News

Every year right about now, the Emmy race starts ramping up, with lots of shows releasing in the spring sweet spot — they’ll be fresh in your minds for Emmys campaigning and inside of the May 31 eligibility cut-off date. Of course we’ll have plenty of big returning awards-centric shows—The Last of Us, Hacks, Poker Face, The Bear, Severance and The White Lotus, to name just a few— but what are the brand new shows we have yet to see?

You’ve likely already been watching Hulu’s twisty new show Paradise, which reunites Sterling K. Brown with This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman, Max’s The Pitt is bringing back the medical drama in a big way, CBS Kathy Bates-starrer Matlock is one to watch that’s already renewed for Season 2, as is Netflix’s smash hit Nobody Wants This… these new shows already made their debut.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman is calling on the court to withdraw a new sentencing hearing for Lyle and Erik Menendez, concluding that the siblings “do not meet the standards for rehabilitation.”

“They have not exhibited the full insights and accepted complete responsibility for their actions,’ Hochman said at a press conference this morning.

The Menendez brothers were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents.

The hearing is scheduled for March 20 and 21. Hochman’s predecessor, George Gascon, supported resentencing, including that they be made eligible for parole.

During the press conference, Hochman ran through the circumstances of the Aug. 20, 1989 grisly murders of their parents, Jose and and Kitty Menendez, and highlighting the shifting nature of the siblings’ alibi and later defense. Hochman said that Lyle and Erik Menendez had failed to acknowledge more than two dozen “lies” about the murders, including...

Seth Rogen brought his Hollywood satire The Studio to opening night of the SXSW festival on Friday, as he revealed the surprising inspirations and meetings he had before shooting.

The Studio stars Rogen as the newly appointed head of the fictional Continental Studios, as he attempts to keep things afloat financially while also trying to create artistic, prestige films.

“I was making The Fabelmans actually, and I was kind of just really inspired by how personal a movie Steven [Spielberg] was making; I also was rewatching The Larry Sanders Show because it was still kind of the midst of the pandemic, and I was very inspired by that,” Rogen told The Hollywood Reporter on the Austin, Texas, red carpet of how he conceived the show alongside his co-creators. “That’s something I grew up loving and so I thought that maybe we could make something that was very personal based on...

So far in 2025, I’ve seen shows about doctors in urgent care, cannibals stranded in the woods, superheroes battling the forces of evil, vast governmental conspiracies that go all the way to the top. None has stressed me out half as much as Apple TV+’s The Studio, a comedy about the relatively lower-stakes world of moviemaking.

From episode to episode, I squirmed and groaned and held my breath. Between chapters, I had to steel myself to keep going. There were moments I could hardly see the screen at all — sometimes because I was peeking through my fingers, but mostly because I was laughing too hard. The Studio’s strain of cringe humor won’t be for everyone; even as it mellows in the second half of the season, it remains too intense to wind down with or throw on in the background. But for those willing to get on its frazzled wavelength,...

Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos is following in a storied American showbiz tradition of top TV executives making cameos on shows set by predecessors like Brandon Tartikoff. Surprisingly, the series that marks his acting debut is not on Netflix but on rival Apple TV+.

Sarandos is popping up in Seth Rogen’s upcoming showbiz-themed comedy The Studio, in which the Neighbors star plays Matt Remick, the new head of a Hollywood movie studio. We won’t spoil Sarandos’ interaction with Remick beyond teasing that it involves a chance encounter at the Golden Globes.

“After 25 years in Hollywood, secretly what I was really hoping for was to be discovered for the silver screen,” Sarandos told Deadline. “Of course it was my friend Seth Rogen who saw my ‘certain something’ and cast me. He has also promised an FYC campaign for my guest appearance — so it was an offer that I could not refuse.

Entertainment tech company Gathr has announced a full Api (Application Performance Interface) integration with Artinii.Pro, a software service aimed at secure delivery and exhibition of films worldwide. Gathr and Artinii.Pro’s new collaboration combines film booking, event management, ticketing, and exhibition into a “fully automated system for non-theatrical screenings.”

“This partnership exemplifies Gathr’s mission to remove the barrier between storyteller and audience by empowering filmmakers, connecting audiences, and transforming how independent films are experienced globally,” said Gathr founder and CEO Scott Glosserman. “Our unique approach ensures that even in countries where certain web browsers and third-party video players are restricted, audiences can still host screenings and engage with impactful content.”

Films slated for global screenings and discussions under the new collaboration include Monument Releasing’s “Dinner in America,” Vanessa Hope’s “Invisible Nation,” and Stephen Maing’s “Union.”

Friday, March 7 Marc Maron Documentary ‘Are We Good?’ to...

Keith Le Goy, recently promoted to chairman of Sony Pictures Television, has been unveiled as a keynote speaker at the upcoming Banff World Media Festival.

Le Goy, who has been with the studio for over 25 years and earlier served as president of distribution for Sony Pictures TV, in January took up the top post at the division. He succeeded Ravi Ahuja, who moved up to president and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment after the departure of Tony Vinciquerra.

In his new post, Le Goy oversees all of Sony’s domestic and international TV production, including the studio’s game show business (which includes Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune) and cable outlet Gsn.

Le Goy will speak as part of the 2025 Banff Summit Series at the June 8–11 media festival in Banff, Alberta against an industry backdrop of post-2023 strikes doldrums, artificial intelligence dangers and other TV sector headwinds. Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi,...

Netflix CEO Spence Neumann described a top-down and bottom-up process for determining content spend, which is expected to come in at about $18 billion in 2025 and, he said, is “not anywhere near a ceiling.”

“It’s a little art in science,” he added during a Q&a at the Morgan Stanley media conference.

On the top line, “We have a pretty good sense of predictability of our revenue. We’re primarily a subscription model. We’ve got a pretty good sense over time of the ability to kind of drive demand and revenue from our investments across the business. So we start with that, and then we also set our margin targets.”

“Then what’s left over is to spend into content. So then there’s the bottom-up exercise … as we look [at] those categories of content, across genres, across countries and regions and across original and licensed content, and where can we deliver highest impact.

Hulu’s big night at the 2025 Oscars was cut short on Sunday evening for many viewers when the streamer’s red carpet coverage of Hollywood’s biggest night was followed by glitches in the stream of the broadcast of the ceremony, leaving its paying customers in the dark for more than two hours as the Academy Awards took place in Los Angeles — and then at the ceremony’s end, when Hulu’s event cut off early.

For the first time, the Academy Awards ceremony was streamed live on Hulu. Since the ceremony is broadcast on ABC, cord-cutters could watch it live on any live TV streaming service that carries ABC, including Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo and DirecTV Stream. Yet many Hulu subscribers couldn’t watch all of the Oscars action unfold as the beginning of this year’s ceremony was beset with major interruptions, causing viewers to miss out...

The Oscars red carpet is not just a make-or-break moment for Hollywood’s biggest stars – it’s also a prime opportunity to shine for the powerful executives and producers who finance and shepherd the year’s best movies.

C-suite players, indie powerhouses and the ranks in between have suited up for the 2025 Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien. Netflix has the most nominations of any studio at 16 for feature films, so expect a robust presence from the streamer, including co-ceo’s Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, chief content officer Bela Bajaria and the company’s new film chairman Dan Lin.

An exciting new voice in independent film marking his carpet debut as CEO of Mubi is Efe Cakarel, whose commitment to “The Substance” propelled the body horror film to five Oscar nominations – including a best actress nod for Demi Moore and a best director nom for Coralie Fargeat.

Donna Langley,...

How to endure an unexpected controversy on the road to Oscars?

We caught up with Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos no how to bob and weave such potholes, in particular waht befell the Cannes-winning musical film noir Emilia Pérez after controversial tweets were unearthed from its leading star, trans actress Karla Sofia Gascon, who is nominated for Best Actress tonight.

In such instances, is it best to release a statement, or let them play out?

“Everything we’ve poured into this is about the film, always about the film, we just stuck to that,” answered Sarandos, straight up.

And despite the brouhaha that occurred with Emilia Pérez, the momentum for its star Zoe Saldaña withstood the noise, with the actress taking Best Supporting trophies at the SAG Awards post Gascon’s tweets.

Sarandos response to that: “I think what’s really important, no matter what’s going on, it’s undeniable — that performance is undeniable.

Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali said a number of players are at the table talking about a rights deal to start after ESPN’s contract expires at the end of 2025. He implied Disney itself may still be in there despite speculation to the contrary after an exclusive negotiating window ended with no renewal.

There is nothing negative here, he said on a call with investors after Liberty’s F1 reported earnings earlier.

“First of all, we need to be thankful for what ESPN is providing us. We are very happy about the quality of the service. We need to remember always that they were first to believe in our project.”

“The fact that at the end of the exclusivity period they have not put in place on a formal offer, doesn’t mean that the discussion aren’t going ahead – actually, it’s the other way around. So there are...

Running Point made its debut on Netflix on Feb. 27, and the series starring Kate Hudson was an immediate slam dunk. The actress and singer stars in the comedy from Mindy Kaling as a reformed party girl who takes over the family business as its president. That business? The most lucrative professional men's basketball team in Los Angeles. No pressure at all for a woman!

On top of an incredible creative team behind the scenes, including Kaling's hilarious frequent collaborators Ike Barinholtz and Dave Stassen, Running Point features an exquisite ensemble cast that leans on the unique talents of Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Justin Theroux, Jay Ellis, Max Greenfield, and so many more.

Following the non-stop laughs throughout the near-perfect first season, the 10-episode comedy layup concludes with a nail-biting season finale. With Isla having taken the Waves to the playoffs against great odds, her personal life also takes...

While AMC has had a strained relationship with streaming services in the past, Aron is open to working with Netflix. He noted that IMAX recently struck a deal to screen Netflix’s 2026 Narnia movie in theaters first, and AMC is supporting this move.

Aaron also believes that movies should stay in theaters for at least 45 days, and in some cases, even longer (up to 60-74 days). He believes the current system, where films are pulled from theaters after just 17 or 30 days, isn’t working. According to him, keeping movies in theaters longer would help them make more money. He also wants to convince major studios to support this change and says this discussion is a top priority right now.

I sure hope that we can introduce longer windows, because I think that the current industry experiment on windows has failed. n our view, 17 days and 30 days are too short. And...

“We would like to convince all the major studios that they should keep movies in theaters longer,” the CEO of the nation’s largest exhibitor said today, noting that, yes, windows have shortened since Covid, but where they could ultimately wind up is is still “a very live debate right now.”

As Hollywood experimented during and after Covid, “what it coalesced around is that the old 74-day window became a 45-day window. And some movies have gone quicker, to 30 days or 17 days,” Adam Aron said on a call after AMC reported nice fourth-quarter numbers.

“In our view, 17 days or 30 days are too short, [and] this is a conversation that is front and center, live,” not just wishful thinking, he said.

Some studios leave certain films in theaters for 60 days, he noted. “We believe everybody would make more money if the windows were longer,” Aron said. “So watch this space, we’ll...

Comedian Hank Chen invited me to an Emilia Pérez for your consideration screening in Hollywood, on a rainy night, and having already seen Emilia on Netflix at home, I put on my all-weather cycle gear and rode two and a half miles in a downpour to be Chen’s plus-one.

This screening came a few days after the lead actress, Karla Sofía Gascón, made headlines for all of the wrong reasons and already, it seemed, L.A. industry people were wondering, “Is it still Ok to be seen watching this movie in public?”

As a trans and intersex creative in Hollywood, my feelings about this are complex: a mix of disgust and shock that she would say these awful things and great disappointment that this beautiful, strong heroine — one we trans people so need right now — is dragging on feet of clay.

Looking around the (not capacity) audience I’m...

It’s the actors’ turn to speak. The 2025 Screen Actors Guild Award got underway on Sunday night, with the Hollywood guild members awarding what they feel where the best performances and ensembles of the year across film and television.

Nominees include Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Pamela Anderson, Daniel Craig, Colman Domingo, Timothée Chalamet, Zoe Saldaña, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jonathan Bailey, Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, Quinta Brunson, Adam Brody, Harrison Ford, Lily Gladstone, Colin Farrell and many more.

Check out TheWrap’s SAG Awards red carpet gallery below.

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Elle Fanning

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Cynthia Erivo

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Ariana Grande

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Mikey Madison

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Zoe Saldaña

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Timothée Chalamet

(Photo by Monica Schipper/FilmMagic)

Demi Moore

(Photo by Emma McIntyre/WireImage)

Monica Barbaro...

There is perhaps no bigger fan of Netflix than its own CEO, Ted Sarandos. And it feels like it’s every few weeks that he has something tone deaf to say about the state of the industry while also jockeying in heaps of praise for his company.

Appearing on Tom Papa and Fortune Feimster’s podcast, What a Joke with Tom and Fortune, Ted Sarandos actually praised the unique experience that going to the cinema can bring – but couldn’t help himself from saying that it’s a good thing that’s not the only way to see a movie. As he noted, “Most people don’t live anywhere near a movie theater. So this idea, and an interesting fact is that the average American consumer sees two movies a year in a movie theater. The average Netflix member watches seven movies a month.” He added, “Behaviors evolve. Consumer behavior changes.

Tyler Perry made a special trip to Los Angeles to present his friend Nicole Avant with the Beacon Award at the 16th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.

“I don’t know why I’m working like I’m still broke,” Perry joked about arriving at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel straight from the airport, then hopping back on the plane when the show was over.

But the quick roundtrip was necessary to support Aafca’s mission of uplifting Black storytellers — “especially in this climate when there’s so many attacks on who we are, what our stories are,” Perry said — and to salute Avant, who he emphasized is “Hollywood royalty” as the daughter of the late Jacqueline Avant, a philanthropist, and Clarence Avant, the music executive known as “The Black Godfather.”

On the red carpet, Nicole Avant told Variety her parents would be proud to see her receive this specific honor.

A month before a repeatedly rescheduled resentencing hearing for the Menendez brothers, the Los Angeles County District Attorney today called out the siblings for “a continuum of lies and deceit and fabricating stories.”

In a sometimes vivid and sometimes dense press conference in downtown LA, Nathan Hochman revealed his office is opposing efforts by the siblings to have their life sentences for the 1989 shotgun murders of their parents challenged and given new trials. “We conclude in our informal response that the court should deny the current habeas corpus petition,” the Da said Friday. “We do not believe they qualify to get a new trial,” he went on to say, listing off the courts that have previously rejected the Menendez’ appeals since they were found guilty of first degree *** almost 30 years ago.

He also released a video outlining his office’s take on the case. Watch it below.

As a...

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, two of the highest-profile and most beloved residents of Pacific Palisades, are opening up their wallets to aid relief efforts in the wake of the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires.

The couple confirmed the news on Instagram by sharing that they are donating $1 million by spreading it across various organizations. “Like so many of us, we see the loss and devastation wrought by the Altadena and Palisades fires. The challenge of the future of these communities is immense,” they said in a joint statement. “We are so very grateful for the first responders and firefighters, from all over, who fought with all they had in order to save homes and people.”

Per various news reports, the couple’s Palisades home survived while countless neighbors weren’t as fortunate as the fire leveled entire neighborhoods in the iconic Westside enclave. “Now we must all move forward to...

Good afternoon Insiders, welcome welcome, Max Goldbart here. Big news this week with the shaken-not-stirred revelation that was the Amazon-Broccoli deal. We’ve all that and more below. Sign up here.

Bond Shocker!

The name’s Bezos… Jeff Bezos: Much like a Bond mission, the 007 news was kept top secret. Until yesterday, when a thunderbolt was unleashed through the industry via the news that longtime James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are relinquishing control of their beloved spy franchise and handing the reins to Amazon MGM Studios. Chatter about strains in the relationship between Broccoli-Wilson and Jeff Bezos’ behemoth had long been in the ether and only a few weeks ago the Wall Street Journal published a deep-dive titled ‘James Bond Outdueled Goldfinger and Dr. No. Can He Win a Battle With Amazon?’, which publicized these difficulties. But this week’s mega-deal, which our U.

Netflix is doubling down on its investment on Mexico, pledging $1 billion over the next four years.

The move, which was unveiled during a Thursday press conference with co-ceo Ted Sarandos and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, is aimed at “growing the audiovisual industry and creating jobs and opportunities all across the country.”

As part of the investment, the streamer will give $2 million to “elevate” Mexico City’s iconic Churubusco Studios, one of the country’s oldest and largest production facilities. Netflix will also continue creating and funding programs to provide more opportunities to diverse and creative talents behind the camera after unveiling a $1 million fund for this purpose last year.

“President Sheinbaum, at Netflix, we share your vision of a vibrant, prosperous Mexico full of growth and opportunity. And we want to play our part in making it a reality,” Sarandos said. “Our journey in Mexico so far has taken us...

Netflix is making a major investment in Mexico’s film and TV industry. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced that the streaming giant will spend $1 billion in the country over the next four years. This commitment, revealed during a press conference with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, is aimed at strengthening the local audiovisual industry and creating new opportunities.

“It is great to be back in Mexico City. Every time I come here, I’m amazed by the blend of the old and the new — between history and modern culture,” Sarandos said. “It’s inspiring. And it helps explain why there’s always been so much creativity in Mexico — from art and food to literature, architecture and, of course, storytelling.”

Since arriving in Mexico in 2011, Netflix has played a huge role in the country’s entertainment scene. It launched its first international series, Club de Cuervos, in Mexico, setting the stage for more local productions.

Netflix will invest $1bn to produce series and films in Mexico over the next four years.

The investment, which runs from 2025-2028, was announced by Netflix’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos in a press conference today (February 20) with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sarandos also said Netflix will invest $2m in Mexico’s Churubusco Studios to help upgrade its facilities.

Netflix first launched in Mexico in 2011. Its first series produced outside the US,2015’sClub De Cuervos, was made in the country.

The streamer opened an office in Mexico in 2019 and set up its Latin American headquarters there in 2020. Since 2019, its employee numbers...

Netflix has pledged to spend a whopping $1B on Mexican production over the next four years. The streamer’s Co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, spoke at President Sheinbaum’s morning press conference, Thursday, and unveiled the bumper commitment to Mexican production.

“President Sheinbaum, at Netflix we share your vision of a vibrant, prosperous Mexico full of growth and opportunity. And we want to play our part in making it a reality,” Sarandos said.

“That’s why today, I’m happy to announce that Netflix will be investing $1 billion US dollars to produce series and films in Mexico over the next four years — growing the audiovisual industry and creating jobs and opportunities all across the country.”

Netflix has been investing heavily in original fare out of Latin America and is keen to highlight the benefit to local film and TV industries and wider economies. It touted the financial boost making 100 Years of Solitude brought Colombia,...

Netflix will invest $1bn to produce series and films in Mexico over the next four years.

The investment, which runs from 2025-2028, was announced by Netflix’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos in a press conference today (February 20) with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sarandos also said Netflix will invest $2m in Mexico’s Churubusco Studios to help upgrade its facilities.

Netflix first launched in Mexico in 2011. Its first series produced outside the US,2015’sClub De Cuervos, was made in the country.

The streamer opened an office in Mexico in 2019 and set up its Latin American headquarters there in 2020. Since 2019, its employee numbers...

Netflix has committed to invest $1 billion in Mexico for the production of series and films over the next four years, meaning from 2025 through 2028, co-ceo Ted Sarandos said during a press conference with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday.

“This investment, and the productions derived therefrom, will benefit Mexican production companies and will contribute to the growth of the local audiovisual industry and the creation of opportunities nationwide,” the streaming giant said.

Netflix will also invest $2 million in Mexico City’s iconic Churubusco Studios, one of the oldest and largest production facilities in Mexico, to “elevate” its facilities. The streaming company will continue creating and funding programs that help develop diverse and creative talents behind the camera, so that they may develop their careers in the entertainment industry. In August last year, a fund worth more than $1 million was unveiled in Mexico to be used in 2024 and 2025 for this purpose.

Greta Gerwig’s upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia film series for Netflix will have a special IMAX release before it hits the streaming platform. According to IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond, the first movie in the series will have a two-week exclusive run in IMAX theaters worldwide, starting on Thanksgiving Day 2026.

IMAX has teamed up with Netflix to bring Narnia to the big screen in a major way. Gelfond explained that while Netflix is excited about the partnership, fans shouldn’t expect this to become a regular occurrence.

“I’ve talked to Netflix about this, and I think in general they are as excited as we are to do it. But we are not in a rush to do another one tomorrow. I think the factors have to come into place that work for everyone.”

The deal took a long time to put together, as multiple parties had to be considered,...

Netflix and Greta Gerwig’s Narnia film is getting two weeks on IMAX screens next year – but there are fresh hints it was a complex deal.

Greta Gerwig now seems to be firmly on board the planned new take on Cs Lewis’s The Chronicles Of Narnia. She’s going to direct the movie, which Netflix is intending to spend a lot of money on, and have ready for release in December 2026.

Gerwig signed on to direct the Narnia adaptation – possibly two of them – before she’d hit big with Barbie. The rumour mill then suggested that Netflix’s refusal to give the film a theatrical release would lead to her departing. Then there was talk of an IMAX outing too, which is fresh territory for the cinema-averse Netflix. But it looked like everything we sorted, and Narnia will get a two-week exclusive run on IMAX screens.

Yet in an earnings call,...

Imax’s CEO cautioned Wall Street on Wednesday that he does not expect a stream of deals to follow on the heels of a high-profile agreement with Netflix for a global two-week exclusive Imax run of Greta Gerwig’s Narnia starting on Thanksgiving Day 2026.

“I’ve talked to Netflix about this, and I think in general they are as excited as we are to do it,” chief executive Rich Gelfond told Wall Streeters after Imax’s latest earnings report. “But we are not in a rush to do another one tomorrow. I think the factors have to come into place that work for everyone.”

He noted: “That deal took a pretty long time to put together. Obviously, there’s a lot of different constituencies with different agendas that go in there. So we really had to construct something that would work for the exhibitors, that would work for Greta, that would work for Netflix,...

Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos believes cinemas provide a “special” experience — but he’s sure glad they’re not the only way to watch movies.

Sarandos said on SiriusXM show “What a Joke with Tom and Fortune” (on Netflix Is a Joke Radio) that it is better to have numerous ways to both consume and present a movie, rather just solely relying on theaters.

“From the beginning of television, attendance to movie theaters began to drop, and it’s dropped every year since the ’60s. It mostly stays even because the ticket prices go up. By the way, this is not a slam on what it is, it’s just that’s the way you did it. That’s the way. And then technology evolves,” Sarandos told hosts Tom Papa and Fortune Feimster. “Behaviors evolve. Consumer behavior changes. I do think there’s something very special about it, but thank God...

Ted Sarandos sympathizes with directors who long dreamed their movies would end up on the big screen only to land on streaming as the business continues to shift away from movie theaters.

While talking with Tom Papa and Fortune Feimster on SiriusXM’s “What a Joke” podcast, the Netflix co-ceo tackled the ongoing topic that is the future of the movie theater. Sarandos acknowledged that the business has gotten tougher while saying he feels for directors whose movies never see the silver screen.

“I talk to a lot of directors and I totally respect that they — a lot of them grew up and this was their dream, to have the gigantic screen and a room full of strangers,” he said. “It’s a very tough business model anymore. And I just feel like, I hope it is always around as an option. I just think it will be more and more challenging.

(Stock image via Pixabay, Graphic by The Desk)

A Netflix executive says the streaming company is interested in acquiring the rights to a package of National Football League (NFL) games played on Sunday afternoons.

Speaking with Puck News co-founder Matthew Belloni, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said she “definitely want(s) the Sunday (afternoon) games,” but did not say whether the streaming service has engaged with anyone at the NFL about acquiring the rights to those games in the near future.

The current NFL television agreement allows CBS and Fox to air Sunday afternoon football games. NBC has the rights to “Sunday Night Football,” while Disney’s ESPN airs “Monday Night Football.” All four broadcasters share rights to the Super Bowl on a rotating basis.

The NFL’s broadcast rights package runs through the 2033 season, but the league has the option to terminate most of its agreement four years early,...

The league can get out of broadcast deals with CBS and Fox as soon as 2030, and if that happens Netflix could jump into the fray.

They say it’s good to have a five-year plan, and Netflix’s current plan is a doozy, especially when it comes to live sports. That’s because John Ourand of Puck News is reporting that Netflix wants to pursue a Sunday afternoon package of NFL games in the future. If it does, it would represent a considerable turnaround in Netflix’s thinking about live sports on its platform. For most of the streaming giant’s existence, it has shied away from live events of any kind, but in recent years, that strategy has been shifting, highlighted by two Christmas Day NFL games last season.

Key Details: Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria told Puck it wants to pursue Sunday afternoon NFL games in the future.

A three-hour movie about the guy who brought the world the atomic *** wouldn’t seem like a contender for one of the highest-grossing movies of its year, but Oppenheimer was just that. And without that sort of theatrical release, it may not have had the impact that it did…Unless you put Oppenheimer on Netflix, of course, in which it still would have been a massive hit. Just ask Netflix!

Recently sitting down with Puck’s Matt Belloni, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria laid out the strategy the company would have taken had it been behind Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. “We would have done an amazing qualifying run. So many people obviously would have watched it. It was a great movie. And I think it would have had that.”

Comparing ticket sales to streaming numbers is almost impossible, as there are just too many factors to take into account.

Jason Momoa and Adria Arjona walk the purple carpet together while attending the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert held at Radio City Music Hall on Friday night (February 14) in New York City.

The couple, who have been dating for almost a year, marked their first red carpet appearance together at the big concert event!

Also making their red carpet debut was Miley Cyrus and her beau of three years, Maxx Morando, as they were also joined by her mom Tish Cyrus-Purcell.

Keep reading to find out more…

Miley was actually one of dozens of musicians who took the stage during the concert, performing her hit “Flowers” and a rendition of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” with Brittany Howard.

Coming up on Sunday (February 16) is the SNL50: The Anniversary Special, which will see many current and past SNL cast members returning for the big special event!

Keep browsing below to see...

Ted Sarandos, CEO and Chief Comedy Nerd at Netflix “could have basically destroyed SNL the last six years by doing Friday night SNL,” Bill Simmons opined on his podcast this week. But “he loved the show and he didn't.”

Don’t rule it out, says Matt Belloni, former editor of The Hollywood Reporter and current host of The Town podcast. He says rumors have been around forever that Sarandos might launch a Friday or Sunday night sketch comedy show, perhaps even cherry-picking some Saturday Night Live talent to do so. Sarandos has too much respect for producer Lorne Michaels to actually do it today, “but post-Lorne, all bets are off.”

Simmons co-signed on the idea: “The moment Lorne leaves, I think Netflix just takes that entire corner.”

Makes sense. Sarandos indeed loves comedy — witness the millions he’s spent to make Netflix the king of stand-up specials — and of late,...

The cause of death for lauded and experimental filmmaker David Lynch has been revealed.

Lynch, who was behind such films as The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive and the seminal television series Twin Peaks, died as a result of cardiac arrest, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease listed as an underlying cause, per a report by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health obtained by TMZ. Dehydration is also listed as a significant condition contributing to the death.

Beloved by the industry — with heartfelt tributes since pouring in from muses like Kyle MacLachlan and Naomi Watts, executives like Bob Iger and Ted Sarandos and fellow directors like Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese — Lynch died Jan. 15, five days shy of his 79th birthday.

Per Deadline’s obituary, Lynch had been diagnosed with emphysema in 2020, after having smoked tobacco for years since he was eight years old. Sources told Deadline that...

The AFI Awards have always been the softest place to land during awards season.

A roster of honorees — 10 films and 10 television shows — is announced weeks in advance, so if a contender snags an invite to the Four Seasons ballroom, they’re a winner. American Film Institute CEO Bob Gazzale came quick with the reminder during Thursday’s event.

“I don’t know if anyone’s told you, but you won,” the long-serving and well-respected executive explained to generous laughter from an A-list crowd. “There’s no envelopes, there’s no speeches, there’s no sweat. We simply tell you, ‘you’re great,’ we tell you why and then we run a clip. Then in the dark, you cheer and you applaud and you scream for each other. You appreciate and you love each other. That’s what this room is about, and it’s never been anything different. It’s about community.

After the Los Angeles fires in late January, many awards events were canceled or pushed back. On Thursday, things seemingly got back under way with the annual AFI Top Ten awards lunch at the Four Seasons, which in effect stood in for the canceled Academy Nominees Lunch, as applause rippled across the room at the announcement of each of the ten film and TV winners and their clips.

Who got the most applause?

Nabbing a rousing standing ovation was L.A. firefighter Timmy Larson, representing the thousands of people who risked their lives to fight the raging fires just a few weeks ago. Next biggest? Harrison Ford, the only AFI Life Achievement Award winner, on hand for Apple TV+’s “Shrinking.” Adam Brody and Kristen Bell’s Netflix series “Nobody Wants This” had a noisy fanbase. And “Sing Sing” is clearly popular.

But at the end of the event, the last movie alphabetically was “Wicked,...

Originally slated for Jan. 10 but postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires, the American Film Institute’s AFI Awards took place nearly a month later Thursday afternoon at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.

As always, the event was a starry affair with a guest list that included actors Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Harrison Ford, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Boyd Holbrook, Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Quinta Brunson, Jesse Eisenberg, Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Ralph Fiennes and Jodie Foster.

Directors included Sean Baker, Denis Villeneuve, James Mangold, RaMell Ross and Edward Berger.

The ceremony opened with footage of the late David Lynch talking about how much he loved AFI. The video ended with a title card that read, “We love you too, David. And always will.”

No surprise, but the Karla Sofía Gascón controversy was a hot topic of conversation. “Emilia Perez” was represented at the luncheon by stars Zoe Saldaña,...

Note: Potential spoilers for Netflix's upcoming "Chronicles of Narnia" adaptation ahead!

When Netflix bought the rights to "The Chronicles of Narnia," then-Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said, "C.S. Lewis' beloved 'Chronicles of Narnia' stories have resonated with generations of readers around the world. Families have fallen in love with characters like Aslan and the entire world of Narnia, and we're thrilled to be their home for years to come." That was in October of 2019. Since then, the world has gone through a pandemic, and Sarandos was promoted to Netflix's co-ceo. The company has also signed an inspired (but also terrified) Greta Gerwig to helm its first "Narnia" adaptation and will release the film in IMAX theaters globally on Thanksgiving 2026 (something Gerwig butted heads with Netflix over for a while).

It may sound like a lot of activity, and having Gerwig on board is definitely a big deal. But really,...

“To be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter.”

In the heat of the 2020 movement against racism, Netflix felt compelled to write these words on corporate social media accounts five days after the death of George Floyd.

Five days after Karla Sofía Gascón’s racially insensitive social media history was excavated, Netflix has yet to comment publicly about its Emilia Pérez star.

Netflix spokespeople did not respond to requests for an on-the-record comment about Gascón, offering a window on the company’s reluctance to engage with a story that will run all the way to the Academy Awards on March 2.

Netflix’s silence leaves space for speculation about its refusal to denounce the remarks made by Gascón, an interlocutor in the toxic corners of Twitter/X. It also raises questions about Netflix’s social media vetting processes, given the frequency and ferocity of Gascón’s output, first exposed by journalist Sarah Hagi.

After waiting two years for Stranger Things season 5, we definitely thought it was a slam dunk that we would see the final season of the Netflix original series in 2025. While Netflix has confirmed that's the plan, Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things, recently opened up about why a 2025 release is "quite the push."

According to a report from Variety, the Duffer brothers, as they are known, were speaking at Scad TVfest and accepting the Variety Showrunners Award when they revealed that it's going to be a close call if Stranger Things season 5 will be released in 2025. Matt also shared that they have a call with Netflix to iron out the release plans.

Here's what Matt Duffer told Variety:

“A lot of it hasn’t been decided, in terms of exactly the release dates and cadence. That’s one reason I’m not allowed to talk about it.

Netflix started its move into original programming with dark and broody dramas such as Lilyhammer, House of Cards and Narcos.

Over the years, it has expanded into multi-camera sitcoms, reality programming and live sporting events, leading many to suggest that the streamer has been looking to shed its image in the boutique space.

In fact, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos told the New York Times last year that he wish he could take back a 2012 comment where he said he wanted Netflix “to become HBO before HBO could become us” and instead say he wanted the streamer to become HBO, CBS and the BBC. “Prestige elite programming plays a very important role in culture. But it’s very small. It’s a boutique business,” he told the Nyt.

However, his Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria wants you to know that Netflix is still in the prestige TV space, even if a...

Screenwriter and director David Lynch, who died this month, has been named the recipient of the Writers Guild of America West’s 2025 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement.

The guild says he was aware of the honor and accepted several weeks before his January 15 passing. It will be presented by his Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks star Kyle MacLachlan at the WGA Awards ceremony on February 15 .

Related: 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries

The guild’s lifetime achievement award is presented to members who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter.”

“Writer-director David Lynch’s uncompromising vision pushed the boundaries of filmmaking,” said Wgaw President Meredith Stiehm. “We’re proud to honor him and his legacy.”

Related: ‘Twin Peaks’ Star Kyle MacLachlan Remembers David Lynch: “He Understood That Questions Are The Drive That Make Us Who We Are”

While studying at...

When you think Narnia, it’s all about magical wardrobes, epic battles, and talking animals stealing the spotlight. But here’s the kicker: one of the very first scenes in the $1.5 billion trilogy, C.S. Lewis didn’t even write it. Yes, the filmmakers went rogue and cooked up their own opening moment, and honestly, it slapped.

James McAvoy and Georgie Henley in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures

Hardcore fans might’ve side-eyed the move, but it straight-up worked, pulling everyone into the world of Narnia right away. Sometimes, a little creative risk is all it takes to launch an iconic fantasy franchise.

When Narnia went Boom: The $1.5B scene C.S. Lewis never wrote A still from the The Chronicles of Narnia | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures

When The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe hit theaters in 2005, it opened with a bang, literally.

20 years ago, Tyler Perry caught Hollywood completely by surprise when his low-budget romantic comedy "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" opened to $22 million at the U.S. box office. Though critics savaged the film, it received a sterling A+ CinemaScore from audience exit polls, thus indicating that Perry knew precisely what this underserved segment of African-American moviegoers were desperately craving. After this stunning success, Perry was off to the races, churning out at least one movie per year -- a pace that's even more amazing when you factor in the myriad of television series he began producing in 2007. Tyler Perry, whose base of operations is an Atlanta studio that bears his name, is a one-man entertainment industry.

While Perry seems untroubled by his continued lack of critical acclaim, he has on occasion attempted to mount a prestige film with the kind of socially important pedigree that goes down well with Academy Awards voters.

Disney's The Lion the Witch in the Wardrobe movie is 20 years old this year. Despite two sequels eventually coming out in theaters, Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the franchise never got to adapt the whole of The Chronicles of Narnia book series by C.W. Lewis. But now, enough time has passed for Netflix to try making its own set of Narnia movies, and they've hired Barbie director Greta Gerwig to helm them. While Netflix is often loathe to release its movies is theaters, her first Narnia film will get a (limited) theatrical release!

Netflix has released a few movies in theaters over the years. For instance, tick, tick…Boom!, Army of the Dead and The Power of the Dog got limited theatrical releases. But mostly, new Netflix movies drop on the streaming service and there they remain, never to be experienced on the big screen.

But...