Is anything more dramatic than the DC Universe (16:19)? With a history that includes off-screen ups and downs around Henry Cavill, Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon, Christopher Nolan, Ben Affleck and Amber Heard, “it’s like a soap opera in its 11th season,” says Richard Rushfield, who joins hosts Sean McNulty and Tatiana Siegel. The group unpacks the controversial decisions from new chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran, as well as Warner Bros. Discovery’s adjacent HBO Max library purge (23:52). Also: Ankler contributor Nicole LaPorte discusses her buzzy grim story about the new hustle life for Hollywood writers, and if Bob Iger was the hidden hand behind Disney movies suddenly landing China releases (37:41).
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The DC Universe Soap Opera

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Maypocalypse Now just came to a close, ending with the worst box office since 1995. The timing happens to coincide with Paramount’s uncertain future as Sean McNulty, Richard Rushfield and Elaine Low talk through the current state of play — and best and worst case scenarios. Meanwhile, in TV land, the team dive into Elaine’s stunning interview with a big name TV studio exec who, anonymously, explains their private thoughts and intel on what’s selling, what’s not and why the market is in such chaos.
For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler here. Transcript here.
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Pray for Paramount. And the Movies

At the Cannes Film Festival, the active buyers’ market and (largely) applauded indies had everyone in the market, from haute couture hangers-on to cinema’s swells, feeling festive says Claire Atkinson. But back in L.A., an early June gloom has descended, with Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield talking movies’ early signs of a summer bummer — and a release calendar that looks like it’s on Ozempic.
Transcript here.
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Cannes vs. Box Office: Film's Troubling Split Personality

Hollywood descended upon New York City this week for the Upfronts, the traditional TV showcase, to promote almost everything but as sports, live events and movies dominated the stage and star power. The crew breaks it down while Richard Rushfield and Sean McNulty dive into Hollywood’s new, possibly misguided belief that sports will save Hollywood.
For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler here. Transcript here.
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Scripted TV SOS!

Earnings season has been a rough go as Disney, Paramount, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery deliver their Q1 results. And if you thought “Sports Hulu” was a surprise, just wait for the new bundle of Disney+, Hulu and . . . Max?! Sean McNulty dives into Disney and Warners tepid earnings, their new streaming bundle, and the urgency in joining forces. Plus: Do you have to be from an Ivy League school to rise to the top of Hollywood? Maybe the opposite, says Richard Rushfield, who breaks down alma maters of the industry’s bold-faced names.
For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler here. Transcript here.
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May 13th – The Ankler x Backstage Screening Series: Expats
May 14th – The President & The Podium
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WBD, Disney and the New Frenemy Era

What to do in this moribund market? Elaine Low outlines TV writers’ post-strike challenges — including the rickety staffing ladder — while our new Dealmakers columnist Ashley Cullins dives into the deterioration of the overall deal — and her news that Amazon and Apple are presenting new terms to industry agents and lawyers that sound a lot like . . . backends! (Remember those?) Plus: Peter Kiefer assesses agency efforts behind the celebpreneur boom, while the crew breaks down Paramount’s ongoing drama and previews summer box office.
For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler here. Transcript here.
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Link here to live stream the Milken Institute: Journalism Today: New Voices, New Models, New Methods where Janice Min (Ankler Media, CEO) will be speaking on May 7th at 4p PST.
RSVP to the upcoming events at the links below:
May 10th (Waitlist Only) – Ed Zwick and Janice Min: In Conversation
May 13th – The Ankler x Backstage Screening Series: Expats
May 14th – The President & The Podium
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The DC Universe Soap Opera

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