Monday, February 5, 2018
Netflix has given a big commitment to a music-driven series from the “Glee” team of Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan that is set to star Ben Platt. The project, first r…
SOURCE: Variety at 11:41AMSaturday, January 13, 2018
Filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail Disney has teamed with Killer Content to launch Level Forward, a startup studio venture that aims to focus on backing projects driven by women and person…
SOURCE: Variety at 02:58PMFriday, January 5, 2018
FX Networks CEO John Landgraf voiced optimism for his cable group making a smooth transition to Disney ownership in part because Disney does not have any similar channels in its existing TV …
SOURCE: Variety at 02:05PMThursday, January 4, 2018
The Fox network will continue to carry scripted entertainment programming after the anticipated split of the 20th Century Fox studio from its Fox Broadcasting Co. sibling. That was the word …
SOURCE: Variety at 01:53PMTuesday, December 19, 2017
John Legend has been tapped for the title role in NBC’s live staging of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” set for Easter Sunday. “We’re all overjoyed to have world-class musica…
SOURCE: Variety at 08:20AMSaturday, December 16, 2017
Disney’s $52.4 billion deal to scoop up most of 21st Century Fox marks the beginning of an historic realignment of Hollywood’s Big Six studios. It may also lead to an industry-shaking re…
SOURCE: Variety at 10:37AMThursday, December 14, 2017
The spark came in August over a couple of glasses of wine, as two media moguls chewed the fat about the state of the business. Disney chief Bob Iger and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murd…
SOURCE: Variety at 07:33PMDisney has committed to pay a $2.5 billion breakup fee to 21st Century Fox if its $52.4 billion deal to buy most of Fox’s film and TV assets is blocked by federal regulators. The agree…
SOURCE: Variety at 09:51AMDisney’s interest in 21st Century Fox’s film and TV assets is all about building up its direct-to-consumer streaming capabilities. Disney chairman-CEO Bob Iger was blunt in layin…
SOURCE: Variety at 09:04AMMonday, December 11, 2017
Disney has such an inside track on reaching a $60 billion-plus deal to acquire key entertainment and sports assets from 21st Century Fox that Comcast has formally exited the chase. Comcast s…
SOURCE: Variety at 05:30PMFriday, December 8, 2017
More signs that Disney’s acquisition talks with 21st Century Fox are picking up steam: Both companies have set teams of bankers on the case to work out the fine print. Disney is workin…
SOURCE: Variety at 04:44PMThursday, December 7, 2017
Walt Disney Co. has added two CEOs from the technology world to its board of directors. Oracle CEO Safra Catz and Francis deSouza, CEO of biotech firm Illumina, have been elected to board se…
SOURCE: Variety at 04:49PMWednesday, December 6, 2017
Bob Iger is likely to extend his tenure as Disney chairman-CEO if the company succeeds in acquiring 20th Century Fox and other big assets from the Murdoch empire. Iger’s current contra…
SOURCE: Variety at 06:54PMTuesday, December 5, 2017
Who runs the film studio? Who gets the keys to the TV kingdom? And will a Murdoch be in line for Bob Iger’s throne? There are more questions than answers as the possibility of Disney acqui…
SOURCE: Variety at 07:43PMWednesday, November 22, 2017
Comcast and Disney are staying focused on the prospect of bidding for key 21st Century Fox assets despite the concern about the climate for media mergers raised by the Justice DepartmentR…
SOURCE: Variety at 03:53PMSaturday, November 11, 2017
When Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to bring a U.S. TV news crew along for a look at Hurricane Maria’s toll on his extended family in Puerto Rico, there was little doubt which network the “H…
SOURCE: Variety at 10:45AMThursday, November 9, 2017
Disney has just closed a deal with director Rian Johnson to develop a new “Star Wars” trilogy, and it is planning a live-action “Star Wars” TV series to air on its en…
SOURCE: Variety at 04:55PMMonday, November 6, 2017
Shares in 21st Century Fox spiked in midday trading Monday following a report from CNBC that the Murdochs have held talks in recent weeks to sell a large portion of the media conglomerate to…
SOURCE: Variety at 01:56PMTuesday, October 31, 2017
Comedy Central has recruited Broadway Video alum Jennifer Danielson to head its digital content operations. As senior VP of digital, Danielson will oversee all creative and editorial for the…
SOURCE: Variety at 11:39AMMonday, October 30, 2017
Former “House of Cards” showrunner Beau Willimon has called the sexual misconduct allegations against series star Kevin Spacey “deeply troubling” but asserts that he …
SOURCE: Variety at 10:29AMMonday, October 2, 2017
Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider have stepped down as co-head writers of “Saturday Night Live” after steering the show through its most successful season in more than 20 years. Ke…
SOURCE: Variety at 12:34PMSunday, October 1, 2017
UPDATED: Cable operator Altice USA and Disney have reached “an agreement in principle” after days of tense contract talks. Talks between Altice and Disney went down to the wire S…
SOURCE: Variety at 05:08PMFriday, September 29, 2017
Altice USA and Disney have extended to Sunday the deadline for averting a blackout of ESPN, Disney Channel and other cablers for about 2.6 million New York-area subscribers. The sides agreed…
SOURCE: Variety at 02:42PMWednesday, September 27, 2017
Disney XD’s animated comedy “Milo Murphy’s Law” is planning a crossover episode next year with “Phineas and Ferb,” the hit comedy from the same creative t…
SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AMThursday, September 21, 2017
Matthew Broderick has signed on for the role of the adult Ralphie narrator in Fox’s live staging of a musical based on the beloved 1983 film “A Christmas Story.” “A Christmas Story L…
SOURCE: Variety at 02:07PMTuesday, September 19, 2017
Beau Willimon has an ambitious new drama series launching next year on Hulu, and he has a Broadway play opening in late November. But a busy schedule has not deterred him from taking the rei…
SOURCE: Variety at 08:39PMSunday, September 17, 2017
After seven nominations, “The Handmaid’s Tale” star Elisabeth Moss has won her first Emmy. And in her excitement, it looks like she may have dropped a couple of expletives. Whi…
SOURCE: Variety at 11:19PMThursday, September 7, 2017
Disney and the largest cable operators saw their share prices take a hit on Thursday as investors seemed to renew concerns about long-term trends in the traditional media sector. Disney shar…
SOURCE: Variety at 03:41PMThursday, August 10, 2017
A twenty-something queen, a president with blood on her hands, a powerful defense attorney and law professor, a volatile robot, a savvy Soviet spy and a Handmaid who refuses to allow her spi…
SOURCE: Variety at 11:00AMTuesday, August 8, 2017
Disney is ready to deploy some of the company’s crown jewels — Disney- and Pixar-branded movies and ESPN — in an effort to position itself for the future by embracing the e…
SOURCE: Variety at 06:17PMTuesday, June 13, 2017
The turbulent state of culture and politics in the Trump era were top of mind for many Tony Award winners. A number of those who made the trip to the stage at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday…
SOURCE: Variety at 09:37PM 
