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Lionsgate CEO Voices Support for Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger

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Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer gave his support to the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, saying in the studio’s latest earnings call that the acquisition could be beneficial to Lionsgate’s television division through deals with a “bolstered” Paramount+.

“Uncertainty is the worst thing for our business, and uncertainty and delay is not good for anybody,” Feltheimer told financial analysts on Thursday. “We know [Paramount Skydance CEO] David Ellison well. We did his first series, ‘Manhattan,’ some years ago. I can tell you that I was impressed with him. He loves content. I have no reason not to believe that he will be investing very heavily in content, whether it’s a 30-film slate at a bolstered Paramount+.”

Feltheimer’s comments come as Paramount Skydance has pushed for entertainment executives to come out in support of its acquisition and to push California Attorney General Rob Bonta to reach a settlement with them in lieu of a trial scheduled for a March 2027 start with the aim of blocking the merger.

With the United Kingdom’s antitrust division approving the merger, the lawsuits from Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general as well as the Writers Guild of America stand as the final hurdle between Paramount Skydance and a closing of the merger. Regal Cinemas CEO Eduardo Acuna and Vue Cinemas CEO Tim Richards came out in support of the merger this week, joining AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron in support while Endeavor/TKO CEO Ari Emanuel voiced his support as well.

Feltheimer noted that he believes the merger could strengthen Paramount+’s position in the streaming market, which he sees as beneficial to Lionsgate’s television division as it sees to diversify the platforms on which it makes series pickup deals. Lionsgate has already reached a deal with Paramount+ on the upcoming thriller series “Trauma,” which Feltheimer described as “‘Die Hard’ in a hospital.”

“A better financed streamer, a competitive streamer would be better for us. Better for us in terms of original programming, better for us in terms of building library,” he said. “We’ve already sold them a new television show. We hadn’t been doing that much with Paramount. We hadn’t been doing that much with HBO. So I’m already seeing signs of it. I’m already talking to them about potentially co-financing feature films that would be good for us, and that would be good for the industry.”

While C-suite execs rally behind Paramount, labor and grassroot organizers have come out against it. Along with the suing WGA, SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood Teamsters have spoken out against the merger, while a letter opposing the merger has been signed by over 5,000 actors, including prominent names like Jane Fonda, Mark Ruffalo and hundreds of other A-listers concerned that the merger will lead to fewer greenlights and employment opportunities for creative talent and crew members.

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Joan Jett Cancels Tour Dates Amid Surgery Recovery

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Joan Jett is taking a break from the road as she heals from a recent orthopedic surgery for a fractured vertebrae.

On Wednesday, the Blackhearts frontwoman’s team announced that Jett will not be able to perform her upcoming September tour dates in Costa Mesa, California and Louisville, Kentucky.

“Following a recent injury, Joan Jett has undergone orthopedic surgery on a fractured vertebrae and will begin the necessary healing process,” said Jett’s team in a statement, according to People. “In close consultation with her doctors, Joan will not be able to perform at her forthcoming September scheduled shows in Costa Mesa, CA on September 5th and in Louisville, KY on September 24th.

“While Joan hates to disappoint fans, she will be taking this time to focus on physical therapy and healing. She’s looking forward to delivering tremendous concerts for many years to come,” the statement added.

Last month, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts wrapped up their first headlining U.K. tour in 16 years, before returning to the states for their scheduled stops next month at the Orange County Fair in California and the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Kentucky.

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Megyn Kelly Torches Whoopi Goldberg Over Comments About Her ‘View’ Salary

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Megyn Kelly tore into Whoopi Goldberg over “The View” co-host’s recent comments about her salary for the ABC talk show, suggesting the remarks made her look like “a fool.”

During Thursday’s episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” the conservative commentator addressed Goldberg’s viral salary comments, in which she claimed fans “would be shocked” by the size of her paycheck.

“Speaking of people in our industry, Whoopi Goldberg would like you to know she gets a huge paycheck, huge over at ‘The View,’ but she’s still just a common person who works for a living,” Kelly said at the start of the segment. “I’m not sure where she’s going with this, but let’s listen together.”

After playing the footage of Goldberg’s comments, which occurred on Tuesday’s “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast, Kelly admitted she actually couldn’t tell if the “View” co-host was suggesting her salary was massive or too small.

“I can’t totally tell there. She’s suggesting it’s incredibly large or incredibly small,” Kelly said. “But Yashar Ali, independent journalist, is reporting that he did reporting on Whoopi not long ago and she was getting paid $6 million a year.”

“So, if she’s lamenting it’s too strong… [or] it’s too low, she’s a fool,” she continued. “And if she’s bragging that it’s too big, she’s unlikable. I mean, either way, this is not a great comment.”

As Kelly went on, she laid into Goldberg suggesting “she understands the plight of working people” and for framing herself as “just a working girl.” On Goldberg’s claim that she knows it’s “hard out there” for people, Kelly sounded off: “I don’t think she does know. I don’t think she knows a thing.”

Later on in the episode, Kelly theorized that Goldberg was “not in the poor house,” adding, “I think she’s doing just fine. But I guess thinks she’s entitled to more. I would I would beg to differ. I mean, just the ratings of that show do not support paying her anymore.”

A representative for Goldberg did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Watch Kelly’s full commentary above.

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‘Stuart’ Creators On ‘Big Bang’ OG Return In Magic-Themed Episode 3

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SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about Episode 3 of HBO Max’s Stuart Fails To Save the Universe.

Another episode of Stuart Fails To Save the Universe, another surprise — and dark — OG return. In Episode 3, it was Melissa Rauch reprising her role as Bernadette Rostenkowski.

Like in Episode 2, where Penny, in an alternate universe, is with her former boyfriend Zack with no trace of her Big Bang husband Leonard, Bernadette does not have Howard’s last name and appears very much single.

She is the focal point of a scene that skewers the 2023 WGA strike with “inside jokes that will be amusing to only 4,000 people in the world,” said Zak Penn, co-creator of the spinoff alongside Big Bang creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady.

The Episode 3 world is ruled by magic, so, to fix their broken alternate reality-hopping machine, Stuart (Kevin Sussman) and Kripke (John Ross Bowie) seek out Bernadette, a renowned local sorcerer.

Turns out she is “all out of abracadabra.”

What happened?

“The Wizards Guild of America claimed I used my powers while we were on strike,” she explained.

“What were you on stwike for?,” Kripke asked in his signature speech pattern where “r”s and “l” are replaced by “w”s.

“Better dental, residuals for eternal spells. It’s ridiculous, we were out for six months, and basically everyone got a handful of magic beans,” Bernadette said. (You can watch the entire scene below.)

For the uninitiated, the Wizards Guild of America shares the same moniker, WGA, with the Writers Guild of America, which Stuart Fails to Save the Universe creators are all members of.

The 2023 WGA strike lasted five months with a minimum wage increase, viewership-based streaming residuals and AI protections among the gains in the new agreement with the studios.

Bernadette tells Stuart and Kripke that she was expelled from the guild for using her powers during the strike to bring her neighbor’s son’s adorable rescue dog Chocolate Chip back to life after he was hit by several cars.

“I don’t see how that’s bweaking a stwike,” Kripke said.

“Exactly,” Bernadette said, adding, “Let me tell you something about Wizards Guild of America. 90% of them don’t even work, and yet they get to vote.”

While the percentage is not that high, non-working writers are the majority, representing more than 50% of the full WGA membership that gets to vote to authorize a strike and then to ratify a deal. That has been an ongoing gripe for some established writers and a cause of divide within the union.

There was some difference of opinions among the Stuart Fails To Save the Universe creators too during a lively — and funny — interview with Deadline about the WGA strike jabs, which you can (and should) watch below.

WGA members caught performing writing services during the strike get expelled, which happened again in 2023.

Claiming that an appeal is not an option, Bernadette floats a reversal spell that would give her her powers back that requires “blood of an innocent,” which Stuart qualifies for and provides.

Later in the episode, Big Bang‘s Wil Wheaton shows up to warn Stuart that Bernadette is in fact a demon but he is killed by Bert (Posehn) in a magic power duel. The episode ends with Bernadette, in a full-on demon form, terrorizing Pasadena and hunting for Stuart & Co.

Lorre, Prady and Penn all participated in the 2023 strike and were on the picket lines. Penn has been the most active and public in his pro-WGA stance, having previously served on the WGA West Board of Directors and the union’s Negotiating Committee.

(L-R): Bill Prady & Chuck Lorre during the 2023 WGA strike in front of a ‘Big Bang’ banner outside the Warner Bros. TV lot.

DEADLINE: This seemed to me like I could hear Chuck’s voice, all the stuff about Wizards Guild of America. Chuck, you write that speech? And is this what you really think about this writers strike?

LORRE: (laughing).

PRADY: Oh, this is the Wizards Guild of America, an entirely different organization of wizards.

LORRE: Of wizards, yes. The wizards are striking for all the good reasons, and strike breaking is…

PRADY: It’s possible that section may include some inside jokes that will be amusing to only 4,000 people in the world.

PENN: Also, we have different opinions on this issue, I’d like to say. There’s a continuum of opinions about those issues, but the joke, it can’t be pro-WGA and still be funny. Although let me point out, the WGA rep is right because she is a demon.

PRADY: That’s right, Zak is right. The Wizards Guild of America is entirely correct in this episode.

LORRE: She broke the strike by bringing Chocolate Chip back to life.

PRADY: That’s a lie, that whole chocolate chip story is a lie.

PENN: Yeah, she’s a demon.

PRADY: She’s a demon.

LORRE: Well, yes, but she was also using her powers, and she was supposed to not use her powers during the strike, right?

PRADY: Well, we have a different understanding of the episode. I think that entire story is made up.

LORRE: Oh, I don’t.

PRADY: She makes up that story to get them to give her the blood. I think she made up the whole thing.

PENN: You’re getting a little taste of the writers room.

With her Demonic transformation, Rauch added a whole new shade of dark to Big Bang alums’ returns for the spinoff, following Kaley Cuoco’s ruthless Penny in Episode 2 and Kunal Nayyar’s deeply depressed Raj in Episode 1.

The series’ creators spoke about Big Bang OGs relishing going dark in the spinoff.

“Beyond,” Prady said.

Added Lorre, “Beyond. It was fun to do something different, that was part of the promise, come and play with us, and we’ll make sure that you’re playing a version of your character you never got to play before, an entirely different approach to the character, and that was fun for the actors.”

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