Industry News Archives

Freevee Adds Prime Exclusives

by Alex Kerai | May 5, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

This year, over 100 Amazon Originals will be available to stream for free on Amazon’s Freevee platform. Freevee will offer new Amazon Originals each month through the Amazon Originals channel on the service.

Hollywood Writers Guild Goes On Strike

by Alex Kerai | May 2, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

The Writers Guild of America is officially on strike as of Tuesday morning. Pencils are down, and picket lines are starting. The guild’s contract with the major studios—including Disney, Netflix, and Discovery-Warner—has expired.

9-1-1 Canceled at FOX, Moving to ABC

by Alex Kerai | May 1, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

The long-running procedural 9-1-1 is moving from FOX to ABC after the season 6 finale in May. Fox’s decision to cancel and move the show was due to financial reasons and licensing fee costs for the network.

Peacock Adds 2 Million Subscribers With Strong Movie Releases

by Alex Kerai | Apr 28, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

NBCUniversal, which released Peacock numbers on Thursday, reported a bump in subscribers which could be attributed to successful theatrical releases coming to streaming. Universal had a lot of success in the first quarter with theatrical film releases, including Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and M3GAN.

Amazon and MGM Step Up IP Development

by Alex Kerai | Apr 21, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

Amazon closed the deal to acquire MGM in March 2022. MGM’s long catalog of film and TV hits was the main driver of the acquisition. MGM produced classic movies like Robocop, Legally Blonde, Fame, Barbershop, and The Thomas Crowne Affair—all of which could be remade or adapted at Amazon.

Netflix Will Launch Paid Sharing Plans in the US in Coming Months

by Alex Kerai | Apr 18, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

Netflix announced plans to roll out its US paid sharing plans in quarter two to crack down on password-sharing. The company also released its first-quarter earnings and added only 100,000 subscribers in the US and Canada, but it has found increased engagement, with “The Night Agent” hitting record viewership.

Writers Guild of America Authorizes Strike with Overwhelming Support

by Alex Kerai | Apr 17, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

The Writers Guild of America voted to authorize a membership strike if the guild fails to reach an agreement with the studios for a new contract by May 1. The deal passed by a wide margin; 97% of voters authorized a strike. Nearly 80% of eligible writers voted in this round.

Star Wars Celebration Reveals New Projects

by Alex Kerai | Apr 14, 2023 | Entertainment, Industry News

Three new Star Wars movies, all set in different eras, were announced at the Star Wars Celebration in London last weekend. Lucasfilm also debuted footage from four new Star Wars TV shows coming to Disney+. Currently, only The Mandalorian and Andor are airing on Disney+. The last time there was a new Star Wars movie was four years ago.