Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Know What's Happening in Entertainment
Super Mario Galaxy film targets $200M+ opening weekend
Nintendo and Illumination are positioning the upcoming "Super Mario Galaxy" movie to open with more than $200 million domestically over the Easter holiday weekend. The strategy leans on the franchise’s multigenerational appeal and a family‑focused release window, with analysts citing the 2015 "Avengers: Age of Ultron" $191 million opening as a benchmark.
Also developing:
By the numbers: K-Love seeks FCC approval to acquire WFCC
Warner Bros. enjoyed a record‑setting run of nine consecutive No. 1 openings, from *Minecraft* to *Wuthering Heights*. The streak snapped in March when the horror‑thriller *The Bride!* opened to just $5 million, the studio’s weakest wide release since *The Alto Knights*. A second flop, *They Will Kill You*, reinforced the downturn. Meanwhile, Amazon MGM’s *Project Hail Mary* surged past $300 million worldwide, dropping only 32 percent in its second week.
Connoisseur Media announced it will sell its four Topeka radio stations—98.5 KSAJ, 106.9 KTPK, and the AM/FM pair 580/94.5 WIBW—to MSC Radio Group, a Kansas‑Nebraska broadcaster. The transaction, which stems from Connoisseur’s 2025 acquisition of Alpha Media’s Kansas assets, is awaiting FCC clearance...
Manifold Technologies will showcase support for 400 GbE commercial‑off‑the‑shelf FPGA accelerator cards at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The manifold CLOUD platform can now harness up to four 400 Gbps cards per server, delivering a total of 4.8 Tbps of media processing....
Fallout Season 2 reached 83 million people worldwide during its first 13 weeks of release. https://t.co/xwJxW1bBZP
HYBE America announced Blake Foster as its new Head of Business Intelligence, a role designed to centralize data strategy across U.S. operations. The former Warner Music Group senior vice president will build the company’s analytics infrastructure and turn artist‑generated data...
Jason Statham’s 2024 action thriller The Beekeeper starts streaming on Hulu on April 1, more than two years after its theatrical debut and well before the announced sequel arrives in cinemas. The move highlights a growing trend of studios using streaming windows...
Microsoft is exploring a lower‑cost Xbox Game Pass tier, possibly with ads or limited perks, to attract budget‑conscious gamers. The move comes as Sony lifts PS5 prices to $649.99 for the standard model, $599.99 for the Digital Edition, and $899.99...
iHeartMedia announced a partnership with the bipartisan America250 initiative to deliver a unified national radio experience for the United States’ 250th birthday on July 4. The two‑day shared soundtrack will be broadcast across more than 800 iHeartRadio stations and streamed via...
Sophie Turner suffered a back injury on set, prompting Amazon Prime Video to pause production of its $125 million Lara Croft reboot. The delay threatens the series’ release schedule and underscores the financial stakes of big‑budget streaming projects.
Talent agencies are increasingly leveraging high‑margin brand and marketing partnerships to outpace traditional commission‑based talent representation. Landmark deals such as CAA’s 1991 Coca‑Cola consulting contract demonstrated the profitability of corporate collaborations, a model now replicated by agencies with partners like...
Disney is now restricting its complimentary bus service between Disney Springs and Walt Disney World resorts during peak periods such as spring break and major holidays. Cast members at the bus loop entrance are checking resort identification cards, allowing only...
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released a whitepaper titled “AI‑Powered Video Outcomes: Agentic AI,” outlining how autonomous AI systems will reshape video planning, optimization, measurement, and creation. The report notes that 69% of analytics teams are scaling AI and 44%...
Over 183 JUNO-nominated albums. 45 Grammy-nominated campaigns. And the thing I am most proud of? Every single artist I got to champion along the way. Let me champion yours. Happy to chat: Eric@ThatEricAlper.com
Wow Media Inc., founded by Scott Krantz, is installing 30 motion‑picture "EON" booths along Inglewood’s major sports corridors, joining its existing 23 large‑format billboards. The network launches by May 1, just before the FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium, and is...
Advertisers who sued Meta in 2018 over allegedly inflated ad‑reach metrics are now challenging the platform's last‑minute bid to force most class members into arbitration. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals must decide whether Meta waived its arbitration clause by...
Sydney‑based Fat Poodle has launched Dripfed.TV, a premium vertical‑studio streaming service built for mobile and social platforms. The platform delivers daily episodes under 90 seconds across Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, blending scripted and unscripted short‑form series. Its debut slate includes...
JCDecaux, the world’s leading out‑of‑home media group, launched a multi‑city teaser campaign for Céline Dion’s long‑awaited return, displaying iconic song titles on flagpole screens across Paris’s busiest streets. The climax arrived at 9:10 p.m. on the Eiffel Tower, where the artist’s...
Debbie Kenyon, a veteran of Audacy (formerly Entercom), has been promoted to Regional President for the company’s Central U.S. markets. In addition to continuing oversight of Detroit stations, she will now manage key properties in Chicago, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and...
SM Entertainment, under co‑CEOs Daniel Jang and Dmitry YJ Tak, unveiled its SM NEXT 3.0 strategy, reshaping production with a matrix‑based, agile model, deeper AI integration and aggressive M&A. The company reported Q4 2025 consolidated revenue of about $220 million, a 16.6% YoY increase,...
ABC has officially renewed Grey’s Anatomy for a 23rd season, extending the medical drama’s run through 2025. The core ensemble—including Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, and James Pickens Jr.—remains intact, while Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver will exit after the season‑22...
Ampere Analysis reports that global subscription‑over‑the‑top (OTT) revenue has crossed the $150 billion threshold for the first time, marking a roughly 30% year‑over‑year increase. The surge reflects an expanding subscriber base that now exceeds 1.5 billion worldwide, with the strongest growth in...
SCOTUS says platforms are not liable for copyright infringement. Disney's OpenAI deal collapsed. WBD's Superman hits public domain in 2034. The Ellisons own Paramount and Oracle. Every other IP holder needs a cloud infrastructure deal now. https://t.co/frS0mL1rld
Amazon is playing to win in advertising $AMZN The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 306. With @BrandoLightShed and @WaltLightShed https://t.co/Pzx5rhEa8x
Disney‑owned 20th Century Studios’ dark comedy *Send Help* topped Fandango at Home’s weekly revenue chart for the week ending March 29, after its premium digital rental and sale launch on March 24. The film edged out Sony’s animated *GOAT*, which debuted at No. 2, while Jason Statham’s action...
The BBC has designated the North East as a key Creative Cluster, unveiling new commissions across drama, factual series and digital content. The eight‑part drama “The Northumbria Mysteries” starring Robson Green enters pre‑production, while a ten‑part adaptation of “The Secret Diary...
#MondayMemory. February 3, 1986. #SteveJobs purchased the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, which became Pixar for $5 million. (Steve Jobs Archive) #JVGpost https://t.co/iaFrkTcado
The latest Spot Ten report from Media Monitors shows that two auto‑insurance specialists and a leading accident‑attorney firm are maintaining strong commitments to spot TV advertising. These brands continue to allocate significant budgets to local television spots, reinforcing the medium’s...
Harrison Parrott, after selling part of its business to a French family fund, saw its chief operating officer and general counsel, Lorna Aizlewood, announce her departure. Aizlewood, a former EMI Classics legal chief, cited personal reasons and a desire to freelance...
Rare announced that its long‑awaited Custom Seas feature will launch during Season 20 and will be free for all Sea of Thieves players, reversing an earlier plan to lock it behind a premium subscription. The toolset lets users create private sandboxes, adjust...
SoundCloud has rolled out Follower Exclusive Releases, a feature for Artist Pro creators that lets them share tracks solely with their followers, either as a permanent perk or a timed early‑access window. The launch is anchored by Dutch DJ Chris...
Nigerian Grammy‑winner Tems has surpassed 40.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making her the most‑streamed African artist on the platform. The milestone reflects a wave of international collaborations and the growing appetite for Afrobeats worldwide.
Globecast will showcase its managed media services at NAB Show 2026, emphasizing a hybrid connectivity model that combines satellite, IP, fiber, and cloud. The company’s Content Exchange platform unifies routing, provides real‑time monitoring, and integrates with third‑party Media Asset Management...
The New York Times' daily puzzle portfolio generated a flood of coverage, with 37 articles from six publishers publishing hints and solutions for Wordle, Connections, Pips and Strands on March 29‑30, 2026. The surge underscores the games' reach and raises...
A federal judge has issued a 14‑day temporary restraining order on Nexstar Media Group's $6.2 billion purchase of Tegna, stopping the creation of a broadcast entity that would control 260 stations and reach about 60% of U.S. households. The injunction follows...
SDVI will unveil major upgrades to its Rally media supply chain platform at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The enhancements include an expanded Rally Connect network supporting dozens of new streaming endpoints such as Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV, as well...
Mary Beth Hurt, the 79‑year‑old actress celebrated for her roles in ‘The World According to Garp,’ ‘Interiors,’ and Broadway classics, has died. Her passing has sparked tributes from peers and highlighted her lasting influence on stage and screen.
Mediawan has appointed former FOX executive Robyn Hurd as senior vice president of sales and co‑productions for the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. The hire is part of a broader reorganization that adds dedicated heads for acquisitions, documentary, French‑speaking territories, Europe‑MENA,...
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has added Netflix breakout Jonathan Daviss to its roster, covering representation across film, television and digital media. Daviss, known for his role as Pope Heyward on "Outer Banks," has just wrapped the series' final season. He...
The NFL isn’t a negotiation for Paramount, it’s survival $PSKY The LightShed Podcast, Ep. 306. With @BrandoLightShed @WaltLightShed https://t.co/JApfPb4aWI
Rich Spirit has acquired North American rights to Ramzi Bashour’s Sundance debut, the road dramedy “Hot Water.” The film, starring Lubna Azabal, Daniel Zolghadri and Dale Dickey, follows a Lebanese mother and her American son on a cross‑country journey from...
Y U QT, the London duo of Darryl Reid and James Cooper, have signed to Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint. Their new single “Call My Name,” featuring vocalist Jem Cooke, is already the most identified track in their DJ sets. The pair will launch a...
Netflix will launch the Leonardo DiCaprio‑produced docuseries “Sitting Bull” on April 13, 2026, as part of a new licensing agreement with A+E Networks that brings several History Channel titles to the platform. The four‑hour series, originally aired in May 2025,...
Sony Music announced Ezekiel Lewis as the new Chairman and CEO of Epic Records, elevating him from his recent role as President. Lewis, a Grammy‑winning songwriter and former EVP of A&R, has been with Epic since 2018 and previously held...
Sett, a 2023 startup, raised $30 million in a Series B round to expand its AI‑driven marketing automation platform. The platform automatically generates playable and video ads while optimizing campaign performance across the user‑acquisition funnel for game publishers. The funding, led by...
NEW: Excellent piece this am by @Lmanfredi7 looks at the impact on media investment from the Gulf by the ongoing war with Iran. The war puts funding at risk for future deals, and may put current deals on hold.🧵...
Tieline will unveil its new ViA Duo codec at the NAB Show, positioning it as an ultra‑portable broadcast platform that unifies IP workflows for remote, commentary and off‑tube productions. The device packs HDMI video output, multiple AoIP protocol support and...
Creators Roger Black and Waco O’Guin launched a Kickstarter to finish their cancelled Netflix animated series Paradise PD and Farzar with a graphic novel titled Paradise PD & Farzar: The Final Season. The campaign quickly surpassed its £15,069 (~$19,150) goal, raising over...
Epic Games partnered with Esports and Gaming Agency MENA to launch Lantern Fest in Fortnite during Ramadan, featuring the iconic character Peely in Saudi‑themed scenes. The hero video went viral, resonating with regional gamers and spilling over to global audiences....
Amid war‑driven headlines, European publishers are countering news fatigue by spotlighting positive stories. France’s Libération introduced a “Ça va mieux en le lisant” label and daily push notifications, while Spain’s The Objective launched a dedicated Positive vertical and podcast. Both...
March’s ICYMI edition highlights eight platform updates reshaping social media, with Instagram and YouTube accelerating creator‑commerce tools while TikTok pivots toward micro‑drama formats. The newsletter also spotlights a new AI‑antidote creative style and the growing importance of recap content for...
