Paramount Dates Live-Action Musical From Matt Stone & Trey Parker – CinemaCon

Grammy-winning hip-hop and R&B artist Missy Elliott has been tapped for a role in director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams‘ new, untitled feature for Universal Pictures.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Amid Paramount Global’s removal of Bob Bakish as CEO and the ongoing uncertainty of a company sale, it was business as usual for the first quarter at the media conglomerate — which included a $1.3 billion charge for content write-offs as well as layoffs. Paramount Global reported Q1 2024 earnings Monday, announcing Bakish’s exit and the installation of an unusual three-in-a-box “Office of the CEO”: CBS’s George Cheeks, Chris McCarthy, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks, and Paramount Pictures’ Brian Robbins.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The three Paramount Global executives installed to run the company after Bob Bakish was removed as CEO sought to reassure employees that they have a long-term strategy. On Monday, Paramount Global said Bakish was stepping down as CEO and leaving the board. In his place, the company established an “Office of the CEO” committee led by three divisional heads: George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS; Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks; and Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The recent broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII boosted Paramount Global‘s first quarter of 2024, stabilizing advertising revenue at its TV operations, as the company’s streaming operations added more than 3 million subscribers and cut losses there by more than 40%. Overall, Paramount narrowed its first quarter operating losses while seeing a 6% uptick in revenue, due in large part to audience and advertiser interest in its Big Game presentation, which set a new viewing record.

After trying to reassure Wall Street with their brief opening remarks at the Paramount Global earnings call, the trio executives named to the newly formed Office of the CEO looked to do the same with the company’s employees rattled by the sudden ouster of longtime CEO Bob Bakish amid sale negotiations with Skydance.

George Cheeks, Brian Robbins and Chris McCarthy, the Paramount Global executives chosen to occupy the Office of the CEO as a replacement for the departing Bob Bakish, sought to reassure Wall Street on Monday that they have a plan.

A classic Warner Bros. IP is headed to Netflix with a reimagening from one of the studio’s top TV producers. In a competitive situation with multiple bidders, the streamer has landed Scooby-Doo! The Live-Action Series, from Greg Berlanti‘s Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television where the company is based, sources tell Deadline.

Paramount Global‘s CEO Bob Bakish is out. The executive who has been a presence at several iterations of the company since 1997 will exit, effective immediately. A triumvirate of division heads — Brian Robbins, George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy — will step in to lead the company for now in a new office of the CEO.

Studiocanal and Editions Albert René have signed an exclusive development agreement for the fifth live action movie inspired by the adventures of French comic strip hero Asterix.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer As turmoil continues to surround the future of Paramount Global, details surrounding interim leadership and its proposed Skydance deal are coming to light, multiple sources told Variety. Sunday was a consequential day in Shari Redstone’s ongoing exclusive bargaining window with David Ellison‘s Skydance, one that would see the Hollywood scion take majority ownership of Paramount Global and its owner National Amusements Inc. Skydance offered its “best and final” offer to Redstone on Sunday, sources added.

Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa and W1A’s Hugh Skinner will star in a National Theatre revival of Oscar Wilde’s play about courtships, betrothals, and confused identities. The Importance of Being Earnest also stars three-time Olivier Award winner Sharon D. Clarke playing the imperious Lady Bracknell.

Paramount Global is set to announce as early as Monday morning that Bob Bakish is stepping down as CEO amid talks with Skydance and ahead of the company’s quarterly earnings that afternoon.

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer After Tupac Shakur’s estate threatened to sue him for using the late rapper’s AI vocals on his song “Taylor Made Freestyle,” Drake has removed the track from his social media profiles. Drake initially posted the song, a diss track towards Kendrick Lamar, on April 19, featuring computer-generated verses from the late Shakur and Snoop Dogg.

Tupac Shakur’s estate have threatened to sue Drake over the use of AI-generated vocals to replicate the late rapper’s voice on his diss track.According to a cease-and-desist letter (per Billboard), the ‘Headlines’ rapper was told by litigator Howard King that his track ‘Taylor Made Freestyle‘ must to be taken down in less than 24 hours. If not, Tupac’s estate would go ahead and “pursue all of its legal remedies” against him.The letter – penned by King – read: “The Estate is deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality.

Production on the upcoming live action How to Train Your Dragon film is currently underway!!

J. Cole has removed his Kendrick Lamar diss track ‘7 Minute Drill’ from all streaming services.It featured as the closing song on his surprise-release new album, ‘Might Delete Later’, which dropped earlier this month.The track came after Lamar fired verbal shots at Cole and Drake on the track ‘Like That’, which was shared as part of Future and Metro Boomin’s recent collaborative album ‘We Don’t Trust You’.

What do you do when your conglom might be a target for a takeover. Don’t sweat it and laugh.

LAS VEGAS – Things are rocky for Paramount Pictures at the moment. While studio CEO and Chairman Brian Robbins and his team presented highlights of their upcoming 2024 slate, reports were breaking of corporate shareholders coming out publicly against a proposed merger with Skydance Media.

Brent Lang Executive Editor “South Park” co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are teaming with Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free on a new live-action comedy that will hit theaters just in time for our nation’s birthday. The film is slated to open on July 4, 2025 and will be distributed by Paramount Pictures. It faces some stiff competition.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins got cheeky about the sales talks surrounding his corporate parent Paramount Global. In a presentation to worldwide theater owners at the annual Las Vegas convention CinemaCon, Robbins got right to the point in his opening remarks about what’s next for his team.