streamers and other edge providers are in conflict over regulations and with rural broadband associations as the FCC tries to figure out how/whether to apply good-faith negotiation rules to over-the-top (OTT) content providers (which apply to traditional video providers) as well as potential contributions from edge providers to broadband buildout subsidies. The FCC began wrestling with the issue of how and whether to regulate OTT delivery of TV programming networks a decade ago and has not gotten very far in the inquiry. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asked FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel last week to renew the inquiry; the inquiry this time is pushed by broadcasters trying to get more money for their online content, potentially through an antitrust exemption from Congress to negotiate for aggregate news content, as well as good-faith negotiation rules on edge provider aggregations of news content from print and broadcast sources. Rosenworcel, however, has suggested Congress may have to step in and give the FCC the regulatory authority over OTT providers that the Cables Acts of 1984 and 1992 gave it over traditional video. Meanwhile, hundreds of groups have been calling on Congress to require streamers and other edge providers to pay into the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes advanced telecommunications buildouts in rural and other hard-to-reach places, and which currently depends on landline phone services, a quickly dwindling source. While these groups argue edge providers put a strain on on network traffic and so should pay to support that infrastructure, INCOMPAS, whose members include Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Netflix, argues that the FCC should be pressuring ISPs instead (though that raises the argument that this would raise consumers’ bills and discourage the uptake of service no matter how available it is). As the fight continues, the Biden Administration is pumping over $60 billion in subsidies via several infrastructure-related programs to make sure that broadband is both universally accessible and affordable by 2030.
Q’orianka Kilcher, best known as Angela Blue Thunder on Taylor Sheridan’s series Yellowstone, has signed with Silver Lining Entertainment for management in addition to being represented by Buchwald and attorney Eric Feig. Kilcher’s breakout role (which also won her a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Young Actress) came when she was 14 years old and played Pocahontas in Terrence Malick’s The New World opposite Colin Farrell and Christian Bale. She may also be seen in the road dramedy Dog (MGM, directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin) alongside Tatum; the adventure comedy Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Paramount) alongside Benicio Del Toro and Eva Longoria; and the acclaimed Western Hostiles (directed by Scott Cooper) alongside Jesse Plemons, Bale, and Rosamund Pike. Kilcher is no stranger to television either, as she’s credited in a major role in the Emmy-winning period drama The Alienist (TNT) alongside Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, Brian Geraghty and Dakota Fanning; Longmire (A&E/Netflix); Sons of Anarchy (FX); and Drunk History (Comedy Central). In Paramount Network’s hit neo-Western Yellowstone, Kilcher’s Angela Blue Thunder was the business consultant hired by Thoman Rainwater (Gil Birminham) to fight off Market Equities’ threats to the Dutton Ranch and Broken Rock Reservation. While Yellowstone is returning later this year to finish out its fifth and final season, Kilcher can next be seen in Yesteryear, directed by Adam VillaSeñor, which she wrote, produced, and stars in. The film is described as following:
“Alma Deswood [Kilcher], a Native actress living in Los Angeles who psychologically unravels in quarantine amidst the Covid pandemic, Black Lives matter protests and other world events.”
From top left to right: Michele Barney, Amina Hussein, Kristen Cuffee-Brown, Ramsey Naito, and Terri Hines
Honors: The editors of Multichannel News have released the list of 15 female entertainment leaders they are honoring as the 2023 Wonder Women of Los Angeles. These women make up the third class in the West Coast extension of the two-decade-long Wonder Women program celebrating female leaders in media, entertainment, and technology. They are being celebrated for making lasting impacts in terms of leadership, diversity, and innovation on the business of entertainment.
One of the women being honored is Michele Barney, President of Affiliate Distribution at Warner Bros. Discover. A California native whose parents met when her Navy father was stationed in Japan, Barney trained as an accountant and then a lawyer, eventually becoming an attorney for DirecTV doing programming deals. She later turned toward the programming side of the business and was hired by Discover in 2021 as president of affiliate distribution to manage the network’s carriage with cable, satellite, telco and digital distributors in the U.S. and Canada. After Discovery merged with Warner Bros., Barney transitioned into leading partnership management for WBD’s affiliates, global platforms and retail partners and transactional business. There, she helped grow Magnolia Network and streaming platforms Discovery Plus and HBO Max, as well as launching the combination streaming platform, Max, and made deals with Hulu Plus Live TV and Verizon. WBD senior VP, marketing strategy Kelly Kane, who worked for Barney at Discovery and WBD, describes how Barney rolls with the punches, saying,
“She left a job of 20 years. She came to Discovery during the pandemic. She was so determined and hardworking. And then the Warner Bros. Discovery merger was announced, five to six months into her time with us, and never did it come across as anything like the sky is falling. It was always very even-keeled. She’s very good at ensuring that people remain calm and keep doing what they love.”
So while Barney admits she’s nervous about the uncertainty around video and linear video, she stays mindful of “just keeping people positive and focused on the opportunities ahead.”
Kristen Cuffee-Brown, Assistant VP, Content Acquisitions at Cox Communications is another honoree. A SoCal native who started her career aspiring toward being a sports broadcaster, she transitioned into marketing at Cox Communications in 2005, moving up the marketing ranks before transitioning to director of video product and finally joining the content acquisition team in 2019. Cuffee-Brown now negotiates program agreements for sports, international, and faith-based genres, as well as SVOD agreements, OTT apps, and FAST channels. Amidst all the work she does across different groups within the organization, gathering what’s needed to complete deals from marketing to tech to product specialists, Cuffee-Brown keeps her eye on the customer and a people-first mindset. She explains,
“My work style is to empower and serve those around me. It starts with showing up and being present. It’s also about being a good communicator and being adaptable given how fast things are changing in this space. It’s about supporting a diverse and inclusive work environment.”
Her commitment to “people first” and inclusivity can also be seen in her works as a board member for Women in Cable Telecommunications (now the WICT Network) and the Cable Telecommunications Association for Marketing, as well as in her informal mentorship of women and devotion to her husband and three children.
Cuffee-Brown’s commitment to giving back is shared by fellow honoree, Terri Hines, Executive VP of Communications at Fox Sports. After years of marketing at Kodak Volkswagen, and Nissan, Hines found her niche in public relations and communications at Nissan. She then jumped to Nike in 2007, working on the Jordan brand (a dream since running track in high school) and leading the introduction of the Air Jordan 23. Hines finally joined Fox in 2016 and is now responsible for communications, brand and social responsibility strategies, strategic direction and corporate positioning, as well as serving as senior adviser on crisis, social justice, and diversity, empowerment, and inclusion (DEI) matters. Hines thrives on the chaos, though, as the network hosted the NFL, men’s World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Daytona 500 in the last year alone. And yet, Hines also found time to help create the first inclusion council and become executive sponsor of its employee resource group, FOx BLK+. Hines also stays involved in her community as director of the LAGRANT Foundation and as corporate advisor to the UCLA Center for Media, Entertainment, and Sports. She explains her passion for these programs, saying,
“It’s important that I give back, leaving a legacy around inclusion opportunities and creating seats at the table for women and people of color.”
Also on the honoree list is Amina Hussein, Head of Sports Talent for Prime Video. Even when she was growing up in Oakland, playing basketball in 10th grade, she told the local paper in an interview that she wanted to be in sports broadcasting. She did just that for a while, getting a job in sports radio in the San Francisco Bay Area after college, building NFL and NBA connections, and finally meeting people from ESPN at the 2003 Super Bowl where her hometown Oakland Raiders were playing. This led to a job on ESPN’s radio side which, even though she was the only person of color, Hussein loved and eventually transitioned to TV where she started the network’s booking department essentially from scratch. She loved the talent side, saying,
“That’s my sweet spot. I’m just good at working with people. I can identify good people, I like to give feedback and I’m open and honest.”
Learning the ins and outs of TV production there, Hussein soon became an Emmy winning senior coordinating producer, working on shows like NFL live and Sunday NFL Countdown before moving to LA to work on basketball shows like NBA Countdown. Wanting to get into the tech space, though, Hussein jumped to Prime where she recruited talent for the new Thursday Night Football program there, bringing on legendary Al Michaels for play by plays as well as recently retired players like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman. She is nowhere near stopping, though, and is now hoping her team can get involved with the NBA and that she can get back into production as well.
Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation is making strides in family entertainment. The daughter of a painter and a sculptor, Naito attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and the California Institute of the Arts before working as a PA on an animated film. She then racked up production credits and executive experience at Nickelodeon Movies, Blue Sky Studios, Cartoon Network, and Dreamworks Animation, where she produced Oscar nominated The Boss Baby. Naito then took her on-the-ground experience and creative spirit into overseeing development and production at Nickelodeon in 2018. Within 2 years she had expanded the production pipeline from 7 projects to more than 40, and she was promoted to her current position in 2021 giving her responsibility over animation content in all forms (theatrical films, streaming, linear, digital and TV movies). Since then, Naito has hired 500 employees and expanded the slate of content with book adaptations like Big Nate, franchise expansions like Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, and partnerships such as with Mattel to make Monster High: The Movie. As she takes Paramount and Nickelodeon content to new heights, it is especially important to Naito that she stays accountable to her diverse and global audience, saying,
“It’s our responsibility as content creators to speak to those kids with stories that feel authentic and inclusive. When I was a young girl, there was very little for me to watch, as an Asian-American, where I could see myself reflected. I think of that little girl when I think about the audience.”
Naito has furthermore launched the Intergalactic Shorts Program to encourage creators from around the world to submit ideas to be considered by Nickelodeon executives.
These women and more will be honored at a breakfast ceremony at the Sofitel Los Angeles on June 20, kicking off the L.A. Tv Week events sponsored by B+C, Multichannel News, and NextTV; The WICT Network: Southern California chapter is also partnering on the event.
Strike Watch: While SAG-AFTRA leaders released a video over the weekend saying talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have been “extremely productive” and promising to reach a “seminal deal”, multiple sources with knowledge on the negotiating room say the two sides are far apart on several key issues. Talks, with SAG-AFTRA being represented by Fran Drescher, the union’s president, for the first time, alongside Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s executive director and chief negotiator, may extend beyond when the contract is set to expire on June 30th. One key point of contention is viewership-based streaming residuals (which is also on the list of the WGA’s demands). Currently, residual payments for the WGA, DGA, and SAG-AFTRA are based on a predetermined compensation formula which sorts streaming platforms into subscriber-based tiers with higher tiers paying higher residuals regardless of the popularity of an individual show (residuals also decline over time as the series or film ages). SAG-AFTRA argues that creators should be able to more directly share in the success of works and that these residuals are furthermore much lower than those of traditional broadcasting. Arguing that healthy residuals are integral to sustaining a career as a creator, the union has also proposed a bonus on top of the standard residual. However, the first challenge is getting a common metric for residuals that would work across all streaming platforms (neither SAG-AFTRA nor the AMPTP have access to streaming data). SAG-AFTRA has proposed using data from Parrot Analytics, which uses search queries, fan sites, social media engagement, and downloads to estimate global popularity, but studios don’t trust a third-party metric and believe these audience-engagement numbers might be subject to artificial manipulation. While SAG-AFTRA fast approaches its contract deadline, the Directors Guild of America has already ratified its contract by an 87% margin on June 23rd. The DGA contract included a 76% increase in foreign streaming residuals, but didn’t account for viewership. The DGA also got a 5% raise in basic minimum payments in year one of the three-year contract, 4% in year two, and 3.5% in year three, but SAG-AFTRA is unwilling to settle for these numbers. SAG-AFTRA also wants AI protections that go beyond what is covered in the DGA contract. While SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhelmingly for a strike authorization before talks began, and the union seems well united (both main factions supported electing Drescher in an internal election this year as well as Joely Fisher, the leader of the opposing faction to Drescher, as secretary-treasurer), the optimistic video released Saturday appears to signal strike is not imminent.
Throughout the WGA writers strike, The Animation Guild has stood in solidarity with the labor action. However, this – more specifically the fact that the two are separate unions – highlights the strange way animation projects are covered by labor unions. Michael Jamin, a co-executive producer of animated series like King of the Hill as well as live-action series like Lopez, explains,
“By some strange loophole, animated shows are either covered by the Animation Guild or the WGA, and strangely, it’s the studios that get to decide which one, not the writers themselves,” he said. “It seems [me that] should be illegal, it seems like labor should decide which union they want to belong to, not the employer.”
Many hits, such as 20th Animations The Simpsons and Netflix’s Big Mouth are covered by the WGA, but the majority of animated projects are covered by The Animation Guild (which is part of IATSE Local 839), which is such a large problem because TAG doesn’t have the same minimums and residuals as the WGA, leading studios to choose to work with the cheaper TAG. With many animation writers being members of both unions, last year more than 1500 WGA members, including Seth MacFarlane, J.J. Abrams, and Mindy Kaling signed a pledge pushing for the WGA to cover animation writers. This week, The Simpsons executive producer Mike Scully urged on Twitter for creators and partners to refuse to join a second union saying, “Studios never volunteer to do the right thing. Make them.”