Tag Archives: Paramount

Entertainment

‘Daily Show’ Alumni Mourn Loss of Clip Archive After Website Scrubbing

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A company resolution to wash Comedy Central‘s web site of a lot of its content material isn’t sitting properly with numerous former and present Day by day Present staffers.

The websites for Comedy Central and fellow Paramount-owned cable channels CMT, Paramount Community and TV Land, had been largely stripped of content material this week; what’s left principally redirects customers to the corporate’s streaming platform, Paramount+. The media conglomerate additionally shut down the MTV Information web site earlier this week.

Paramount, which is trying to reduce half a billion {dollars} in prices amid declining earnings, mentioned the gutting of the websites was “a part of broader web site adjustments throughout” the corporate.

“We’ve got launched extra streamlined variations of our websites, driving followers to Paramount+ to observe their favourite exhibits,” the corporate mentioned in a press release.

Paramount+, nevertheless, solely has the 2 most up-to-date seasons of The Day by day Present obtainable for streaming. Comedy Central’s web site beforehand hosted an enormous archive of episodes and clips protecting many of the present’s historical past (together with fellow late night time exhibits @midnight, The Colbert Report, The Nightly Present and The Opposition With Jordan Klepper). That archive is now gone. Some materials is on YouTube, however The Day by day Present’s channel there, as an example, doesn’t have any materials from earlier than 2016.

“Gotta convey again the bootleg DVD man,” former Day by day Present correspondent Roy Wooden Jr. wrote on X. This shit ain’t proper.” Doug Herzog, who headed Comedy Central when The Day by day Present launched, reposted Wooden’s assertion in an Instagram Story and added a facepalm emoji to a screenshot of a information merchandise about Paramount’s gutting of the web site.

On social community Bluesky, Day by day Present author and producer Daniel Radosh famous that the present’s workers would commonly use the clip archive on the web site: “Hey for additional enjoyable guess what was the one manner for individuals who nonetheless work on the present to seek out previous clips which are necessary to have in the midst of producing mentioned present!” he wrote.

Tim Carvell, an govt producer of Final Week Tonight With John Oliver and 10-year Day by day Present veteran, took a shot at Paramount in a Bluesky submit: “2002: ‘Cautious, youngsters, the Web is eternally!’ 2024: ‘Oh, hey, all of the work you probably did for a decade of your life was simply deleted from the Web for Enterprise Causes.’”

Entertainment

Comedy Central Website, and Tons of ‘Daily Show’ Clips, Wiped Out

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Following the sudden shuttering of the MTV Information web site earlier this week, Paramount has now largely cleaned home on the websites for a number of extra of its cable channels, in a possible cost-cutting transfer.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the websites for Comedy Central, CMT, Yellowstone airer Paramount Community and TV Land have been as an alternative directing customers to the media conglomerate’s streaming platform Paramount+. On Monday, MTVnews.com was taken down, purging some 20 years of tales from the online.

A pop-up window on the Comedy Central website reads, “Whereas episodes of most Comedy Central sequence are now not out there on this web site, you’ll be able to watch Comedy Central by way of your TV supplier. You may as well join Paramount+ to look at many seasons of Comedy Central exhibits.” Related language exhibits up on the CMT, Paramount Community and TV Land websites, in addition to that of MTV (which was separate from MTVnews.com).

Paramount stated in a press release, “As a part of broader web site modifications throughout Paramount, we’ve got launched extra streamlined variations of our websites, driving followers to Paramount+ to look at their favourite exhibits.”

As famous by LateNighter, the cleansing out of the Comedy Central website particularly wipes out an enormous trove of archival materials from The Each day Present and different late night time sequence, together with clips from South Park, Key & Peele and Workaholics, amongst many others. A few of that materials is offered on YouTube, nevertheless it’s not as simply searchable or accessible because it was on the community web page. (The oldest video on the Each day Present YouTube channel, as an example, is from 2016, whereas the present’s historical past stretches again 20 years earlier than then.)

On Paramount+, solely the 2 most up-to-date seasons of The Each day Present can be found. The platform has a number of South Park specials and the 1999 function movie Larger, Longer and Uncut, however the present’s major streaming house is on Max. Paramount+ does have the complete runs of Key & Peele and Workaholics.

As of publication time, websites for Paramount’s BET, Nickelodeon and VH1 have been nonetheless lively, whereas MTV.com provided some episodes and clips.

The web site modifications come on the heels of Paramount’s co-CEOs — George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins — telling staff at a city corridor assembly Tuesday that they have been embarking on a cost-cutting mission as income have dropped for the corporate. Paramount is on the lookout for $500 million in diminished prices, which can imply layoffs for some staff. Cheeks additionally stated on the city corridor that “We’re taking a look at promoting sure Paramount-owned property — in reality, we’ve already employed bankers to help us on this course of — and we’ll use the proceeds to assist pay down debt and strengthen our steadiness sheet.”

Entertainment

John Krasinski-Ryan Reynolds Movie Eyes $40M Opening

The primary main studio household movie of summer time 2024 opens the field workplace this weekend, and it couldn’t boast extra star energy.

Author-director John Krasinski‘s IF — headlining Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming alongside an A-list voice solid — explores the world of discarded imaginary buddies and what occurs when a younger woman and her neighbor attempt to reunite them with their earlier human friends.

The live-action/CGI animated Paramount pic is monitoring for a home debut within the $40 million vary. Critiques thus far are combined, however good viewers scores will arguably matter extra on this case. Plus, there’s a pent-up demand for household merchandise that every one ages can go see.

Until there’s a whole upset, IF ought to high the field workplace and wrest the crown from Disney and twentieth Century Studio’s male-fueled Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which overperformed in North America with a $58.6 million opening final weekend, the second-best launch of the four-title rebooted franchise. The film, which is just days away from crossing $100 million domestically is predicted to earn $25 million to $28 million this week if all goes effectively.

Some suppose IF may are available in north of $40 million, however the household market has by no means absolutely recovered from the pandemic and the proliferation of streaming. Additionally, unique household movies are few and much between outdoors of Pixar. Up to now, the most important opening for an unique live-action household title belongs to 2011’s Hop ($37.5 million), not adjusted for inflation. Hop additionally was a CGI hybrid.

Krasinski has definitely confirmed his chops at unique storytelling within the horror-thriller area with the Quiet Place collection.

IF, which couldn’t be extra totally different, revolves round Bea (Fleming) who’s quickly staying along with her grandmother (Fiona Shaw) in a Brooklyn Heights brownstone condo whereas her father (Krasinski) awaits surgical procedure. In her vulnerability, she begins seeing imaginary buddies all over the place, equivalent to butterfly-like Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and lovable furry large Blue (Steve Carell). She shortly learns that her grumpy neighbor (Reynolds) has the identical present. Collectively, they determine to attempt to reunite the “IFs,” as they’re recognized, with their onetime friends.

The voice solid additionally options Emily Blunt, Louis Gossett Jr., Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Awkwafina, Blake Vigorous, George Clooney, Matthew Rhys, Bradley Cooper, Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key. The live-action solid is rounded out by Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Liza Colón-Zayas and Bobby Moynihan.

Two different films open nationwide this weekend, Lionsgate’s newest horror providing, Strangers: Chapter One, and Focus Options’ Amy Winehouse biopic Again to Black.

“The Strangers – Chapter One”

John Armour/Lionsgate

The micro-budgeted Strangers is monitoring to open within the $7 million to $9 million vary in one other check of whether or not there may be horror fatigue on the field workplace.

Directed by Renny Harlin, the film stars Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez who’re pressured to spend the night time in a distant cabin when their automotive breaks down in a creepy small city. Panic ensues as they’re terrorized by three masked strangers.

Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Again to Black.’

Courtesy of Focus Options

Whereas launching nationwide in additional than 2,000 cinema, Again to Black continues to be thought of one thing of a specialty play and is way much less industrial in scope than a biopic equivalent to Rocketman or Bohemian Rhapsody. It additionally has been rejected by many critics, which isn’t an excellent factor for an grownup drama. The film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Marisa Abela as the long-lasting singer-songwriter, is monitoring for $4 million to $6 million home. Focus/Common acquired home and sure worldwide rights from Studio Canal, which produced the film and labored with the Winehouse property.

Entertainment

New ‘Dora the Explorer’ Movie to Star Samantha Lorraine

Samantha Lorraine is placing on her backpack.

The actress, greatest identified for her key position in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, has been forged because the titular heroine in Nickelodeon Studios’ new live-action Dora the Explorer function being made for Paramount+ and Nickelodeon.

Alberto Belli, who directed Disney+ vacation function The Naughty 9 and episodes of Disney present Extremely Violet and Black Scorpion, is helming the brand new manufacturing that has a working title of Dora and the Seek for Sol Dorado.

Written by J.T. Billings , the script follows as Dora, her cousin Diego and their new mates trek by way of perilous risks of the Amazonian jungle searching for the traditional treasure of Sol Dorado with a purpose to preserve this highly effective treasure out of enemy arms. Swiper no swiping!

Sol Dorado shall be solely the second time the adventurous Latina has been translated to the live-action world. Isabela Moner performed the character in a 2019 film directed by James Bobin that was launched theatrically.

Dora, initially a long-running animated youngsters’s sequence that started on Nickelodeon in 2000, is likely one of the Paramount’s largest and extra worthwhile franchises, with its impression felt by way of a number of sequence, merchandizing tie-ins, video video games and toys. Dora, a brand new preschool animated sequence, debuted on Paramount+ in April and a second season is already greenlit.

Lorraine performed Lydia Rodriguez Katz in My Bat Mitzvah, the offending greatest buddy in 2023’s well-regarded Netflix coming-of-age comedy. The movie revolved round Lydia’s friendship with the primary character, Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler). The actress is a relative newcomer to the display. She earned her first credit score in 2020 on PBS sequence Child Stew. That very same 12 months, she additionally appeared on AMC’s The Strolling Lifeless: World Past.

Lorraine is repped by Buchwald, Enterprise, Stellar Expertise and Goodman Genow.

Entertainment

James Cameron and Ari Emanuel Offer Support of Skydance-Paramount Bid

Each James Cameron and Ari Emanuel supplied their help this weekend of Skydance‘s bid to amass Paramount.

Although reviews earlier this week prompt that Paramount’s particular board committee was leaning towards accepting Skydance’s provide, Cameron and Emanuel instructed The Monetary Occasions on Sunday that they supported Skydance founder David Ellison’s potential management.

The deal, first supplied throughout a 30-day unique negotiating window at first of April, would see Skydance, joined by monetary companions RedBird Capital and KKIR, purchase controlling shareholder Shari Redstone’s stake within the firm after which merge Skydance into Paramount, retaining it as a publicly traded firm, with new management on the helm.

“I like the Ellison concept,” Cameron, whose 1997 movie Titanic stays one in every of Paramount’s most profitable motion pictures, stated. “If he will get . . . to run Paramount creatively, it could possibly be an enormous boon for this enterprise in these ailing instances. David’s confirmed himself.”

Emanuel, Endeavor CEO, additionally noticed promise in Ellison’s imaginative and prescient, calling him “a pure acquirer” of the corporate. “David has an actual film enterprise [with] large franchises,” he stated. “Everyone is in enterprise with him — Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Paramount and Disney all have a great relationship with David.” 

Skydance’s negotiating window ended this week simply after proposing a revised provide final weekend. Although the window was not prolonged (nor a deal made), a supply near the deal instructed The Hollywood Reporter that talks between the perimeters would proceed.

Within the meantime, Paramount can be reportedly contemplating a $26 billion all-cash provide from Apollo and Sony Photos. Although the standing of that deal shouldn’t be clear, it could carry extra regulatory issues, on account of Apollo’s current possession of broadcast TV stations, and Sony’s standing as a Japanese firm.

The negotiations have been only one a part of a really eventful week for Paramount — the corporate parted methods with CEO Bob Bakish on Monday, changing him with Chris McCarthy, George Cheeks and Brian Robbins working in an “workplace of the CEO.”

“Going ahead, we’re finalizing a brand new long-term plan to finest place this storied firm to achieve new and higher heights in our quickly altering world,” the trio wrote to staff on Monday.

A supply stated that the executives have been ready to guide the corporate long-term, confirming {that a} formal strategic plan can be communicated to workers within the coming weeks.

Entertainment

Warren Buffett Sells All Paramount Stock, Takes Huge Loss

Warren Buffett‘s two-year dalliance with Paramount World has come to an finish.

The famed investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO says that his firm has exited its place in Paramount. Buffett disclosed the information throughout Berkshire’s annual assembly in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday.

“We offered all of it, and we misplaced fairly a bit of cash, that occurs on this enterprise too,” Buffett advised the group, including that he was the one who determined to purchase into the corporate within the first place (there had been hypothesis that one in every of Buffett’s deputies could have initiated the commerce). “I did all of it on my own, of us.”

Berkshire stunned Wall Avenue when it disclosed a $2.6 billion stake in Paramount in Might 2022. Later that yr, it added much more shares, in the end changing into the biggest shareholder within the firm (or not less than its non-voting shares, with Shari Redstone and the Redstone household’s Nationwide Amusements controlling a majority of its voting shares).

Since then, in fact, Paramount has been on a inventory downswing, because the exorbitant prices to compete within the streaming wars and a seemingly tepid M&A market, have put the corporate in a troublesome monetary place. Paramount additionally slashed its dividend final yr in order that it might put money into streaming.

In latest months the corporate has been embroiled in sale talks, with an unique negotiating window with a consortium led by David Ellison’s Skydance having simply ended, and a brand new proposal from Apollo and Sony on the desk. Whereas the inventory worth had picked up barely given the talks, it has been wobbly given the uncertainty over whether or not a deal would get executed, and what would occur if it doesn’t.

The corporate additionally parted methods with its CEO, Bob Bakish, final week, changing him with a trio of executives forming an “workplace of the CEO.”

At Berkshire’s shareholder assembly final yr in Omaha, Buffett quipped that “it’s not excellent news when any firm cuts its dividend dramatically,” and added feedback that appeared skeptical of the streaming enterprise.

“You’ve acquired a bunch of firms that don’t wish to give up. Who is aware of what pricing does below that?” Buffett mentioned.

At Saturday’s assembly, Buffett mentioned that the expertise taught him, at 93 years outdated, a lesson.

“Truly, proudly owning Paramount made me suppose even deeper, however I definitely seemed more durable about the entire query of what folks do with their leisure time and what the governing rules are of operating an leisure enterprise of any kind, whether or not it’s sports activities or motion pictures or no matter it may be,” Buffett mentioned. “I believe I’m smarter now than I used to be a pair years in the past, however I additionally suppose I’m poorer as a result of I acquired the information within the method I did.”

Berkshire disclosed in February that it started promoting its stake in Paramount on the finish of final yr.