Exec Shuffle For 4/25/16: Fullscreen VOD Service Now Available, Gannett Offers to Buy Tribune Pub., Google Partners with The Black List
Also on this week’s docket, Amazon offers Seeso to its Prime subscribers, Univision nabs Disney’s stake in Fusion and replaced ABC in distributing the network, Viacom and Dish make a deal and Ubisoft Motion Pictures needs a new CEO. As usual, there’s plenty more, so click the link to read on. (SSN)
Regulators Approve Charter Communications Deal for Time Warner Cable
Federal regulators announced yesterday that they have approved Charter’s acquisitions of TWC and Bright House Networks in deals valued at $88 billion, ushering in further consolidation of the broadband industry. The approvals create a broadband and cable television juggernaut at a time when consumers rely on the Internet as a utility but see their prices increase with few options for providers. (NYT)
It’s Taken Some Time, but Now Showtime Has Finally Released a Full Cast List For Its ‘Twin Peaks’ Update
Show has been coming together over for what seems like years, but this morning the subscription cable network finally stated the series is moving forward. In fact, principal photography has apparently finished on the series already, and the show is moving forward to achieve that 2017 premiere date we started hearing about numerous months ago. The list of famous people in the cast is lengthy, and can be found by clicking the link. (CB)
Showtime Makes Another Big Move, Nabs ‘Manhunt’ Comedy From David Caspe, Seth Gordon & Aaron Kaplan
In a competitive situation, the half-hour series project from Happy Endings creator David Caspe, Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon, Black List writer Jordan Cahan and Life In Pieces executive producer Aaron Kaplan landed at the cable net for development. The pitch, from Sony TV where Caspe and Gordon are under overall deals, has received a production commitment. (DH)
Sony Does the Obvious, Green Lights a ‘Goosebumps’ Sequel
With last year’s family film a solid hit at both the box office and on home video, the studio is in development on a sequel. The first film’s director Rob Letterman and screenwriter Darren Lemke will return for Goosebumps 2, with Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritzalso coming back as producers. While Jack Black has yet to sign on, the hope is he will also come back to the fold for more monster mayhem. (CS)
Lionsgate Is Bringing More Than 100 Hollywood Movies To Steam
The Hunger Games, Twilight, and more big Hollywood movies are now available on Steam, Valve’s PC-gaming platform. The new deal, announced today, will bring more than 100 films to the service, and it includes some of Lionsgate’s biggest franchises, like Saw, Crank, and Divergent (TV)
Joaquin Phoenix Circles ‘The Sisters Brothers’, Might Join John C. Reilly
Actor is eyeing a role in the dark comedy western, based on the book by Patrick DeWitt and marks the English-language feature film debut of french director Jacques Audiard. The movie follows two hired guns who journey from Oregon City to San Francisco to murder a prospector, but find that their intended target may have a better offer for them. This would be a follow-up film to Audiard’s Dheepan which won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. (TB)
Darby Stanchfield, Emily Bett Rickards and Meaghan Rath Star in Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Slumber’
Meaghan Rath is also aboard the film, which is the story of a woman who must piece together her past and find her missing daughter after waking up from a coma. Darrell Wheat is directing. It’s being billed as a hybrid of Jacob’s Ladder and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. (VAR)
Trailer Buzz, Part One: ‘Weiner’
Sundance Select has released the trailer for the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner for the documentary division, about the ill-fated New York mayoral campaign of former congressman Anthony Weiner. The movie get s limited release on May 20th. (IW)
Trailer Buzz, Part Two: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’
Twentieth Century Fox has dropped the final trailer for the upcoming blockbuster, starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Rose Byrne, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, and Ben Hardy, and hits theaters May 27th. (COL)