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Directors Guild Anoints Paul Thomas Anderson

Other Directors Guild winners: Amanda Marsalis for an episode of The Pitt, and the guy who directed Game 7 of the World Series. - Los Angeles Times

The Year Young Black Comedians Stole The Super Bowl’s Thunder, And Thence Created The Modern Halftime Show

“The final ratings were the big headline. Altogether, 22 million people switched from CBS to Fox for the In Living Color alt-cast, outdrawing Winter Magic and cratering ratings for the second half. Washington dominating the game didn’t help. The NFL was shook.” - The Guardian (UK)

This Year’s Super Bowl Ads Were Bleak For The Future Of Creativity

This Super Bowl was “the first with A.I. taking center stage—a revealing gametime moment for the tech as it confronts investor anxiety, broader fatigue, and fears of impending economic crisis. ...The real twist is that consumers seem to loathe this marketing ploy.” - Slate

Days After Gutting The Washington Post, Murdoch Media Veteran Will Lewis Abruptly Steps Down

“‘Will Lewis’s exit is long overdue. His legacy will be the attempted destruction of a great American journalism institution,’ said the union representing most Post employees.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Academy Held A ‘Bake-Off’ For Ten Shortlisted Casting Directors To Explain What Casting Actually Is

“Only members of the casting branch vote on the nominations, but the bake-off is open to members from across the Academy, since they’ll be the ones voting on the winner.” - Vulture

Where Has Hollywood’s Production Money Gone?

Quite a bit went to Great Britain last year, actually. - The Guardian (UK)

Yorkshire Takes A Weary Breath, Prepares For Another Onslaught Of Wuthering Heights Fans

One hotel owner: “It could all be a flash in the pan, and that’s fine. If it sticks, that’s also great. What I do know is that I won’t be renaming any rooms as ‘The Jacob Elordi Room’ or ‘The Heathcliff Room.’” - The Guardian (UK)

Suddenly, The Michelle Obama Documentary Is Incredibly Popular On Streaming

Surely it’s a coincidence that as a movie named about the current First Lady opens in the UK, people start watching a movie about Michelle Obama (“a rise in views of more than 13,000%”). - The Guardian (UK)

The Muppets Were On Top. Then Decades Of Bad Business Decisions Toppled Their Popularity. Can They Rise Again?

The characters have survived a cruel decade defined largely by false starts, aborted projects and creative in-fighting. - The Wrap (MSN)

Enormous Challenges For Disney’s New CEO

The entertainment industry is in flux, and Disney will need someone with a deft hand if it is to survive and thrive. The business is consolidating around just a few superpowers, many of whom have the luxury of giant tech businesses to fall back on (see: Google and Amazon). - The Wrap (MSN)

Netflix CEO Goes To Testify Before Congress; A Culture War Ensues

He ended up spending much of his time before the Judiciary subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights pushing back against accusations from Republican senators that the streamer is politically biased. - NBC

Amazon Pulls “Melania” From Movie Theatre After Cheeky Marquee Promotion

It all started with a joke on a movie marquee: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. ‘Melania’ starts Friday.” - Seattle Times

Sony Spent $457 Million To Buy The “Peanuts” Franchise. Now What Will The Conglomerate Do With It?

It’s going to “leverage the iconic IP across music, film and global distribution platforms,” as one would expect. On the music side, this means “integrating Peanuts characters and storylines into the company’s music, video and live event offerings;” the film/TV side intends to “broaden the franchise’s reach” worldwide. - Variety

Former Muppets Exec Sues Jim Henson Company

"Jason Lust, a former senior executive … who helped shepherd some of The Jim Henson Company's most successful modern movies and TV series, … filed the lawsuit last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asserting breach of contract. The complaint … seeks at least $7.5 million in damages.” - TheWrap (MSN)

Hollywood Unions Express Concerns About Netflix’s Warner Buy

“Both proposed transactions raise significant issues that impact stakeholders across the media sector, including our members,” the DGA’s statement read. - Deadline

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