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Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Skydance Pauses New Spending On Jeremy Strong 9/11 First Responders Drama Series Amid Uncertainty Over Paramount Merger Approval
EXCLUSIVE: We may have the first casualty of the prolonged — and unpredictable — regulatory approval process of Skydance's proposed $8 billion Paramount takeover. Skydance is pausing new spending on a high-profile drama series starring and executive produced by Jeremy Strong and written and executive produced by Tobias Lindholm, sources tell Deadline. Tentatively titled 9/12, the series, which was originally set up at Sister in 2021 as The Best Of Us before moving to Skydance late last year, tells the story of the first responders of 9/11, relying on heavily researched accounts, and pays tribute to those impacted. More from Deadline Breaking Baz: Oscar-Nominated Stars Colman Domingo & Jeremy Strong In Talks To Make Their Debuts At UK's National Theatre Trump 101: Why POTUS' Lawsuit Against CBS Over '60 Minutes' Is Seen As Dubious - Analysis Paramount Slammed For Trying To "Scapegoat" 'Top Gun: Maverick' Writer's Cousin & Infringement Action; Studio Disses "Completely Without Merit" Screenplay Suit It is the first and only so far Skydance production budgeted against the new Skydance-Paramount deal; it had been moving ahead for a targeted August filming kickoff. That tentative start of production timeline remains in place for now but Skydance executives have informed the series' creative team that new spending is being put on hold as of today, I hear. That would impact new hires that have been in the works but work on the series able to continue under pre-existing budget allocations, sources said. The funding freeze is limited to series earmarked for the combined company, I hear, and does not affect any of Skydance's core development and production, including three upcoming series, 12 12 12 starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan for Apple TV+; Ride or Die, starring Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer for Amazon; and Brothers, starring Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey for Apple TV+. A rep for Skydance declined comment. The 9/12 move comes with just several days left on FCC's 180-day 'shot clock' for the Skydance-Paramount transaction, an informal timeline for the agency to review mergers. FCC chairman Brendan Carr referenced the timing during a press conference this past Monday. 'On the transaction itself, we are getting close to the informal 180 day clock,' he said. 'I think we're somewhere in the 160s but we're just running our normal process across a lot of different transactions right now.' Carr insisted that the regulatory review, which is crucial when transfer of broadcast licenses is involved — like is the case with Paramount as owner of CBS — is not connected to other ongoing Paramount-related matters, including a potential settlement in President Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against CBS over its 60 Minutes Kamala Harris interview. 'The settlement and any discussions around that have nothing to do with the work that we're doing at the FCC,' Carr said. 'There's at least three different things are going on: There's the litigation, which we're not a part of and there's been no discussions about, there is the transaction that's before us and there is the CBS news distortion [complaint].' The FCC could extend the clock on the Skydance-Paramount review. Still, the initial window coming to an end amid lack of significant FCC engagement on the proposed merger — the first evidence of talks between the watchdog agency and Paramount came only last week — likely raised enough concern for Skydance brass to halt spending against projects budged under the combined company. This is the first sign of Skydance pumping the breaks on its post-merger plans as uncertainty over the deal grows in the new regulatory climate under President Trump. Up until now, Skydance and Paramount had been moving full-speed ahead under the presumption that the transaction will be completed soon. With the two companies now in the first of two automatic 90-day under the terms of the merger agreement they reached last summer, there may be impact on the other side too, with Paramount facing potential new cost-cutting measures if the merger is not approved in the near future. Working behind the scenes during the past few months has been former Sister Global CEO Cindy Holland, a Senior Advisor To David Ellison and Skydance, who has been putting together a programming strategy for Paramount+ post-merger. 9/12 would've been the first new series specifically designed for the new, Skydance-controled Paramount+. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Brad Pitt's Apple 'F1' Movie: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon M. Chu To Give This Year's Commencement Speech At Alma Mater USC
Jon M. Chu, at the halfway point of directing back-to-back Wicked movies, will deliver the keynote address at USC's 142nd commencement ceremony in May. Chu, whose credits also include Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2003. He will receive an honorary degree as part of the ceremony May 15 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the university said Friday. More from Deadline Breaking Baz: 'Wicked's Jon M. Chu On Unlocking The Musical For The Big Screen And How Casting Cynthia Erivo As Elphaba Was 'Like A Coup' Jon M. Chu On 'Wicked' Success, Plans For Part 2, Future Projects From Play-Doh To Britney Spears & The Movie Musical Remake That Went Bye-Bye – Behind The Lens John Oliver Says ICE Assertion That Detention Is "Nonpunitive" Is Like Claiming 'Wicked' Wasn't Too Long: "Undercut By Empirical Evidence" 'Jon continues to spark the imaginations of millions through the dazzling worlds he creates. He's a terrific champion of the amazing talent — performers, technicians and craftspeople — who contribute so much to the creative arts and bring important stories to life,' USC president Carol Folt said. 'He's also a wonderful role model to students and storytellers, and we can't wait to hear his inspirational words.' Wicked: Part 1 scored 10 Oscar nominations this year including Best Picture and won two, for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The movie became the highest-grossing adaptation of a Broadway musical of all time and grossed $733.7 million at the worldwide box office. The sequel, Wicked: For Good, is gearing up to hit theaters on November 21, 2025. Chu has long credited USC with his development and has stayed close with the university; he met his Wicked and In the Heights cinematography Alice Brooks when both were students there. There is a Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholarship, awarded to students whose projects focus on Asian Pacific culture in film, TV and interactive media, and he recently established the Jon M. Chu Endowed Student Fund. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About 'Freakier Friday' So Far Everything We Know About 'Ted Lasso' Season 4 So Far How Horror Is Finding Its Place In Awards Season & What's New For 2025
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ireland's Lighthouse Studios Snaps Up Banijay Kids Exec To Lead Slate Expansion
EXCLUSIVE: Rick & Morty animation outfit Lighthouse Studios has hired a Banijay Kids exec to help expand its slate. The Irish studio has signed up Ed Moline in the newly-created Executive Producer role with a view to overseeing the studio's development pipeline, guiding creative teams and managing the development of adapted works and original IP. He will work closely with MD Claire Finn. More from Deadline Lighthouse Studios Ups Marc Jordan As France's Gao Shan Pictures Boards Animation Firm's Performing Arts School Comedy Series 'Showtime' Breaking Baz: World Premiere Of 'The Greatest Showman' Stage Musical With Five New Songs Will Open In UK In 2026 Ahead Of Disney Theatrical Taking To West End & Broadway After A 'Sex Education' Actor Was Jailed For Raping His Drama Student, The Survivor Tells Her Story Of Disgust & Defiance Among the projects Moline will be driving forward are Savage Town, an adult-aimed animated series adaptation of Declan Shalvey's acclaimed graphic novel, and comedy series Showbiz School. During his Banijay Kids stint, Moline worked across Shasha & Milo (Tencent Video, Discovery Kids Latin America) and Mini-Heroes of the Forest (RAI Kids, France Télévisions). Prior to Banijay, he was a producer at Beano Studios, where he reimagined comic characters for television and produced So Beano for Sky Kids. Finn said Moline joins 'at a critical moment in our evolution as a content creation studio.' 'With the content landscape becoming increasingly competitive, as major players focus on investing in established IPs, it's vital to remain committed to original content that truly resonates,' she added. 'The recent Academy Award wins serve as a testament to the power of innovative storytelling.' Ireland's Lighthouse is a BAFTA-winning studio that has delivered animation on Rick & Morty, The Bob's Burgers Movie and The Cuphead Show!. Best of Deadline 'Poker Face' Season 2: Everything We Know So Far A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media How Jon Gries' Return To 'The White Lotus' Could Shape Season 3
