“Films released by these companies don’t just fill our screens. They build audiences, audiences that become voracious and curious and eager for something unique or exciting and fun, quirky, thought provoking, yes, maybe even edgy,” said Tori Baker, film producer and President/CEO of the Salt Lake Film Society. “They deepen the love of motion pictures, and they tell stories that feel intimate and human and that’s personal, showing us a new way to see the world.”

The presentation comes as movie theaters — particularly smaller chains and family-owned locations — are looking for ways to expand the types of films they offer to their customers.

While Cinema United CEO Michael O’Leary told TheWrap that the addition of this presentation was not done in direct response to the potential Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, the ongoing consolidation in Hollywood threatens to reduce the number of films theaters have to screen right at a time when that volume has been rising, increasing optimism for a potential $10 billion domestic box office in 2026.

With movies like Angel’s “David” and Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” becoming recent breakout independent successes, theaters are becoming more open to screening films from outside the Hollywood system. Meanwhile, international films like Neon’s “No Other Choice” and GKids’ “Godzilla Minus One” are slowly developing a new generation of arthouse moviegoers.

During its time onstage, Angel presented a slate that shows its next steps in trying to expand beyond its core faith-based audience. While the studio still has films for that core audience like “Zero A.D.,” a biblical epic from “Sound of Freedom” director Alejandro Monteverde coming this Christmas, there’s also broader fare like a remake of the John Wayne western “Angel and the Badman” starring Zachary Levi, Neal McDonough and Tommy Lee Jones, which will likely try to court older moviegoers when it hits theaters in October.

America’s 250th anniversary was also a major focus of the Provo studio’s 2026 slate with films like “Young Washington,” a biopic about George Washington’s days as a young soldier that will be released on Fourth of July weekend, and “The Brink of War,” a true story Cold War thriller starring Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan, which recounts his fateful negotiations on a nuclear treaty with the Soviet Union’s Mikhail Gorbachev in Iceland.

And on the family side, Angel will try to expand beyond faith-based stories with a very unusual choice: “Animal Farm,” Andy Serkis’ adaptation of George Orwell’s cautionary novel about the nature of revolutions and power. During the presentation, Angel gave a nod to the deep skepticism that the film got online when it was announced, quipping that it is a movie that “nobody has an opinion about.”

“This slate demonstrates that with engaging subjects, established stars, and engrossing storytelling, Angel has gone from aspiring to achieving,” said Neal Harmon, co-founder and CEO of Angel. “This marks an exciting step forward in our mission to launch projects created with our audience, not just for them.”

StudioCanal, which has produced and distributed European films like the “Paddington” trilogy and “Shaun of the Dead,” made its CinemaCon debut Monday, a sign of how Cinema United is expanding the spotlight as the French company does not distribute films directly in the U.S., instead working with American partners on its productions.

Among those productions were two re-imaginings of classic ’80s genre films: “Escape From New York,” which starred Kurt Russell, and the Joe Dante werewolf film, “The Howling.”

Among the films showcased by StudioCanal were Aardman’s hit “Wallace & Gromit” spinoff franchise “Shaun the Sheep,” which will have a new film “The Beast of Mossy Bottom” in theaters this year with GKids as the U.S. distributor. Exhibitors were also shown the teaser for the Eli Roth horror film “Ice Cream Man,” which was released publicly on Monday.

The crowd in Vegas also laughed in shock for the teaser for Taron Egerton’s darkly comedic thriller “Everybody Wants to F*ck Me,” in which the “Rocketman” star plays a man wading into London’s dating scene…and finds himself being chased by zombie-like people who don’t want to kill him but rather want to…well, the title says it all.

On the more mature side, Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman will star in “Elsinore,” a true story drama about actor Ian Charleson’s final performance as Hamlet while dying of AIDS. Finally, “28 Years Later” director Danny Boyle came onstage to present his 2027 film “Ink,” which stars Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce as journalist Larry Lamb and media titan Rupert Murdoch as they launched the tabloid that in 1969 permanently changed British media: The Sun.

Sony Pictures Classics was a late addition to the CinemaCon slate, replacing the financially struggling Row K. But Sony’s specialty wing was on hand to show some of the festival acquisitions it had acquired this past winter, including David Wayne’s “Gail Daughtry’s Celebrity Sex Pass” starring Zoey Deutch as a woman who must have sex with Jon Hamm (played by himself) to save her relationship with her boyfriend after he has sex with his favorite celebrity.

Noah Segan’s “The Only Pickpocket in New York” was also acquired by SPC at Sundance, starring John Turturro as an aging petty thief falling behind in an increasingly digital world. In a clip shown to exhibitors, Turturro offers some advice to a younger pickpocket about how he can pull off his subway heists better.

SPC also showed the Saudi murder mystery thriller “Unidentified” from director Haifaa al Mansour, which follows a police department receptionist in Riyadh who is asked by an all-male detective unit to help solve the mystery of an unidentified woman found in the desert. The studio will also bring anniversary re-releases of Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting” and Jane Campion’s “The Piano” as well as Pedro Almodovar’s next drama “Bitter Christmas.”

The post Angel, StudioCanal and Sony Pictures Classics Urge Theaters to Broaden Their Horizons at CinemaCon appeared first on TheWrap.

There is no writer or director attached at this time.

The game’s developers Alec Kieft, Matthew Hufton and Cameron Angland will serve as executive producers. J.R. Young will be overseeing for 20th Century Studios.

Produced by Grandma’s Favourite Games (GFG) and released in March 2025, “99 Nights in the Forest” is an action-survival game in which players must survive 99 nights in a haunted forest while attempting to rescue four lost children and survive vicious deer and other beasts.

Just over a year old, the game is already the seventh most played game of all time on Roblox, boasting nearly 26 billion lifetime visits and a player rating of 90.6%. The game has a 14.2 million all-time peak player count, ranking No. 3 on the Roblox platform, and frequently hosts hundreds of thousands of concurrent players.

Grandma’s Favourite Games is a partnership of three New Zealand-based creators — Kieft (game designer “Cracky4”), Hufton (programmer “ForyxeV”) and Angland (environment and asset creation “Viridial”) — who have worked together to create some of the most popular games on the global Roblox platform. The game development group was founded in 2020 and now boasts over 10 million members. Between them, members of the 99 Nights team have co-created other hits such as “Mall Tycoon,” “Wacky Wizards” and the “Break In” series. The company is represented by Pryor Cashman.

“The team at Grandma’s Favourite Games are exactly the kind of bold, imaginative creators we love working with at 20th Century Studios, with world-building ideas that feel innately cinematic,” David Greenbaum, president of Disney live action and 20th Century Studios, said in a statement. “’99 Nights in the Forest’ has already connected with millions of players worldwide, and we’re excited to build on that foundation for audiences everywhere.”

Grandma’s Favourite Games added: “Growing up, Disney and 20th films were a huge part of our childhood, so collaborating with such legendary and enduring studios feels surreal. We’re excited to explore the world of 99 Nights in the Forest on a broader stage and to create some scares in an entirely new medium.”

The post 20th Century Studios Lands Theatrical Rights to Popular Roblox Game 99 Nights in the Forest appeared first on TheWrap.

Joey Monteiro has been elevated to president of worldwide marketing, where he will oversee both domestic and international marketing for the studio. Alex Altschuler has been elevated to president of media, Don Wilcox to executive vice president of marketing, Mike Winton to executive vice president of marketing, and Danielle Lee to director of creative services. The company also welcomes Cat Fisher as executive vice president of marketing from FilmNation Entertainment, where she served as vice president of marketing. Wilcox, Lee and Fisher will all report to Monteiro.

According to the official release, the promotion “reflects the strength and depth of Neon’s marketing department, combining a deeply experienced bench of executives alongside newer leadership that has rapidly scaled the department’s abilities. Together, the team has helped define Neon’s distinct voice in the marketplace.”

“What this team has built is incredibly special. It’s a deep bench of talent that has been delivering at a high level for nearly a decade, and it’s gratifying to see that work evolve and continue to be recognized,” Tom Quinn, founder and CEO of Neon, said.

Monteiro joined Neon in 2024 as executive vice president of international marketing from Sierra/Affinity and eOne, where he served as executive vice president of marketing and publicity and was responsible for creative marketing across film markets and festivals, as well as international distribution.

Altschuler was responsible for building the media team and maintaining the division from the ground up, “executing media strategy and buying entirely in-house.” Altschuler joined Neon in 2023 as vice president of media.

Mike Winton has been elevated to executive vice president of marketing after nine years with the company, where he has been a consistent force across Neon’s campaigns from its earliest days. His recent work includes campaigns for Oscar-nominated titles such as “The Secret Agent,” “It Was Just an Accident,” “Sirat” and “Arco.” In addition, Winton founded Neon’s college ambassador program, “expanding the studio’s grassroots reach and engagement with younger audiences.”

Wilcox joined Neon in 2023 as vice president of marketing.

Cat Fisher joins Neon after eight years in international marketing at the sales agency FilmNation Entertainment.

As director of creative services, Danielle Lee “leads the execution of all design initiatives, overseeing a talented in-house team of three designers and shaping the creative identity of Neon’s slate.” Lee joined Neon in October 2024 as the design team’s first hire, serving as project manager for the team.

Upcoming Neon titles include “Hokum,” starring Adam Scott; Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters”; Australian horror film “Leviticus”; Takashi Miike’s “Bad Lieutenant: Tokyo”; and Chloe Okuno’s “Brides.” Its stacked Cannes lineup includes Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord,” Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Her Private Hell” and Na Hong-jin’s “Hope.”

The post Neon Elevates Joey Monteiro to President of Worldwide Marketing and Alex Altschuler to President of Media appeared first on TheWrap.

In his new role, Oshinsky will oversee the development of ESPN’s multiplatform storytelling efforts across “30 for 30,” ESPN Films, ESPN Originals, podcasts and scripted projects. He will head the sports network’s creative strategy, talent partnerships and the creation of its global master content slate.

“I’m thrilled to join an iconic brand like ESPN at such a pivotal moment for the industry,” Oshinsky said in a statement Monday. “I look forward to shaping the next chapter of ESPN’s original storytelling, marrying ambitious creative vision with formats and partnerships that meet audiences where they are.”

Oshinsky comes to ESPN having mostly recently served for six months as the Vice President of Creative Strategy at Business Insider. Prior to that, he worked as the Vice President of Global Content & Digital at PepsiCo, a position he held for three years after having previously served as an executive producer at the company and Senior Director of Global Communications.

Oshinsky’s other experience includes working as a director and executive producer at Time Studios, a two-year stint as Vice President of Sports Illustrated from 2017 through 2019 and a supervising producer at Time Inc. He returns to ESPN after having worked as an editor at the company for several months in 2005. He got his start in the sports entertainment world working as a producer for Major League Baseball.

Over the course of his 20+ year career, Oshinsky has received 14 Emmy Awards as well as multiple Webby, Telly and Anthem Awards. He previously produced and edited the 2010 ESPN “30 for 30” documentary “Four Days in October,” which charts the four games in the 2004 American League Championship Series when the Boston Red Sox became the first MLB team in history to win a best-of-seven playoff series after falling behind 0-3 to the New York Yankees.

Oshinsky’s appointment comes just a few months after ESPN officially closed its deal to acquire the NFL Network. Last week, ESPN also confirmed that longtime NBA and college football announcer Mark Jones was set to leave the network after 36 years. His last game as an ESPN play-by-play announcer came this past Sunday when the Orlando Magic traveled to Boston to take on the Boston Celtics. Jones’ departure was reportedly his decision.

The post ESPN Sets Josh Oshinsky as Senior Director of Original Content Development appeared first on TheWrap.

He does so at a time where there’s plenty of short-term good news for theaters. The 2026 box office is off to the best start the industry has seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to films like “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” “Project Hail Mary” and “Scream 7.” Theaters are getting creative in finding new hits like Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” and the upcoming series finale to “The Amazing Digital Circus,” creating experiences for a new generation of moviegoers.

And yet O’Leary has spent the past several months in an existential battle on behalf of theaters, lobbying across the country against the proposed merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount. Through O’Leary, Cinema United has made it clear that any sale of the hallowed legacy studio would be damaging to theaters, moviegoers, and the economy that sustains surrounding businesses and countless small towns.

Despite this foreboding threat to the bottom lines of theaters, O’Leary told TheWrap that he wants to focus on the good news at this year’s convention. He also spoke about theaters’ need to diversify where they get their films to screen, as well as not to get so hooked on Imax to the suffering of all other auditoriums.

This year at CinemaCon, you have invited specialty and independent distributors like Angel and StudioCanal to the main stage. Was this move done partly in response to the consolidation issue in Hollywood?

We’re bringing in additional distributors because we’re trying to expand the circle of people that our members have exposure to. Even right now there are gaps in the schedule each year, as you know, and independent film is extremely important, not just culturally and financially, but it’s also a big way to fill in some of those gaps that exist in the schedule.

So that decision to have to highlight some of the independent distributors that are out there was not made in any way in response to possible consolidation. The one thing I would note, and we certainly learned this when Disney acquired Fox, is that it’s simply not realistic to think that the independent community can come in and take the place of a major studio that sees its production levels drop, as in the case of 20th Century Fox, by almost 50%.

So if there’s any speculation out there about any connection to consolidation, we’re just trying to highlight different distributors that are out there because they’re making an array of movies that appeal to different audiences. Our working premise is that we want the theater to be someplace where there’s something for everyone, so having a wider group of people putting movies into the system helps us serve that goal more than anything.

Well, to that end, we have recently seen some big independent hits like “Iron Lung,” which came from fans of Markiplier reaching out to theaters and asking for the film to be added to their screens, and Regal in particular jumped on that because they had staff that recognized Markiplier’s fanbase. What are your thoughts on how that played out?

I thought that was a great example of the direction we want our industry to move in. It was great for the fans and very logical on our end, because at the end of the day, we’re in a consumer-facing business. We want to put as much product into our theaters that will draw an audience, that people find compelling. You identified the Regal example, and I think there are other folks out there probably doing the same thing, keeping an eye out for fanbases and audiences off the beaten path that want to have that shared theatrical experience.  My guess is it will probably intensify as we move forward, and more movies like “Iron Lung” have success doing this kind of thing.

On the Paramount and Warner front, there’s been more red flags from Wall Street about the debt issues that will bring to Paramount Skydance, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been signaling for weeks that he will review the merger. On Cinema United’s front, what have been the most recent developments on opposing this merger?

Well, we’ve continued to talk with regulators at the state, federal and international level, continuing to press our case and to make the point that we think that this transaction as currently configured is not just bad for exhibition. It’s bad for movie fans, it’s bad for communities all over this country and around the world, and it’s bad for the entire entertainment industry.

I think we’ve been fairly disciplined and fairly straightforward in our approach, in trying to highlight the impact that this transaction is going to have on Main Street. A number of regulatory bodies are in the investigative phase trying to gather information, and we’ve been supporting that in a number of states and at the federal level, and also internationally. So we’re trying to make our case right now, and we intend to stay on top of this. It’s our highest priority, and we’ll see where the process goes.

Since you took over as head of Cinema United, you’ve pushed for an increase in capital investments to allow theater chains to refurbish thousands of theaters. How is that campaign going, and are you seeing signs that audiences are starting to notice the improvements?

Yes, we’re very happy with that progress. We’re actually going to be putting out an update on that sometime after CinemaCon. But what I can tell you is that between September 2024 and September 2025, there had been an investment of $1.5 billion in top theater chains. That’s for upgrades in the lobby, in the concession areas and also with expanded food and beverage options. You’re seeing a lot of it go into the technical side too: laser projectors, improved sound systems, and especially on seats, which movie fans really, really covet. This is happening from one screen, independent theaters all the way up through the largest circuits in the world. A couple of years ago, the top eight members of Cinema United pledged to spend $2.3 billion over three years. After one year, we were already halfway there.

To your point, AMC CEO Adam Aron has mentioned in earnings calls that they have made it a particular point to improve interest and satisfaction in just standard formats, to let people know that they are still going to get a good experience if they can’t get seats to an Imax or Dolby screening and that it won’t be a gamble on the sound and picture.

That’s right, and it’s something I’ve talked about for over a year. There’s a risk, frankly with the overemphasis on premium large formats. First of all, there are incredible PLFs that aren’t Imax. Most of our members have their own proprietary brand of them that is just as good even if it’s not well known. And while Imax deserves plenty of credit for building that trust with moviegoers, it’s our job to highlight the sheer volume of world class PLFs that are out there.

But beyond that, to Adam’s point, there are a number of people who go to the movies who aren’t seeking out that premium experience. I’m always amazed when I read articles on Monday and Tuesday that say something like 26% of a movie’s box office was made in the premium large formats. Well, that means 74% of it was made somewhere else, in other types of auditoriums. So part of what you’re seeing out there is a diversity of choice for people that go to the movies. Some people, they want to see it on the biggest screen, and that’s great. There’s an option for them. But if you’re taking five kids to a movie, you may want to see it in something that’s more affordable.

Our point is simply this: Every experience at the theater is special and amazing. And I think, frankly, the overindexing on PLFs is something which is being driven to a certain degree by forces outside of the exhibition industry. We cannot get into a situation where the consumer feels like if they don’t see it in a certain format, it’s not worth seeing in a theater, because that is just fundamentally inaccurate.

Last year, you urged Hollywood to move towards 45-day windows as an industry standard. Universal has agreed to that starting next year. During this Warner Bros. merger process, Paramount has committed to that window, and while Netflix was bidding for it, [co-CEO] Ted Sarandos was saying the same thing. Do you feel like Hollywood is getting to where you want them to be on this front?

Things are moving in a positive direction, and it is because more people in our industry are recognizing that meaningful windows benefit everybody. There was so much experimentation over the last six or seven years, and some of those experiments didn’t work and everyone is coming back to the realization that our industry is stronger when there’s a meaningful theatrical window. There’s still work to be done, but I think the studios are more and more starting to see that this is a path that is best for everybody.

Beyond what we’ve discussed, what else do you think is going to be a major part of this CinemaCon that we in the press are not focusing on as much or you think deserves more attention?

This is an odd year because there’s some very positive things going on out there, but then there’s a still this kind of overhang caused by possible consolidation. But I just want people to take a moment to look at those positives. As I said, windowing is moving in the right direction, and on top of that, I think everyone in exhibition is on the same page in terms of moving forward and figuring out new and inventive ways to make the theater experience better for everyone.

That’s why we made it a point at this CinemaCon to do a very comprehensive set of educational panels so that people can come from all over the world and share their experiences with theater owners, and maybe somebody hears something or sees something or learns something, and they take it back to their theater and they implement it, or they implement some variation on it, and it just helps our industry to continue to grow. So the focus is always on the future. How can we do better? How can we control what we control and deal with things that we can’t control? And so that’s kind of a theme, I think, which is probably more important this year than it has been in the recent past.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

The post Cinema United Chief Michael O’Leary Talks CinemaCon, Mergers and Winning the Windowing Battle appeared first on TheWrap.

On Monday, the regulator launched an “invitation to comment,” allowing interested parties to submit “any initial views on the impact that the transaction could have on competition in the UK.”

The deadline for comments will be April 27. The CMA is asking that responses be sent to paramount.warnerbrosdiscovery@cma.gov.uk.

The invitation to comment comes after Paramount CEO David Ellison previously met with U.K. Secretary of Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy to discuss issues in the film and TV industry and his bid for Warner Bros. Discovery in January.

In its notice, the CMA said that it has “received the necessary information from the parties to commence pre-notification,” but has not yet launched a formal investigation into the transaction.

“Effective competition helps ensure UK customers can enjoy quality content at a competitive price. The film and TV industries contribute billions to our economy, so it’s important we assess whether deals between studios may harm competition,” a CMA spokesperson told TheWrap. “Today’s invitation to comment is an initial step as we review Paramount’s purchase of Warner Bros Discovery. We expect to launch our Phase 1 investigation in the coming weeks.”

Under a Phase 1 review, the CMA would have 40 working days to decide whether the merger needs a more in-depth review. If it finds concerns with the merger, it will give the merging businesses five days to propose remedies to address its concerns.

The CMA would then have up to 5 more working days to consider the remedies. If none are offered or it does not accept them, the merger would be referred to a Phase 2 review. If if decides to accept remedies provisionally, it would publicly consult on them and consider any responses, with a deadline of 50 working days to make a decision.

If the review moves to Phase 2, an independent “inquiry group,” which consists of 3 to 5 people with a range of business, finance, economic and legal experience, would lead the investigation and makes the final decision within 24 weeks. In special circumstances, a Phase 2 investigation can be extended by up to eight additional weeks.

The inquiry group would then either clear the merger, consider remedies such as asset divestitures or a legal commitment from the merging businesses to behave in a certain way, or block the merger.

The CMA’s move comes after the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period in the U.S. Department of Justice’s review expired on Feb. 19. Despite the expiration, the DOJ can still investigate or challenge a Paramount-WBD deal.

Some U.S. lawmakers have also demanded that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to conduct a review of the deal, though Paramount has said that the Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds who have contributed equity financing do not meet the threshold that would trigger a mandatory review.

Paramount and Warner Bros. expect the merger to close by the third quarter, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval. A shareholder vote is slated for April 23.

In the event the transaction does not close by Sept. 30, WBD shareholders will receive a 25 cent per share “ticking fee” for each quarter until closing. In the event that the deal does not close at all due to regulatory matters, Paramount will pay WBD a $7 billion termination fee.

The post UK Regulators Ready Investigation of Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger appeared first on TheWrap.

Trump filed a defamation suit in July 2025 against the Journal over its article detailing his ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a lewd birthday card with the president’s signature.

‘“I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ,” Trump wrote. “That will be an interesting experience!!!”

In September, the House Oversight Committee released the birthday book in question, with an alleged Trump signature. Trump has denied signing it.

The judge did not rule as to whether the signature was legitimate or not, but concluded that the Journal’s reporters did not act with reckless disregard for the truth or with actual malice, the standard for defamation cases.

“To establish actual malice, ‘a plaintiff must show the defendant deliberately
avoided investigating the veracity of the statement in order to evade learning the truth,” wrote Darrin P. Gayles, a U.S. District Court judge in Florida. “The Complaint comes nowhere close to this standard.”

“Quite the opposite,” he continued. “The Article explains that, before running the story, Defendants contacted President Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment. President Trump responded with his denial, the
Justice Department did not respond at all, and the FBI declined to comment. In short, the Complaint and Article confirm that Defendants attempted to investigate.”

“President Trump will follow Judge Gayles’s ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other Defendants,” a spokesman for President Trump’s legal team said in a statement. “The President will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in Fake News to mislead the American People.”

“We are pleased with the judge’s decision to dismiss this complaint,” a Dow Jones spokesperson said. “We stand behind the reliability, rigor and accuracy of The Wall Street Journal’s reporting.”

Since returning to office last year, Trump has also sued the New York Times and BBC.

The post Judge Dismisses Trump’s Lawsuit Against the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch Over Epstein Reporting appeared first on TheWrap.

Once considered the most powerful man in Hollywood, Ovitz now proposes to return to the entertainment industry he left behind – or more accurately, was driven from – with a plan by billionaire and investor Bill Ackman to buy Universal Music Group, one of only three major music publishers that control the vast majority of the global music publishing market and the home of megastars Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter, for $64 billion.

In the letter Ackman sent the UMG board of directors last week, he proposes to buy a controlling stake in the company, with a current market cap of $42 billion, and that Ovitz, 79, “one of the most recognized global entertainment executives,” would become the chairman of the board, replacing Sherry Lansing. Lucian Grainge would remain the CEO. 

This is something of a shock to those who haven’t seen a sign of Ovitz in Hollywood for 20 years or so, since his final bid for relevance in running the Artist Management Group (AMG) failed in 2002. He finally slunk out of the entertainment industry to do something else in Palo Alto — investing, mentoring tech entrepreneurs, advising mega-investors such as Marc Andreessen and investigating the wonders of artificial intelligence.

And he has successfully built real clout in Silicon Valley.

Bullish on AI and bearish on entertainment, Ovitz advises CEO Alex Karp of Palantir Technologies, which is soaring on government defense and commercial contracts. Since the 2010s, he both invested and offered strategic counsel to Palantir through his firm Broad Beach Ventures. And according to the website of his company Treville Capital he was instrumental in negotiating early commercial contracts for the company, which now has a $306 billion (you read right) market cap.

And yet Hollywood still pulls him back. Why, I wonder?

At the time he left, Ovitz was probably the most hated man in the industry, having twisted too many arms, betrayed too many partners, broken too many promises. Before that, he had been the town’s singularly powerful broker, co-founding CAA in 1974 and building it for two decades into a powerhouse where he personally represented everyone from Barbara Streisand to Martin Scorsese to Meryl Streep, an endless A-list clientele at a time when talent commanded tens of millions of dollars for projects. He built a packaging model to which the Hollywood studios had to submit, and was known as a ruthless negotiator and strategist, a relentless flatterer and bully. 

Undeniably, Ovitz was a huge success, but by the time he left CAA for a brief but disastrous tenure at the Walt Disney Company in 1995, the town was rooting for his failure.  

So why come back to a place that rejected him? It might be as simple as – he can’t help it. Or maybe, as one corporate leader from his era told me, he’s seeking some kind of redemption.

Ovitz is a close advisor to Ackman. And the problem for Ackman, who bought 10 percent of UMG from Vivendi four years ago and now owns about 3 percent, was that UMG stock has been persistently moribund despite company growth. Since 2021, UMG has been listed on the Dutch stock exchange called Euronext, and since then, the share price has dropped 23% from its €25.10 closing on the first day of its Euronext listing. Ackman was ready to sell. 

According to an individual close to the deal, it was Ovitz who proposed to Ackman to instead align with Lucian Grainge and buy the whole company. Ackman had previously advocated moving UMG off the Dutch exchange to list it on the S&P. Doing so, he believes, would draw investment from major institutional funds such as Blackrock, Vanguard and Fidelity, which are required to hold a percentage of all companies in the S&P. That alone is expected to drive the share price up. 

But Ovitz also believes he brings personal value to the deal: as a conduit for digital innovation, in fostering relationships with artists. And as a path back to that small circle of power brokers who run the industry. 

An individual close to UMG told me that Ovitz has only met Grainge a couple of times.

Standing in the way of Ovitz’s UMG ambition is the French Bolloré family, the controlling shareholder of Vivendi, parent of Canal+, Havas and publisher Hachette, which owns 18 percent of the company. Vivendi, which they own, separately owns another 10 percent.

Clearly the Bollorés need to agree to sell to make this happen and their posture is unclear. Ackman’s bid claims to offer a 78% premium to UMG’s stock price, which includes 5 euros per share plus equity in the US-based new UMG. That might be a useful target for the Ovitz charm — he still has it. 

I don’t know Ovitz well, but I know for certain that despite the passage of years, there are some in Hollywood who still carry a grudge, or at the very least are wary of his reputation. The scars of his tenure at Disney hurt Michael Eisner’s legacy after Eisner brought him in. Ovitz’s split with his CAA founding partner Ron Meyer continued to send ripples through a community where Meyer remains well liked. 

And Ovitz’s legacy of agent-turned-dealmaker ruthlessness lives on, ironically not in the image of his own agency, CAA, where the elegant CEO Bryan Lourd operates quite differently, but more in the person of Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel, whose take-no-prisoners ethos echoes Lao-Tzu’s “Art of War,” which Ovitz famously recommended as a playbook.  

In his 2018 memoir, “Who is Michael Ovitz?” the former power broker owned some of the personal damage he wrought.  “I was a control freak. A shape-shifting machine. A Terminator,” he wrote. “That was the image I took great care to project, anyway,” he continued, adding, “It was an image I grew to hate.” 

That may be what passes for an apology. Most of us have moved on. And the proposed UMG deal? The board and the market will decide.

The post Michael Ovitz Wants Back In. Will Hollywood Have Him?  appeared first on TheWrap.

“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” the letter reads. “The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised. Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement.”

The letter continues: “This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries—and the audiences we serve—can least afford it. The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world.”

The letter also declares support for action by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, fellow state attorneys general, and others to investigate and block the transaction.

Signees include major figures in both the Paramount and Warner Bros. spheres — Abrams, of course, made many films for Paramount including the “Star Trek” movies and his Bad Robot has a deal set up at Warner Bros., which is releasing his next movie.

“The Pitt” — and thus Warner Bros. — darling Noah Wyle, too, is a signee as is “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, whose last three movies have been produced by Warner Bros.

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is barreling ahead with his company’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which he has said could close as early as this summer if it makes it through regulatory hurdles. While he has promised continued investment in Warner Bros. and an output of 30 films per year in theaters from WB, many remain wary that any kind of consolidation would negatively impact an already struggling film and TV business, and there is the looming specter of job losses as a result of the merger.

In a statement, Paramount said it hears and understands the the concerns raised by the creative community and “respect the commitment to protecting and expanding creativity.”

“Importantly, as creators we know firsthand that this is also a moment when the industry has been facing significant disruption—and the need for strong, creative-first and well-capitalized companies that can continue to invest in storytelling has never been greater,” the company said. “This transaction uniquely brings together complementary strengths to create a company that can greenlight more projects, back bold ideas, support talent across multiple stages of their careers, and bring stories to audiences at a truly global scale—while strengthening competition by ensuring multiple scaled players are investing in creative talent.”

“We have been clear in our commitments to do just that: increasing output to a minimum of 30 high-quality feature films annually with full theatrical releases, continuing to license content, and preserving iconic brands with independent creative leadership —ensuring creators have more avenues for their work, not fewer,” the letter continues. “We understand the concerns raised as a result of the disruptions caused to our industry by COVID, entry of big-tech, and changes in consumer behavior, but we promise this: Paramount remains deeply committed to talent, and this merger strengthens both consumer choice and competition, creating greater opportunities for creators,  audiences and the communities they live and work in.”

Read the full open letter below, which remains open to additional signees:

As filmmakers, documentarians, writers, and professionals across the movie and television industry, we write to express our unequivocal opposition to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries—and the audiences we serve—can least afford it. The result will be fewer opportunities for creators, fewer jobs across the production ecosystem, higher costs, and less choice for audiences in the United States and around the world. 

Our industry is already under severe strain, in large part due to prior waves of consolidation. We have witnessed a steep decline in the number of films produced and released, alongside a narrowing of the kinds of stories that are financed and distributed. Increasingly, a small number of powerful entities determine what gets made—and on what terms—leaving creators and independent businesses with fewer viable paths to sustain their work.

Media consolidation has accelerated the disappearance of the mid-budget film, the erosion of independent distribution, the collapse of the international sales market, the elimination of meaningful profit participation, and the weakening of screen credit integrity. 

Together, these factors threaten the sustainability of the entire creative community. That includes endangering the professional lives of the tens of thousands of workers who help make up that community in predominantly small businesses and independent companies embedded in local economies and communities nationwide.

We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good. The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised.
Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement. Media consolidation has already weakened one of America’s most vital global industries—one that has long shaped culture and connected people around the world. 

Fortunately, someone is doing something about all this. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and his colleagues in other states are reportedly scrutinizing the merger and considering legal action to block it. We are grateful for their leadership, and stand ready to support all efforts to preserve competition, protect jobs, and ensure a vibrant future for our industry, for American culture, and for our single most significant cultural export.

The post J.J. Abrams, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve and Over 1,000 More Sign Open Letter Against Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger appeared first on TheWrap.

The entertainment conglomerate moved to consolidate all its marketing departments in January as a cost-saving and efficiency measure. Marketing is now led by Asad Ayaz in a new position of chief marketing and brand officer.

All the Disney brands are expected to be affected, with layoffs stretching across film, television and streaming and including brands like Hulu, FX, ESPN, ABC News and Marvel, according to a knowledgeable individual. It will also include cuts in corporate, finance and technology.

Another knowledgeable person characterized the cuts as a move toward greater efficiency rather than merely cutting costs.

Disney did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

This marks the first layoffs under new CEO Josh D’Amaro’s watch, who took over from Bob Iger in March. Iger himself oversaw over 8,000 layoffs after he returned as CEO in 2022.

In January, Ayaz — who was named Disney’s first-ever Chief Brand Officer in 2023 — restructured the company’s marketing under five executives as division heads across consumer products, experiences and entertainment, all of whom report to him.

Those executives include Ron Faris for Disney Consumer Products, Scott Hudgins for Disney Experiences, Martha Morrison for Disney Entertainment Studios, Shannon Ryan for Disney Entertainment Television, Disney+ and Hulu and Tina Thornton for ESPN.

“We will show up as one unified storytelling brand across our flywheel — film, television, streaming, parks, experiences, and sports — aligned to how consumers experience the company today,” Ayaz said at the time.

In a March memo to staff, D’Amaro said the company would operate as “One Disney,” stressing close collaboration across teams.

He also noted that Disney looked to embrace technology to unlock new possibilities, stating, “Innovation has always been part of Disney’s DNA. Used thoughtfully, it can empower our storytellers, strengthen our capabilities, and help us create more immersive, interactive, and personal ways for people to experience Disney.”

D’Amaro takes over the company as consolidation and the decline of linear impact the entire entertainment industry, and while Disney’s recent earnings have shown strong numbers from the Parks division, Marvel and Pixar suffered a tough 2025 at the box office.

Looking ahead, Disney hopes to have a banner 2026 with the launch of films “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “The Mandalorian and Grogu” in May, “Toy Story 5” this summer and “Avengers: Doomsday” just in time for Christmas.

Searchlight Pictures aims to be in the awards race with Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” and Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” later this year as well.

All of those films will, of course, need robust marketing campaigns.

The post Disney Layoffs of 1,000 to Begin Next Week in Marketing, Publicity and Other Divisions | Exclusive appeared first on TheWrap.