Variety

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos says the streamer has no "opposition" to releasing Warner Bros. movies in theaters, but hints that "windows will evolve to be much more consumer friendly."

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Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. and HBO Max in $82.7 Billion Deal It's official: Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery announced an agreement under which Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.

Netflix is officially buying Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max in an $82.7 billion deal.

The announcement came after a weeks-long bidding war that pitted the streaming giant against David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance and Comcast.

"Wicked: For Good" has earned $30.8 million in previews, marking the biggest preview haul of the year.

The sequel is on track for a $150M–$180M opening weekend. It would need to top the $162.7M debut of "A Minecraft Movie" to become 2025’s biggest box-office opening.

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Blake Lively says she’s suffered $161 million in damages from an alleged smear campaign tied to the release of “It Ends With Us.”

- $56.2M in lost acting, producing, and endorsement income

- $49M from her beauty brand Blake Brown

- $22M from Betty Buzz/Betty Booze

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This week’s cover story:

Inside David Ellison’s Dramatic First 100 Days at Paramount: Courting Tom Cruise Blockbusters, Forging Ties With Trump and Daring Anyone Else to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery

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#JonStewart is staying put on #TheDailyShow and has renewed his deal to continue hosting one episode per week through December 2026.

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Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne are separating after 22 years as both creative and life partners.

The pair announced their split on Instagram, adding that they “look forward to seeing you on tour,” even though the band has no scheduled concert dates.

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MTV has cancelled "Ridiculousness" after 14 years and 46 seasons.

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Netflix ‘Actively Exploring’ Warner Bros. Discovery Bid, Hires Bank to Put Together M&A Offer (Report) Netflix is "actively exploring" an acquisition bid for Warner Bros. Discovery and has retained investment bank Moelis & Co. to put together a prospective offer, Reuters reported.

Netflix is “actively exploring” some type of acquisition bid for Warner Bros. Discovery and has retained investment bank Moelis & Co. to put together a prospective offer.

Moelis was the financial adviser to David Ellison’s Skydance Media in its takeover of Paramount Global.

EXCLUSIVE: Gayle King, who has been the face of CBS News‘ morning show for more than a decade, is expected to depart as an anchor of the morning program next year.

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Why Netflix and AMC Theatres Are Finally Getting Into Business Together for ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and More After years of animosity, Netflix and AMC Theatres might be reaching a détente.

Why Netflix and AMC Theatres Are Finally Getting Into Business Together for ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ ‘Stranger Things’ and More

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MSNBC Sets Official Date for MS NOW Name Change MSNBC Switches Name to MS NOW on November 15

On November 15, MSNBC will offically change its name to MS NOW.

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Cinemark to Add 70mm Imax Screens Ahead of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ Cinemark will add a number of Imax screens ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey."

Cinemark will add several Imax screens, including the 70mm format, to its locations in the United States and South America ahead of the release of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey."

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‘Pluribus’ Trailer: ‘Breaking Bad’ Creator’s New Sci-Fi Series Sends Rhea Seehorn on a Mission to Save Humanity From Happiness Rhea Seehorn is tasked with saving humanity in the trailer for 'Breaking Bad' creator Vince Gilligan's new sci-fi show on Apple, 'Pluribus.'

Apple TV has released the official trailer for #Pluribus, the new sci-fi drama from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan. The series will debut with a two-episode premiere on Nov. 7.

Read the full trailer breakdown here:

Suzanne Somers' husband has created an AI clone of her, two years after her death. "Suzanne AI" was trained by “all of Suzanne’s 27 books and hundreds of interviews."

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AI News Anchor Debuts on U.K.’s Channel 4 in Stunt Proving Dangers of Artificial Intelligence An AI-generated news anchor appeared on Britain's Channel 4 in a stunt proving the dangers of artificial intelligence.

AI News Anchor Debuts on U.K.’s Channel 4 in Stunt Proving Dangers of Artificial Intelligence

Bryan Cranston, SAG-AFTRA and Agents Applaud Fixes to Open AI’s Sora 2 After Outcry Bryan Cranston joined with SAG-AFTRA, CAA and UTA in thanking OpenAI for adding guardrails to Sora 2 that protect actors' voice and likenesses.

Bryan Cranston thanks OpenAI for updating Sora 2 to add new protections to protect actors’ voices and likenesses.

“I was deeply concerned not just for myself, but for all performers whose work and identity can be misused in this way.”

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Disney+, Hulu Cancelation Rates Doubled During Jimmy Kimmel Suspension — but Total Sign-Ups Also Increased ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show last month drove a surge in cancelations of Disney+ and Hulu streaming services by consumers outraged over the move. However, both services als...

While ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show doubled cancelations of Disney+ and Hulu, both streamers also saw higher-than-average sign-ups during September.

This helped offset the consumers who nixed their subscriptions.

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PBS CEO Reveals Plan to Save Stations and Programming After Trump Killed Funding, Admits There’s No ‘White Knight That Will Save Us’ PBS CEO Paula Kerger on her plan to save local stations and continue original programming now that federal funding for public broadcasting is gone.

PBS CEO talks Trump’s major funding cuts and reveals the network still has "a lot" of conservative donors:

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Apple and Formula 1 Ink Five-Year Exclusive U.S. Streaming Deal Worth About $750 Million Apple and Formula 1 announced a five-year agreement under which all F1 races will be available exclusively on Apple TV in the U.S. beginning in 2026.

Apple and Formula 1 have struck a five-year deal making Apple TV the exclusive U.S. home for all F1 races starting in 2026.

The agreement follows the success of "F1 The Movie," which raked in $629 million worldwide at the box office this year.

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Warner Bros. Discovery Speaks Out Against Israeli Film Boycott: ‘Our Policies Prohibit Discrimination of Any Kind’ (EXCLUSIVE) Warner Bros. Discovery says it believes a boycott of Israeli film institutions would "violate" its policies.

Warner Bros. Discovery speaks out against an Israeli film boycott and says it "violates our policies":

“Our policies prohibit discrimination of any kind, including discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or ancestry."

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This week's exclusive cover story:

Saying Goodbye to 'Stranger Things': The Duffer Brothers Tell All on Season 5 Secrets, the Tearful Finale and Leaving Netflix For Paramount

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Saying Goodbye to ‘Stranger Things’: The Duffer Brothers Tell All on Season 5 Secrets, the Tearful Finale and Leaving Netflix for Paramount (EXCLUSIVE) Matt and Ross Duffer grace the cover of Variety and discuss ending "Stranger Things," the future of the franchise and leaving Netflix for Paramount.

In July 2024, I went to the set of #StrangerThings for two days and observed the Duffer brothers direct Millie Bobby Brown in the fourth episode of the fifth & final season. This year, @kateaurthur.bsky.social and I spent half a day total with the Duffers talking about the show and their future. 1/x

CNN, Fox News, ABC News, CBS News and NBC News refuse to sign the Pentagon's new press policy in a joint statement.

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Apple TV+ Rebrands to Apple TV, Ditching the Plus Sign for ‘Vibrant New Identity’ It's just Apple TV now, no plus.

Apple has rebranded its streaming service Apple TV+ to Apple TV — which is the same name as its connected smart TV product.

“Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity,” the company announced on Monday.

Disney’s sci-fi sequel “Tron: Ares” opened to a disappointing $33.5 million this weekend, falling short of projections of $45 million to $50 million.

For comparison, 2010’s “Tron: Legacy” debuted to $44 million (not adjusted for inflation).

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Amazon Prime Video has canceled "Countdown" and "Butterfly" after one season each.

Both series appeared on Nielsen’s top 10 streaming originals chart.

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Warner Bros. Renews Michael De Luca, Pamela Abdy Contracts After ‘Sinners’ and ‘Minecraft’ Spark Epic Box Office Turnaround Warner Bros. film chiefs Michael De Luca, Pamela Abdy had their contracts renewed on the strength of hits like 'Sinners' and 'A Minecraft Movie.'

Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav has confirmed that the contracts for co-CEOs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have been renewed for an unspecified period of time.

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Jeremy Strong Sets ‘9/12,’ Limited Series Following 9/11 First Responders’ Legal Fight, at Paramount+ Jeremy Strong will star in and executive produce '9/11,' a Paramount+ limited series that follows a landmark legal case about 9/11 first responders.

Jeremy Strong will star in and executive produce "9/12," a #ParamountPlus limited series that follows a landmark legal case about 9/11 first responders.

Before Bari Weiss was tapped as CBS News' new editor-in-chief, her agents pushed to get her on "The View" after Meghan McCain’s exit in 2021.

Sources say Weiss' centrist-right contrarian politics ultimately didn't test well with audiences.

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