“They asked if we could use Tim Cook instead, and we said no,” Seth Rogen, who serves as co-creator, writer, director, executive producer, and the star of the show, said to Business Insider. The show’s eighth episode did feature Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who played himself.
Tim Cook did get the Severance treatment, at least.
Despite President Trump’s lawsuits targeting the Paramount-owned CBS and 60 Minutes, the company said in its earnings report that it expects its deal with Skydance to close in the first half of this year. The WSJ reported in January that Paramount considered settling the lawsuit to “reduce friction” with the administration, and now both parties have begun mediation.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr has also suggested that the agency won’t approve mergers for companies with DEI policies, while specifically mentioning Paramount’s deal with Skydance, Bloomberg reported.
During Disney’s earnings call on Wednesday, Iger admitted the company “lost a little focus” by making too many Marvel films. He added that Thunderbolts* is the “first and best” example of a more consolidated and focused Marvel:
We all know that in our zeal to flood our streaming platform with more content, that we turned to all of our creative engines, including Marvel, and had them produce a lot more. We’ve also learned over time that quantity does not necessarily beget quality.
Warner Bros. Discovery streaming head JB Perette said during an earnings call on Thursday that paid sharing prompts “will start getting firmer and more visible” in the coming months. Max added a $7.99 per month Extra Member option last month, which lets viewers share their password with someone outside their household.
