The Ankler

After Baby Reindeer became a huge Netflix hit, it'd make sense that Richard Gadd's next show Lions would end up there, too. But Gadd's shoutout to a specific exec who left Netflix for the BBC might indicate why it'll appear on the channel, writes Manori Ravindran. https://lnkd.in/eRnnXXHZ

Welcome to the Ellison era. As Paramount (hopefully) reaches a turning point in its sale, Richard Rushfield provides nine takes on the news, ranging from sighs of relief to a parody song set to the theme from Davy Crockett. https://lnkd.in/ekp5-QzA

Strap in, media nerds: Sean McNulty explores the #Paramount-#Skydance deal, which isn't even expected to close until 2025. He looks at why the deal is happening, what the company will look like under Ellison, and how the deal will impact employees. https://lnkd.in/eC4ePzPF

Check out this yummy article in The Ankler about our new "Marketplace" dining on the Lot! 🍲 🥗 🌮 🍕 🍔 🥘 #EmployeePerks #OntheLot #universalstudioslot https://lnkd.in/e5ygVkbv

Presenting: The Prestige Junkie Mid-Year Awards 🏆 Katey Rich gives kudos in some extremely made up categories, like "Best Actor Proving That Star Power Isn’t Dead" and even "Best Thighs". https://lnkd.in/eAps-gED

Elaine Low examines the growing inequity in Hollywood by seeing where — and for how long — people vacation during this time of instability and austerity, while others view the new IATSE deal as a time to get jobs, not take time off. https://lnkd.in/emMA8aSX

Barry Diller tells Matthew Frank that he and wife Diane von Fürstenberg have joined the list of high-level donors no longer supporting Joe Biden’s campaign. https://lnkd.in/encJdMAE

I loved this article by Peter Kiefer for The Ankler. It meets my interests in intellectual property, movies, and video games. A quick summary: The titular "Grand Theft Auto guy" is Dan Houser, co-founder and former head writer of Rockstar Games, with credits including the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series. "His synthesis of Hollywood influences into gaming spurred the Grand Theft Auto titles, for example, to sales of more than 400 million units." Since departing from Rockstar Games, he has founded Absurd Ventures, which is looking to develop IP in-house through various methods, including narrative podcasts, gaming, and graphic novels. Here's my take—I'm curious to see what Absurd does in the future. While I haven't listened to their podcasts yet, I don't want to bet against Dan Houser or his team. His sense of social satire is better than most films being made today, with a dry British wit on par with anything on HBO. Houser's vision for Absurd Ventures feels audacious and something I'm deeply excited about. My hesitation, however, comes from the idea of reverse-engineering IP. I can't speak for graphic novels, and as the article points out, narrative audio storytelling isn't as prominent in the United States as it is in Houser's native England. However, I know what is so refreshing about gaming is how invigorating it can feel even when their products are remixes and spins on well-worn material (Uncharted is modern Indiana Jones, Ghost of Tsushima has a Kurasowa mode to play the game in Black & White with a Japanese dub). Can Absurd Ventures create enough brand association with excellence as Houser's other venture? Will reverse-engineering IP with graphic novels and indie games turn them into film and television work? I have no idea, but if this is a way to trick the film industry into producing semi-original work by crowd-sourcing an audience while getting more material from Dan Houser, then I am all in.

Shocker: A LOT of wealthy LA high-school seniors are into #ozempic... One-third at least, according to Dr. Allie Melendez, an educational consultant with a master’s degree in education, a doctorate in human sexuality and an educational consultant. Dr. Melendez surveyed high school students from an array of LA's top private schools during the past year while conducting workshops at the schools (she is also an alum of a local LA private Windward School ). 👉 1/3 of the students she surveyed openly acknowledged that they were on or considering a #GLP1 medication like Ozempic. And that's just the ones who publicly responded; the Doctor thinks the percentage could be much higher. Why am I not surprised? Because these are the kids of a wealthy, health and appearance-obsessed cohort of West LA parents. Apple, meet tree. But is this OK? I'm not one to judge, but if a child is suffering from obesity, I can only imagine how much worse it would be during highschool years (especially for girls, for whom, as the author points out, the vast majority of prescriptions are written). If the stigma of being on GLP1 drugs is removed (LA PS kids are the vanguard of the self-conscious teen) the sky is the limit for this space for companies like Eli Lilly and Company Novo Nordisk and others. BTW, I completely agree that diet, exercise, and a healthy self-image will always be better than medications, so please, no screaming. 😁 Peter Kiefer The Ankler Thank you Jonathan Anastas for the article.

Jeffrey Katzenberg agewashed Biden, comparing him to Mick Jagger and Harrison Ford, telling big donors over and over he was fine. Says James Carville: "In Louisiana, it’s called ‘pissing up a rope.’ Never works” https://lnkd.in/eEVgTjBR