Small Screens: Disney Drops ‘Echo’ Trailer As Prime Renews ‘Gen V’
Ava DuVernay - Dia Dipasupil
Cable: Ava DuVernay’s planned romantic drama series will not move forward at Starz. Set to star Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff, who also executive produced, the series centered the rebellious relationship of polar opposites. One is ambitious, committed, Black, and deaf, and the other is restless, wary of relationships, white, and hearing, but the two are drawn together despite differences and social expectations. Landing a three year script-to-series commitment in May 2022, the show began filming but paused production in May of this year due to the WGA and then SAG-AFTRA strikes. Within the last month or so, Starz also decided not to move forward with The Venery of Samantha Bird, which paused for the strikes and was two episodes away from finishing filming. Starz also canceled Heels, Run The World, and Blindspotting after two seasons each.
HBO announced that its hit teen drama Euphoria will return for a third season in 2025. The Sam Levinson series is set in the fictional town of East Highland, California and explores the strains of love, loss, hope, and addiction. Levinson described season three as a “film noir” and teased that Rue (Zendaya), a recovering addict, will “explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.” It is still unknown how the series will handle the unexpected death of Angus Cloud, who played Fez, and the departure of Barbie Ferreira, who played Kat; Ferreira explained she was leaving the series because she couldn’t see her character being anything more than the “fat best friend.”
Streaming: DreamWorks Animation’s animated horror series Fright Krewe will be back for a second season at Hulu and Peacock. Created by Eli Roth and James Frey, the logline states:
An ancient prophecy and a Voodoo Queen put misfit teens in charge of saving New Orleans from the biggest demonic threat it’s faced in almost two centuries. But, honestly? Saving the world might be easier than becoming friends.
The series stars Sydney Mikayla as Soleil, Tim Johnson Jr. as Maybe, Grace Lu as Missy, Chester Rushing as Stanley, Terrence Little Gardenhigh as Pat, and Jacques Colimon as Belial. More animated frights can be seen in DreamWorks’ Curses! on Apple TV+, which premiered on October 27th, created by Jim Cooper and Jeff Dixon. The 10-episode first season of Fright Krewe dropped October 2nd and the second season is slated for sometime in 2024.
Amazon Prime Video announced it will renew its spinoff of The Boys, Gen V , for a second season ahead of the show’s November 3rd season one finale. Gen V follows the super-powered students of Godolkin U as they find themselves, reckon with the revelation their powers are from a serum, not God, and uncover a sinister plot at school. Season one stars Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo, Lizze Broadway, Shelley Conn, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Marco Pigossi. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios, showrun by Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, and executive produced by Eric Kripke, showrunner of The Boys. Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios, said:
Expanding the universe of The Boys with a series as bold as Gen V has been an incredible journey for us and our wonderful partners at Sony… [The] unapologetic approach is exactly what audiences love, and it has helped Gen V become the No. 1 series on Prime Video in over 130 countries. Gen V is Prime Video’s most acquisitive new Original series of 2023, and we’re excited that our incredible cast and crew are going to continue telling brave and bold stories from Gen V to our customers.
Fazekas and Kripke added that “The writers are already working on the new season — sophomore year is gonna be wild, with all the twists, heart, satire, and exploding genitalia you’ve come to expect from the show.”
Genius: MLK/X will premiere February 1st on Nat Geo. The first two episodes of the eight-episode season will show on Nat Geo first and stream on Disney + and Hulu the next day; two episodes will drop every week thereafter on all three platforms. This is the fourth season of Genius. It previously spotlighted Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Aretha Franklin and received 20 Emmy nominations in past seasons. MLK/X will focus on both Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X’s formative years through their parallel stories and legacies. The cast of the season includes Kelvin Harrison Jr. as King, Aaron Pierre as X, Weruche Opia as Coretta Scott King, and Jayme Lawson as Betty Shabazz, as well as Ron Cephas Jones, who passed away in August 2023, in one of his last roles. Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon showrun and executive produce the show. Jeff Stetson, author of The Meeting, which serves as partial inspiration for the series, wrote the pilot and executive produces. He is also part of the think tank of historians and experts who provided guidance for the production before the writer’s room began. Ambassador Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X Shabazz and Dr. Betty Shabazz, served as a consulting producer.
Christopher Yost will adapt Mike Booth’s Wattpad web novel Hawk into an animated series for Wattpad Webtoon Studios. With over one million reads on Wattpad, Hawk follows:
… the adventures of space bounty hunter Kas Balera. When a disaster of epic proportions rocks the entire solar system, Balera must rally a stolen federal robot, a child genius and her trusty ship, the Calista, in order to save the galaxy from destruction.
Well prepared for the adaptation, Yost previously wrote for Marvel Comics, sci-fi series such as The Mandalorian, and animated series including Star Wars: Rebels and Cowboy Bebop. Yost is also set to write for Vault Comics’ supernatural sci-fi series Unnatural Order in the fall. Wattpad will also adapt several other titles including Lore Olympus, produced with The Jim Henson Co; this romantic fantasy by Rachel Smythe has over 1.3 billion views.
The trailer for Marvel’s new miniseries Echo dropped. Opening with a voiceover from Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), the audience sees a young Maya (Alaqua Cox), who will later become the mercenary Echo, mocked by an ice cream man for being deaf. Little does she know that Fisk saw, and she soon witnesses his brutal beating of the ice cream man in an alley. A close up shot of Fisk’s bloody fist against haunting, percussive music sets the tone for the rest of the trailer. As Fisk’s voiceover continues, there are quick cuts of Echo fighting for her life, mobsters in a moodily lit disco roller rink, a Native American community, and plenty of bodies — burned, beaten, shot, and staring lifeless with blood dripping from the eyes. It’s clear why viewers must set their Disney+ profile to TV-MA to stream the new series. All episodes of Echo drop January 10th on Disney+ and Hulu.
Thai Randolph - Paras Griffin / Stringer
Industry: Thai Randolph steps down as CEO of Hartbeat to “pursue new endeavors.” Randolph was with the production and media company, founded by Kevin Hart, for almost seven years. Under her leadership, Hartbeat doubled in size, with over 20 projects released in 2022, 18 in 2023, and more than 70 in development. Randolph led the 2022 deal that merged Hart’s two entertainment companies, Hartbeat Productions and Laugh Out Loud, and led the $100 million in funding raised by Abry Partners last year. She was previously president and COO of Laugh Out Loud (formerly a joint venture with Lionsgate) and COO of Hartbeat Productions. She also founded Women Write Now, a screenwriting fellowship developed in partnership with the Sundance Institute to champion up-and-coming Black women in comedy. Randolph will remain as a strategic adviser to Hart who will act as interim CEO until a successor is found.
In an attempt to better utilize its ad-supported tier, Netflix plans to offer “title sponsorships” to advertisers. Smartfood popcorn already aligned itself with the latest season of the reality show Love is Blind, and Netflix signed sponsors for other big names such as the final season of The Crown and the upcoming reality show Squid Game: The Challenge. Beginning in 2024, Netflix will roll out a “binge ad” format in which, after watching three consecutive episodes, viewers can watch a fourth ad-free; viewers will be informed that the break from ads is courtesy of a certain sponsor. Netflix also plans to offer “moment” sponsorships connected to local holidays and events, as well as a new live celebrity golf tournament called The Netflix Cup, which is to be sponsored by the likes of T Mobile and Nespresso. Amy Reinhard, the newly installed president of advertising, said in a prepared statement:
We want to shape the future of advertising on Netflix and help marketers tap into the amazing fandom generated by our must-watch shows and movies.
All of this comes after suggestions that the ad-supported tier was too small in the U.S. to meet guarantees made to early sponsors and that it is yet to reach the scale necessary to consistently attract ad buyers’ dollars. Netflix, on the other hand, argues that the tier will work, saying it accounts for 30% of all new sign-ups in the 12 countries that have it.
Adria Alpert Romm, chief people and culture officer at Warner Bros. Discovery, will retire at the end of June 2024. Romm served as one of WBD CEO David Zaslav’s closest advisors for 30 years, playing a key role in Discovery’s acquisition of Scripps Networks in 2018 and integration of AT&T’s WarnerMedia in 2022. Romm also implemented DEI programs, established and expanded wellness centers and on-site daycare facilities globally, and launched multiple community outreach programs including TLC’s “Say Yes to the Prom” initiative. Before WBD and Discovery, Romm worked in HR at NBCUniversal, served as global chief people officer for the marketing agency WPP and its media investment group GroupM, and was global chief talent officer at Essence. Romm also serves on the board of directors for the Emma Bowen Foundation. She will be succeeded by WPP’s current global chief people officer Jennifer Remling WBD in January.
Kirk McDonald steps down as leader of GroupM North America, marketing agency WPP’s media buying consortium. After joining the company in 2020, McDonald is set to leave by the end of the year. The move comes amidst continuous shifts in executive ranks at GroupM. McDonald took the reins from the company’s global CEO Christian Juhl, who served on an interim basis after the departure of Tim Castree in 2019. Once McDonald leaves, Adam Gerhart will step in as interim lead; Gerhart has been at GroupM and Mindshare — one of GroupM’s media buying agencies — for almost two decades and is currently Mindshare’s global CEO.
Soap Opera Digest will discontinue its weekly print edition after nearly 50 years. The digest describes itself as “the leading magazine reporting on the soap opera industry for over 40 years,” delivering “behind-the-scenes scoops and breaking news to passionate soap fans every week,” as well as special features on beauty, parenting, and health and fitness. 360Media, the company that owns the brand along with Us Weekly, Star, InTouch, and Life & Style, plans to print special issues of Soap Opera Digest four times a year. First launched in 1975, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp bought the digest in 1989 and sold it two years later, leaving it to bounce around a series of owners since. At its peak in 1991, Soap Opera Digest had a circulation of 1.5 million.
The entire 2022-2023 class for the Paramount Writers Mentoring Program landed staff positions within a week of the WGA strike ending. The seven writers were chosen from a pool of over 1,000 applicants to receive mentorship, career development, and support in an eight-month program under the Paramount Office of Global Inclusion. Each was paired with an executive from Paramount Television Studios, CBS Studios, or CBS Television Network for feedback and career advice. Alumni have worked on such series as Snowfall, The Walking Dead, and Bridgerton. As for the 2022-2023 class, Camille D’Elia is staffed on CSI: Vegas, India Gurley on Fire Country, Daniela Labi on S.W.A.T, Kahlil Maskati on So Help Me Todd, and Lizzie Perrin on Matlock. Edith Rodriguez is working on an unannounced series and Teresa Tuan is writing for Watson Independent, currently in development. Marva Smalls, executive vice president and global head of inclusion at Paramount, said:
This achievement highlights the invaluable support, guidance and exposure the Mentoring Program provides to emerging writers. We’re incredibly excited for their future prospects and remain ever committed to diversity and inclusion in the television industry.
Lenny Henry launched Esmerelda, a new production company focusing on drama and comedy with an emphasis on underrepresented voices. The new company is backed by Banijay U.K. with which it has a first look deal. Banijay also recently invested in Rabbit Track and Conker Pictures via its growth fund, as with Esmerelda. Henry will serve as joint co-managing director with Jon Sen, who recently helmed Casualty and EastEnders at BBC Studios. Focusing on his new venture, Henry will step down as CEO of Douglas Road, the production company he founded in 2014, and hand the reins to managing director Ângela Ferreira. Ever busy, Henry will soon launch Three Little Birds, a series he wrote which will be executive produced by Russell T. Davies and Lucy Bedford.
Tinisha Agramonte is Disney’s newest chief diversity officer and senior vice president. Reporting directly to Sonia Coleman, the senior executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Agramonte is taking over for Latondra Newton, the former head of diversity, equity, and inclusion ops who stepped down in June. Agramonte joined the company a year ago and most recently served as vice president of DEI talent outreach and development for the Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products division. Before that, she was the first chief diversity officer at Motorola Solutions and held senior executive positions around diversity for the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Department of Veteran Affairs. An official Disney statement describes Agramonte as:
… passionate around supporting military families, veterans, and first-generation college students and corporate professionals, and is known for her strategic, data-driven approach to DEI. Throughout her career she has helped organizations become more inclusive and recognize the impact DEI has on business optimization.
The Walt Disney Co. is set to acquire the 33% of Hulu owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal division. The two companies previously agreed that Comcast could force Disney to buy its stake in Hulu, which it did on November 1st. While the value is appraised in a process expected to conclude in the 2024 calendar year, the floor price is already set at $8.61 billion. Hulu was created in 2008 by Fox, Disney, NBCUniversal, and Time Warner as a streaming competitor to the upstart Netflix. Disney gained a controlling share of Hulu in 2019 when it acquired most of the assets of 21st Century Fox for $71.4 billion in stock. Since then, Disney and Comcast have feuded over the value and necessary strategy around Hulu. Disney recently added a Hulu section to its Disney+ streaming platform.
Dennis Mathew, CEO of cable company Altice USA, announced his support of the carriage renewal deal between Charter Communications and Disney during his company’s Q3 conference call with equity analysts on November 1st. Carved out in September, the deal gives Charter access to the Disney+ ad-supported tier and ESPN Plus at wholesale price and forces fewer channels on Charter to distribute for a slightly higher fee paid to Disney. Praising the deal as groundbreaking, Mathew asserted:
The model is broken. I just have to say, for the last 10 years, the consumers have made it clear that there is a significant shift from linear to streaming, and yet the costs for linear have continued to rise. And we as distributors need to find a way to work with our programming partners to put the customer at the center. We need to give them great value.
All this comes as Altice reports the loss of 77,600 linear video customers in Q3, coming on top of a loss of 84,000 in Q3 of2022. Altice now has only about 2.3 million pay TV subscribers. Its core business, wireline broadband, also lost 31,000 customers in Q3, though there were 45,000 net fiber additions and 24,000 new Optimum Mobile lines. Altice’s total revenue for the quarter dropped 3.2% year over year, or $2.32 billion.
