Paramount Global is starting long-planned layoffs today in an effort to reduce its U.S.-based workforce by 15%. The first of three stages of staff reductions is underway, with 90% of the total cuts to be completed by the end of September. In all, between 2,000 and 3,000 workers are expected to depart, with the company aiming to generate $500 million in annual cost savings. Paramount last week took a $6 billion write-down on its cable network assets, the latest distress signal for the linear TV business.
George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins, the three members of the Office of the CEO, laid out details of the layoffs this morning in a memo to employees. “The industry continues to evolve, and Paramount is at an inflection point where changes must be made to strengthen our business,” the Co-CEOs wrote. >>>Skydance Deal Awaits |
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'Tony' - Dominic Sessa has found his next high-profile project as he is attached to star as the late chef Anthony Bourdain in the biopic Tony from Oscar-nominated production company Star Thrower Entertainment. >>>A24 Negotiating Acquisition
Beyond 'FBoy Island' - After announcing its first comedy special for Netflix, FBoy Island producer TheYearOfElan Productions has struck a first-look deal with the world’s largest independent producer of live stand-up shows, Don’t Tell Comedy. >>>ITV America Involved
‘Once Upon A Mattress’: Broadway Review - Carol Burnett is alive and well and not starring in the latest Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress, the fractured fairy tale musical that laid the foundation for the funny lady’s towering comic career way back in ’59. Fortunately, the contemporary stage has its very own Princess Winnifred who is more than capable to doing the royal succession bit: Sutton Foster. >>> Greg Evans' Take
Sony Reups With Paul Grellong - On the heels of The Boys prequel Vought Rising getting a series greenlight by Prime Video, the studio behind The Boys franchise, Sony Pictures Television, has re-upped its overall deal with Paul Grellong. >>>Two-Year Pact
Dave Stewart's Origin Story - Dave Stewart reveals to Deadline's Baz Bamigboye that What’s Love Got to Do With It? director Shekhar Kapur will shoot feature film musical Ebony McQueen, a 1960s-early ’70s coming-of-age story inspired by the rock legend’s teen years in the North East of England. >>>Column
Hawley's Premium Deal - Following Lionsgate’s acquisition of eOne, Lionsgate Television has moved in to retain the top TV creator on eOne’s roster, Alexi Hawley, signing a premium overall deal with the creator/executive producer of two of eOne’s three ongoing premium scripted series, The Rookie, The Recruit and a hot new drama Lionsgate has out in the marketplace, The Envoy. >>> High-Profile Hostage Recovery Series
Contenders TV: The Nominees - Deadline has taken the wraps off the streaming site for Contenders Television: The Nominees, the awards-season panel event that took place Saturday. Stars and creatives behind 10 of the buzziest Emmy-nommed titles joined Deadline’s TV team to discuss their shows, comprising a diverse list of genres from comedy to drama, late-night to docuseries, and stand-up specials and competition series to rom-coms. >>> Watch
In Brief - Netflix orders Ahir Shah live comedy special... Tom Papa sets 3rd Netflix comedy special... Ken Kao’s Waypoint Entertainment launches Cweature Features label |
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It’s always sunny these days for Rob McElhenney, who is celebrating six Emmy nominations for Welcome to Wrexham
For McElhenney, it represents yet another landmark series to go along with It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, which is about to start shooting its 17th season, making it the longest-running comedy series in TV history. He also has just wrapped shooting Apple TV+’s fourth season of Mythic Quest.
Here, McElhenney joins Deadline to talk about all three shows and his excitement over his latest Emmy nomination as EP of Wrexham. >>>Watch The Interview |
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Exclusive
Jared Padalecki is returning to series television. The former Supernatural star, coming off a four-season run as the lead of Walker, has been tapped for a three-episode arc on the upcoming third season of CBS' hit drama series Fire Country. Given Padalecki’s status as a popular leading man with two hit series under his belt, there is a possibility for the guest stint to lead to a new spinoff headlined by him.
Exclusive
John Slattery has joined the cast of USA Network's drama series The Rainmaker, based on the bestselling John Grisham novel and its film adaptation of the same name. Slattery will portray one of Grisham’s most iconic characters, Leo F. Drummond, a legendary lion of the courtroom.
Exclusive
Alexandra Shipp (Anyone But You), Rosario Dawson and Milla Jovovich will topline Midnight, a new action thriller from first-time feature filmmaker Joshua Otis Miller and Yale Productions. Dawson is also a producer on the pic.
Exclusive
Scott Speedman, who plays Meredith Grey’s on-and-off love interest Nick Marsh on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, has closed a deal to continue to recur on the hit medical drama in its upcoming 21st season.
In Brief - Dave Franco joins Regretting You... Brec Bassinger to lead The Evilry... Lynn Whitfield upped to The Chi series regular... Gabby Beans, Tommy Dorfman, more join Broadway’s Romeo & Juliet... Rupert Everett & Ruby Stokes board Madfabulous |
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BY THE NUMBERS
10 - The number of broken bones Halle Berry says she’s suffered while shooting action movies |
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More News ✊ Casting assistants officially have union representation, after the group unanimously voted to organize under the Teamsters in a National Labor Relations Board election.
🎥 James Wan is in early talks to potentially helm a modernized retelling of The Creature From the Black Lagoon for Atomic Monster and Universal Pictures.
😬 A much-promoted conversation between Donald Trump and Elon Musk on X was beset with a massive technical problem and users were unable to access to the Spaces chat for about 40 minutes.
📺 “I don’t know if there will be any late-night television shows on network TV in 10 years. Maybe there’ll be one but there won’t be a lot of them," Jimmy Kimmel predicted on the Politickin’ podcast. |
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Trending
 WBD's Paris Olympics coverage in Europe saw 7 billion minutes streamed over the course of the games, a six-fold increase when compared with Tokyo. The company sub licensed the rights to the Games.
🔻 Shares of troubled Dish Network parent EchoStar have fallen sharply in the wake of a downbeat second-quarter earnings report, with chatter continuing about a potential bankruptcy filing. |
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Obituaries
🕯 Deirdre “Didi” O’Hearn, an industry veteran who was most recently head of programming and development for Food Network and Cooking Channel, died Monday after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 63. 🕯 Rachael Lillis, voice actor for Pokémon’s Misty and Team Rocket’s Jessie, has died. She was 46. 🕯 Ángel Salazar, the actor best known as Al Pacino’s trusted sidekick Chi Chi in the 1983 film Scarface, has died. Salazar passed away in his sleep over the weekend. He was 68. 🕯 Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024 Photo Gallery |
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On the Radar
Tue - Harris fundraiser in L.A.
Wed - Kim Kardashian on Fallon
Thu - Emily In Paris S4 premiere
Fri - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga debuts on Max |
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Buddy Pic - Mel Gibson showed up to support Vince Vaughn at Vaughn's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony. |
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