[TEST] ☀️CANDLE Debt Concerns after HELLO SUNSHINE 90% Target MissRyan Reynolds, post-strike movie pitch king / COMCAST price hikes / WWE tops NBA in TV ratings
Mornin! This is Sean McNulty (connect here on LINKED-IN if ya like) and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on FRIDAY Dec. 8, 2023. Where PGA golfer Jon Rahm has found his price! Yes, the world’s third-best golfer & 2023 Masters champion, and previous staunch defender of the PGA (until it made the LIV merger deal this Summer and didn’t inform any of its top players, like Rahm) is leaving the PGA for the Saudi LIV league. Jon’s price? Reports range anywhere from $300 Million to $560 Million 🤯. But don’t worry, pretty sure the Saudis are good for it… and Jon maintained in his announcement that he does "not play golf for the money,” but rather “for the love of the game.” Jon then called out “line” to someone in the wings as he forgot his script at home. Golfers amirite? 🙄
BTW: The PGA-LIV merger deal has a deadline of…oh about 3 weeks, and is by many accounts is not very close to being sewn up. This doesn’t help. Have a fun golf season in a few months TV networks! 🏌️♂️ PLUS: The EMMY eligibility deadline calendar won’t change next year, despite the strikes and this year’s show happening in January. So June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024 it is! ALSO 🥳: ABC’s Dick Clark Rockin’ New Years Eve announced its featured performing talent for this year’s show, including Green Day, Ellie Goulding, Ludacris, Renee Rapp and 30 Seconds to Mars. AND: Here is your 2023 AFI Awards Top 10 list for Film and for TV series. PHEW: The LAKERS won their NBA CUP semi-final game last night, so Saturday night’s first championship game will at least have one marquee team for the ABC broadcast (they’ll play INDIANA). THEN 🪧: The Washington Post 24-hour journalist walkout drew about 750 employees yesterday, who were protesting their POST GUILD’s lack of a contract, 18 months after their last one expired. The publication’s editors were thus in charge of at least keeping some flow of stories to their website yesterday and getting a newspaper out.
IN THIS EDITION
NEW ANKLER PODCAST EPISODENew pod up this morning, with Elaine giving us color on the conversations she had around town for her post-strikes TV marketplace feature this week, as execs seem to come back to the idea of entertaining big audiences, and we celebrate Norman Lear - a man who knew a thing or 2 about that notion.
🎥 THE SILVER SCREEN
Ryan Reynolds is in… another movie pitch bidding warI’m beginning to worry if Ryan Reynolds may owe someone some money… last week it was an action-comedy #hotproject with Channing Tatum, and this week it’s an action-comedy heist ensemble pic that’s out for bidding, also with a tie to The Lost City - this one will be written by Lost City screenwriter Dana Fox. Either way - if you’re wondering who got the most incoming once the SAG deal was done, I think we have our answer. Simon Kinberg (X-Men universe) is also on board to produce the project with… seven bidders according to Deadline.
ALSO IN MOVIES
📺 THE TV SET
NETFLIX sets Ray Romano to star in new dark comedy seriesThat would be No Good Deed from Liz Feldman (Dead to Me), and it has an eight-episode order. Ray will play a contractor looking to retire and get out of LA who puts his beautiful Los Feliz home up for sale, attracting three different families as bidders. /Variety If you’d like to Share this newsletter 🤝 - here’s a handy button:💻 THE MEDIA BIZ
CANDLE MEDIA is looking to restructure its debt…Namely - to make lower interest payments (hey aren’t we all) on their debt, as some investments aren’t hitting their profit targets, according to Bloomberg. They have over $1 Billion of debt, after making $4 Billion of acquisitions.
🏦 STOCK NOTESGOOGLE +5% ($138.45) Lotta Bard-stans out there today SIRIUSXM +5% ($4.71) DISH +10% ($4.35) If you were forwarded The Wakeup, get it as part of your subscription to The Ankler:Hits your inbox weekdays by 9:30am (ish) East Coast time👩💻 THE FSS FEED:(new Stuff to Watch this weekend, Friday - Saturday - Sunday)FRIDAYIN THEATERS:
STREAMING:MOVIES:
TV:
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
🎥 TRAILER HOUSEAMAZON PRIME Mr. & Mrs. Smith series teaser trailer - PREMIERES FEB. 2  HBO Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project docu trailer - Winner of the SUNDANCE Grand Prize for docs this year, about the legendary poet, activist, and educator. PREMIERES JAN. 8  🎧 PLAYING ME OFFGonna end the week with a video from one of you people! Literally! Thanks to the reader who responded to my query for new music this week with a video they directed - well done! A fun jam that also answers the question what happens when you walk thru a car wash. Thankfully said director didn’t also splurge for the hot wax. Enjoy “Headlines” from Islands to send you off into the weekend…  If you need some new tunes: Email me anytime at seanmcnultynyc@gmail.com or connect here on LINKED IN. -SEAN MCNULTY @theseanmac on TWITTER @TheWakeupNews on INSTAGRAM
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