Duffer Brothers and Jerry Bruckheimer Join Program for Entertainment and Technology Summit
Bruckheimer, the prolific Academy-Award nominated producer will speak on the latest trends in filmmaking, including his most recent work on the summer breakout 'F1: The Movie,' which has recently raced past $500 million globally at the box office
More from Variety
'Crimson Tide' Sequel in Development, Jerry Bruckheimer Hopeful Denzel Washington Will Return: 'I Think He'd Do It'
'Stranger Things' Season 5 Editing Is Ahead of Schedule, Duffer Brothers Promise at SCAD TVfest: 'We're Definitely on Target' for 2025
Netflix's 2025 Preview: Even With 'Stranger Things,' Ben Affleck, John Mulaney and More Than 190 Titles, the World's Biggest Streamer Still Sees Itself as an Underdog
Paul, president of Warner Bros. Television Group and Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television will be featured in a conversation alongside Lisa Katz, president of scripted content, NBCUniversal, about where the streaming content industry will head next, given new pressures to connect with audiences who are more fragmented than ever across entertainment options.
The day's events will dive into the evolving entertainment landscape, featuring discussions on the future of streaming, the rise of live experiences, creator-driven marketing, and the creative potential of AI.
Matt and Ross Duffer, creators, showrunners and executive producers of 'Stranger Things,' will take us behind the scenes of the fan favorite series as it enters its final season, launching over three parts this November.
In other event highlights, the 'Storytelling Entrepreneurs' panel, which examines the movers and shakers redefining storytelling across various platforms, including gaming, podcasts, digital content, and more. Headlining the panel is Nicole Byer, host of 'Why Won't You Date Me?'; Jake Shane, host of 'Therapuss,' Benito Skinner, creator, star and executive producer of 'Overcompensating'; and Matt Rogers, host of 'Las Culturistas.'
Josh Simon, VP, Consumer Products and Experiences at Netflix, Rahul Gautam, Global TMT Consulting Leader and Americas Media and Entertainment Consulting Leader for EY, Simon Robinson, COO of Warner Bros Discovery Studios, and Judy Lee, Global Head of Experiences, Pinterest, headline the 'Booming Live Experience Economy' panel. This session highlights leaders who are successfully developing live strategies that deepen fan engagement and unlock new revenue streams.
Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, Phil Schermer, Founder and CEO of Project Healthy Minds, and others come together to discuss how the entertainment industry is utilizing new technologies to raise awareness about mental health.
Karen Kovacs, President of Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal, Julian Franco, President of Operations & Strategy, FOX Entertainment, Amy Reinhard, President of Advertising, Netflix and Lisa Siskind Bilgrei, Global Head of GTM & Content Programming, Google TV join the 'TV Industry Transformed' panel to examine how innovation is expanding opportunities for viewers and brand partners alike.
Shahrzad Rafati, founder and CEO, RHEI; Jenn Lockhart, SVP of sales, Midwest & West Coast, Teads; Pouya Shahbazian, producer, ('Love, Victor'; 'Shadow and Bone'; 'Divergent') and CEO, Staircase Studios, AI, among others will be featured in the conversation 'AI to Unlock New Creative Frontiers,' exploring how AI is being put into action across the entertainment industry.
Additionally, the 'Groundbreakers of Creator Marketing' panel discussion will feature Spencer Collantes, VP of creative marketing, Neon; Margaret Walker, EVP, entertainment marketing, NBCUniversal; and Dustin Sandoval, VP digital marketing, The Walt Disney Studios.
'Champions of Sports Culture Across Platform' will include Pamela Duckworth, head of Fubo Studios, Fubo; Carlos 'Olek' Loewenstein, global president, Sports TelevisaUnivision; and Robert Gottlieb, president of marketing, Fox Sports.
'From streaming and AI, to live experiences and creator-led content, the conversations happening at this year's summit highlight innovation, creativity, and adaptability within the art of storytelling,' said Variety's chief operations and marketing officer Dea Lawrence. 'We're honored to give a platform to some of the brightest minds at the forefront of the intersection of entertainment and technology.'
Additional speakers and sessions to be announced. Ernst & Young is a premier partner of the event. Wells Fargo is an official partner. RHEI & Teads are supporting partners of the summit. Reserve your ticket here.
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025
What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Why Netflix's (NFLX) 85% Rally Isn't Done Yet
Over the past year, Netflix (NFLX) shares have appreciated 82%, prompting the question of whether further upside remains. The company's performance has been supported by a robust content pipeline, rapid expansion of its advertising business, and strategic deployment of generative AI capabilities. In addition, Netflix is generating substantial free cash flow, benefiting from economies of scale and the early success of its high-margin advertising tier. Given the stock's current valuation, the key consideration for investors is whether the growth trajectory justifies continued investment. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Momentum That Just Won't Quit Netflix delivered a strong second quarter, reporting revenue of $11.08 billion, up 16% year-over-year and slightly ahead of Wall Street's $11.07 billion consensus. Growth was driven by continued member acquisition, higher subscription pricing, and rapid expansion of the advertising business. While the company no longer discloses exact subscriber counts, management noted that membership growth accelerated late in the quarter, particularly in international markets, supported by anticipated releases such as the Squid Game and Stranger Things season finales. The advertising segment remains a key growth driver, with revenue on pace to double in 2025. This momentum is supported by the full deployment of Netflix's proprietary ad tech platform, which streamlines media buying for brands. The introduction of a redesigned user interface—now implemented on 50% of TV devices—has improved content discovery and engagement, increasing both viewing time and advertiser appeal. Content continues to be a strategic differentiator. Netflix is investing heavily in globally resonant titles, including Alice in Borderland and the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2. Its partnership with France's TF1 is expected to strengthen local content production, particularly in the European market. The company's gaming initiative is also gaining traction, with early success from cult-classic titles such as Grand Theft Auto enhancing platform stickiness. Overall, Netflix continues to demonstrate the ability to drive growth and innovation, even at a more mature stage of its business lifecycle. Turning into a Cash Flow Powerhouse Turning to profitability—particularly free cash flow—Netflix generated $2.3 billion in Q2, representing a 91% year-over-year increase. Management also raised its full-year FCF guidance to $8.0–$8.5 billion. This level of cash generation reflects the benefits of significant economies of scale. With more than 300 million paid memberships globally, the cost to serve each subscriber declines as the base expands, enabling a greater share of revenue to translate into earnings. While content amortization is projected to exceed $16 billion in 2025, robust subscriber growth helps distribute these costs more efficiently. The advertising segment is further enhancing cash flow, as incremental ad revenue carries minimal associated costs once the global ad tech platform is in place. Each additional advertising dollar contributes disproportionately to profitability. Operational efficiency gains from generative AI—such as accelerating and reducing the cost of visual effects—are also supporting margin expansion. These factors allowed Q2 operating margins to reach 34.1%, an improvement of nearly seven percentage points compared with the prior year, while still enabling sustained investment in premium content. Is the Price Tag Worth It? Now, at 45x this year's expected EPS, Netflix's isn't a bargain, as the company is trading at a steep premium compared to the broader market. But then again, Netflix's dominance makes it hard to call it overpriced. Over the years, they've faced heavyweights like Apple (AAPL), Disney (DIS), and Amazon (AMZN), who've dumped billions into streaming to chip away at Netflix's lead. Yet, Netflix keeps growing like a weed, with revenue up double-digits quarter after quarter and EPS expected to climb at least 20% per year for the foreseeable future. And while Disney and Amazon have gained ground, Netflix's global reach, brand loyalty, and content machine keep it ahead. Their 'local for local' strategy, which revolves around producing hits in markets like Japan, Korea, and now France via TF1, gives them an edge no one can match. What is the 12-Month Forecast for NFLX stock? There are 38 analysts offering price targets on NFLX stock via TipRanks, with a fairly bullish consensus. Today, the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 26 Buy, 11 Hold, and one Sell rating over the past three months. NFLX's average stock price target of $1,394.23 suggests ~13% upside over the next twelve months. NFLX Transitions from Disruptor to Dominant Leader Netflix has transitioned from industry disruptor to dominant market leader, while continuing to uncover new growth avenues. Its advertising tier is scaling rapidly, globally resonant content is attracting new audiences, and free cash flow is reaching levels previously thought unattainable. While the stock trades at a premium, businesses combining this degree of growth and profitability seldom come at a discount. For investors seeking a company with a proven ability to adapt, innovate, and maintain a competitive edge, Netflix remains a compelling proposition.


Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
'The No. 1 Destination for the Most Talented Artists': Netflix Stock (NASDAQ:NFLX) Notches Up as the Duffer Brothers Consider Jumping Ship
In what may be one of the strangest news pieces I have heard in a while, streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) may be about to lose one of its biggest acts: the Duffer Brothers. If that name is not immediately familiar, then perhaps their property will be: Stranger Things. Perhaps even stranger than the things in question is who Netflix may lose to here. Investors took it in stride, though, and sent shares up fractionally in the closing minutes of Friday's trading. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Matt and Ross Duffer, the guys behind the runaway hit Stranger Things, may be landing a new deal at, of all places, Paramount (PARA). Yes, the studio that has been relentlessly flailing for months as people wondered if it could even pull off a merger successfully may be about to poach the makers of one of Netflix's biggest properties. One of Paramount's new goals is to become the 'no.1 destination for the most talented artists and filmmakers in the world.' Interestingly, the move might have been made possible from a completely different Netflix loss, as Cindy Holland—who helped get Stranger Things off the ground at Netflix—herself moved to Paramount, and is now the head of streaming therein. However, reports note that a deal between the Duffers and Paramount would also include theatrical-release feature films. A Win in Animation But Netflix may be about to make a serious surge in one respect: animation. Netflix animation has been a bit of a mixed bag of late. Some of it is great, some of it not so much, and in some cases it is both great and terrible depending on the season. Disenchantment, I look squarely at you here. But one series is proving to be a big winner for Netflix: the unlikely hero of Kpop Demon Hunters. Not only is Kpop Demon Hunters the most viewed animated movie on Netflix right now, it is also the second most-viewed movie period on the platform. For a movie that has only been available since late June, that is no mean feat. Greenlight Analytics director of insights and content strategy Brandon Katz notes that this is Netflix's '…first real, organic, mega hit animated franchise.' But what does Netflix do for an encore here? That answer may determine whether this is a long-term winner or a flash in the pan. Is Netflix Stock a Good Buy Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on NFLX stock based on 26 Buys, 11 Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After an 82.56% rally in its share price over the past year, the average NFLX price target of $1,394 per share implies 12.31% downside risk. Disclosure


New York Post
14 hours ago
- New York Post
‘And Just Like That' showrunner defends bizarre finale toilet scene that left fans enraged: ‘Relationships are a lot of s–t'
He stands by it. 'And Just Like That' showrunner Michael Patrick King is defending his choice to feature a disgusting toilet scene in the series finale of the 'Sex and the City' spinoff. In an interview published Thursday night, King told Variety, 'We cannot take ourselves too seriously. For the gorgeousness of Carrie's pink, sparkly top and tulle skirt — that's the high — the low is a toilet filled up with s–t.' He added, 'Because guess what? Being single, there's a lot of s–t, and relationships are a lot of s–t. It's the comedy, with the drama, with the romance, with the fairy tale. I guess it's a response to the fairy tale.' 12 Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie in the 'And Just Like That' finale. Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max 12 Michael Patrick King in Paris, on May 28, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 'And Just Like That' had its series finale on Thursday night after 3 Seasons – ending Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) reign on TV that began when 'Sex and the City' premiered in 1998. During the episode, Carrie attends an awkward dinner party where there's an incident with a toilet overflowing. The camera shows crap in the toilet onscreen. Enraged fans slammed the scene on social media, saying it made them feel 'insulted' and made them 'vomit.' The episode ends with Carrie alone, in no relationship after Big (Chris Noth) died, and after she split with Aidan (John Corbett) for the umpteenth time. 12 The toilet scene in the 'And Just Like That' series finale. HBO 12 Cynthia Nixon and Sarah Jessica Parker in the 'And Just Like That' finale. HBO King said Carrie ending up alone is a 'call and response' to the criticism 'Sex and the City' got when that show's 2004 series finale ended with Carrie, Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), Charlotte (Kristin Davis) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall) all in relationships. 'It is something that I've always thought about. Because, as much as I made sure in the 'Sex and the City' finale that they weren't all married — because the anarchy of 'Sex and the City' was that, at that time, that being 34, with someone, but unmarried, was unacceptable…So Samantha was not married. That was my loophole,' he said. The showrunner added about the end of 'SATC' that Carrie 'did say that beautiful last speech about the most significant relationship of all being the one you have with yourself — while holding a phone, with Big calling.' 12 Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall in 'Sex and the City.' HBO 12 Cynthia Nixon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kristin Davis in 'And Just Like That.' HBO 12 Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall and Kristin Davis in 2002. Getty Images The end of 'And Just Like That' finds Carrie dancing around her apartment, seemingly at peace with being single. 'It's 'the real, real, this-is-now Carrie. Many, many years later, having gone through deaths, heartbreaks, new romances, saying, 'I'm grown-up enough to face this, because I've created a life that's so magnificent for myself,'' King told the outlet. He added, 'She's on her own. And that sentence is… mostly for someone who feels bad because they don't have someone. That's really what it is. It's to say: Look at her, how fabulous she is, and she's exactly where you are. That's what it's for.' 12 Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) dancing in her apartment at the end of 'And Just Like That.' HBO 12 Carrie writing the epilogue to her book at the end of 'And Just Like That.' HBO Before Season 3 premiered, HBO didn't announce that it would be the final season. King and Parker both made the announcement on social media on Aug. 1, just two weeks before the series finale aired. He explained, 'We didn't tell the press — people do tell, to get a bump. And I didn't need the bump, and I didn't want people looking at the Carrie-Aidan relationship with the word 'final' over it. I don't think they would have invested. They would have said, 'All right, just end it.'' 12 Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) in 'And Just Like That.' HBO The showrunner said, 'If the word 'final' had been in the mix, you would have seen everything differently. You would have seen Harry's prostate cancer as final. And we never wanted that to be final.' He continued, 'If we had told the press at the premiere 'final,' they would have said 'How does it end?' Guess what? We didn't know. None of the actors knew. We were just following the feelings of the writing and story and where we could bring Carrie that would be enough of a finish that people could continue with their fan fiction writing on their own.' At the end of Season 3, Carrie – who is writing a novel about a woman in the 1800s – ends the book by writing, 'The woman realized she was not alone — she was on her own.' 12 Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon in 'And Just Like That.' GC Images King wrote that scene in the middle of the Season 3 production, he said. 'The resonance of that felt so profound that I knew it was a very significant end to the season as we wrote it.' He continued, 'And then… wait, more is coming? Can we do more? I talked to Sarah Jessica and said, 'I think this is it. This feels like where we should leave Carrie Bradshaw.' She said, 'Then we stop.'' 12 Sarah Jessica Parker in 'And Just Like That.' Photograph by Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max When asked if Carrie's story could ever return to TV, he said, 'It is closed. Because I care so much about what we've done. …she's this hero in her late 50s, wearing a Hindenburg hat and eating sherbet in Washington Square Park,' he said, referring to the giant cloud-like accessory that Carrie wore on her head in Season 3 of 'And Just Like That.' He explained that Carrie has 'made her mark,' and 'as a writer, I feel we've made our mark. I never thought once about continuing…Anyone else could keep going. I can't.'