Press Release: Warner Bros. Discovery Sets Special Meeting Date of March 20, 2026, And Unanimously Recommends Shareholders Vote FOR Netflix Merger; As Talks With Paramount Are Underway

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Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. ("WBD") (NASDAQ: WBD) today announced that it will hold the Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Special Meeting") to vote on the merger with Netflix, Inc. ("Netflix") (NASDAQ: NFLX) on March 20, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time and the commencement of mailing of the definitive proxy statement to shareholders in connection with the Special Meeting. WBD also announced today that Netflix has provided WBD a limited waiver under the terms of WBD's merger agreement with Netflix, permitting WBD to engage in discussions with Paramount Skydance ("PSKY") (NASDAQ: PSKY) for a seven-day period ending on February 23, 2026 to seek clarity for WBD stockholders and provide PSKY the ability to make its best and final offer. During this period, WBD will engage with PSKY to discuss the deficiencies that remain unresolved and clarify certain terms of PSKY's proposed merger agreement. Netflix retains its matching rights as defined by the merger agreement.

The WBD Board of Directors (the "WBD Board") continues to unanimously recommend in favor of the Netflix merger. The WBD Board also unanimously recommends that shareholders reject the PSKY offer, for the reasons set forth in the amendment to our Schedule 14D-9 filed today with the SEC.

Following receipt of PSKY's latest amended offer, a senior representative for PSKY informed a WBD Board member that, if the WBD Board authorized discussions, PSKY would agree to pay $31 per share and that the offer was not PSKY's "best and final" proposal. This price, along with several other matters that PSKY stated it would address in its February 10 letter, are not reflected in the latest merger agreement that PSKY proposed. To provide specific clarity in this regard, WBD has today sent PSKY a letter, included below, setting out the key issues yet to be addressed by PSKY, along with drafts of full transaction agreements for PSKY to confirm the terms of its offer.

"Throughout the entire process, our sole focus has been on maximizing value and certainty for WBD shareholders," said David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery. "Every step of the way, we have provided PSKY with clear direction on the deficiencies in their offers and opportunities to address them. We are engaging with PSKY now to determine whether they can deliver an actionable, binding proposal that provides superior value and certainty for WBD shareholders through their best and final offer."

Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr., Chair of the Warner Bros. Discovery Board of Directors added, "As announced today, we continue to believe the Netflix merger is in the best interests of WBD shareholders due to the tremendous value it provides, our clear path to achieve regulatory approval and the transaction's protections for shareholders against downside risk. With Netflix, we will create a brighter future for the entertainment industry – providing consumers with more choice, creating and protecting jobs and expanding U.S. production capacity while increasing investments to drive the long-term growth of our industry."

WBD today sent the following letter to PSKY, together with revised versions of the merger agreement and other transaction documentation:

Dear Members of the PSKY Board:

The Board of Directors of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is fully committed to delivering a superior transaction to our shareholders. Since our decision last year to separate our Streaming & Studios businesses from our Global Linear Networks business, we have actively explored a wide range of alternatives, including through a publicly-announced strategic review process in which Paramount Skydance (PSKY) participated, having initially approached WBD in September 2025. Our agreed transaction with Netflix offers superior value for our shareholders, allows us to achieve our strategic goal to separate WBD's businesses, offers a high degree of certainty with minimal risk to the businesses in the interim and has essentially no financing risk. The WBD Board continues to unanimously recommend that our shareholders approve the Netflix transaction, as reflected in the definitive proxy statement we have filed with the SEC today.

On February 10, PSKY amended its tender offer for WBD common stock. While this amendment addresses some of the concerns that WBD had identified several months ago, it still contains many of the unfavorable terms and conditions that were in the draft agreements submitted by PSKY on December 4, 2025 and December 22, 2025 and twice unanimously rejected by our Board. PSKY indicated in its February 10 letter to the WBD Board a willingness to address some of those concerns, but does not do so in its proposed merger agreement, leaving WBD with vague assurances of intention. Other important issues raised several times with PSKY are unchanged from your prior submissions. On February 11th, a senior representative of your financial advisor communicated orally to a member of our Board that PSKY would agree to pay $31 per WBD share if we engage with you, and that $31 is not PSKY's best and final proposal.

We are writing to inform you that Netflix has agreed to provide WBD a waiver of certain terms of the Netflix merger agreement to permit us, through February 23, to engage with PSKY to clarify your proposal, which we understand will include a WBD per share price higher than $31. We seek your best and final proposal. To be clear, our Board has not determined that your proposal is reasonably likely to result in a transaction that is superior to the Netflix merger. We continue to recommend and remain fully committed to our transaction with Netflix and have scheduled a special meeting of our shareholders on March 20, 2026 to vote on the Netflix merger agreement.

As you know, it is typical and expected for a would-be overbidder to accept the substantive terms of the merger agreement that the target company has already agreed with its existing merger party. To provide you with specific clarity in this regard, we have prepared, and our legal counsel will deliver to you today, copies of transaction agreements that conform to this approach, address key issues for the WBD Board in prior PSKY offers and incorporate the terms and assurances reflected in your February 10 letter, as well as certain other changes to reflect matters unique to your proposal. Attached at the end of this letter is a business summary of these changes. As part of your binding proposal, the WBD Board needs confirmation that you are prepared to sign our proposed agreements. We encourage you to be direct and transparent with your best and final value and other terms in that binding proposal.

During this seven-day period – as we consistently did during the strategic review process last year – we welcome the opportunity to engage with you and expeditiously determine whether PSKY can deliver an actionable, binding proposal that provides superior value, transaction certainty and interim protection for WBD's businesses to Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders.

On behalf of the WBD Board of Directors,

Samuel A. Di Piazza, Jr.                                                       

Board Chair

David Zaslav

President and

Chief Executive Officer

Summary of Changes to Transaction Agreements

Below is a summary of the principal business changes reflected in the transaction agreements provided by WBD today, as compared to the draft agreements provided by PSKY in its tender offer. Many of these reflect terms proposed by PSKY in its public statements but not reflected in its merger agreement; others align the draft agreement with the terms of the Netflix merger agreement.

Refinancing and Junior Lien Notes: PSKY to bear expenses in connection with any junior notes liability management exercise when incurred, or pay the $1.5 billion financing fee to WBD at the time it would be due (December 30, 2026). The Netflix merger agreement does not require WBD to bear any cost in this regard.

Bridge Refinancing: PSKY's consent will not be required for WBD's bridge refinancing, which will consist of dollar and euro term loan debt and bonds on market terms available at the time of the refinancing. The bond component will have a tenor of no more than 7 years, and will be non-callable for no more than 3 years, and the loan component will be non-callable for no more than 1 year. This provision is substantially more favorable to PSKY than the terms of the Netflix Merger Agreement, which permit WBD full refinancing flexibility.

Material Adverse Effect: Consistent with the statement in PSKY's Feb. 10 letter that it is "prepared to address any concerns WBD has regarding the impact of Discovery Global's performance on closing certainty," the "Company Material Adverse Effect" definition excludes effects attributable to the performance of WBD's Global Linear Networks business (consistent with the Netflix Merger Agreement).

Equity Cure to Support Debt: The significant debt financing and resulting pro forma leverage in the PSKY offer create material closing uncertainty, particularly when compared to Netflix's investment grade credit rating and large positive free cash flow. PSKY has repeatedly stated that these concerns are not serious, noting the personal wealth of your lead equity sponsor and the credibility of your lending banks. To reflect your assurances, the draft agreements provide that in the event the transaction would not close due to the debt financing being unavailable, additional equity will be funded to enable closing to occur

Interim Operating Covenants: The interim operating covenants should not require consent from PSKY in order for WBD to operate its business in the ordinary course between signing and closing. The additional covenants you have proposed are not part of our agreement with Netflix, and are not accepted, as they further risk the certainty of closing.

Equity Financing Certainty: Our changes to the PSKY equity documents reflect the need for absolute clarity as to funding obligations and certainty of funding at closing, or to pay damages if due.

Equity Syndication: WBD will receive notice and full information regarding any equity syndication, and its consent will be required for any direct or indirect syndication that would require regulatory approvals or delay closing.

The WBD Board has not determined that PSKY's proposal is reasonably likely to result in a transaction that is superior to the Netflix merger. There can be no assurance that a definitive transaction will result from WBD's discussions with PSKY. The WBD Board and management team remain resolute in their commitment to maximizing value for shareholders and continue to recommend shareholders vote FOR the merger with Netflix.

How Netflix's Potential Acquisition Of Warner Bros. Discovery Affects M-Net, DStv And Showmax?

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Not long ago, it was reported that Netflix won the bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery valuing the deal at $72 billion. This deal would DC Entertainment/Studios, Cartoon Network Studios, HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures/Television and New Line Cinema.

Below is a how this deal is bad news for MultiChoice

M-Net and Showmax

MultiChoice had been licensing Game Of Thrones and Penguins from HBO to M-Net and Showmax. In the event of an acquisition, Netflix had expressed interest to continue these partnerships with local broadcasters but it may not be easy.

If MultiChoice continues to license content from Warner Bros. they could as well look to increase the rates. This is something MultiChoice's new owners Canal+ may not find amusing as they've begun cost cutting due to DStv's shrinking consumer base.

Besides that, the previous owners at MultiChoice had been anti-Netflix for sometime so the general audience had sort of painted a certain image of the company. While free-to-air broadcasters such as SABC and eMedia Investments had been licensing from the streamer.

MultiChoice put up a wall between them and Netflix again this was the previous owners regime as Canal+ does view them as partners. They do have an agreement to bundle their services in francophone markets alongside a content deal through K+.

The reality is while Warner Bros. continues to license content to M-Net and Showmax, Netflix will likely make further productions exclusive to their services. If they do continue licensing, I doubt MultiChoice would want their scraps.

Netflix is already available in the market which further complicates things as M-Net and Showmax are meant to go hand in hand with their content. But then again, MultiChoice is part of StudioCanal's parent company which gives them leverage.

Netflix may offer Stranger Things, Squid Games and Wednesday but with Canal+'s MultiChoice there's Paris Has Fallen, Spinners and iShaka iLembe.

DStv

For this part, I feel there's a lot of exaggeration as Netflix is not acquiring Discovery, TLC or the linear Cartoon Network as that is being spun off into a separate company. Of course, Netflix's bid to be frank sort of dilutes the value of Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network under Discovery Global will be leaning more toward third party programming such as Lego Ninjago, Dragonball Super and Totally Spies!. While what made Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney "The Big 3" like Regular Show and Tiny Toons Looniversity goes to Netflix.

It's likely that they will be a licensing agreement for these shows but they'll most definitely be like DreamWorks Channel - reruns. Under a separate company, they're not going to prioritise on these Netflix originals.

If it is deemed expensive these shows could as well get phased out and again that just dilutes Cartoon Network who had been reliant on these IPs.

Turning over the torch to Discovery Global, this is the company that MultiChoice is involved in a carriage dispute with over the future of its 12 channels. These include Discovery Channel, HGTV, TLC and as mentioned the linear Cartoon Network.

Of course, the matter of concern here to me is that as mentioned with Cartoon Network while the Netflix deal makes the company more leaner. There's still another 20 billion worth of debt they need to clean out.

Expecting for content to be reduced, potential sales or closures to operations or channels and lastly massive layoffs particularly for international feeds.

All of this might as well unfold while these channels are no longer on DStv but then again it's likely that MultiChoice could opt to keep a few channels. My guess would be Discovery Channel, TLC, Cartoon Network, Real Time, Cartoonito, ID and CNN.

‘HBO, DC, Cartoon Network’: 10 Companies That Netflix Will Now Own After The Warner Bros Buyout

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Following Netflix’s agreement to acquire Warner Bros Discovery’s TV and film studios and streaming division in a deal valued at roughly $72 billion, the streaming giant will take control of some of the most influential brands in global entertainment. Based on the assets included in the sale, here are 10 major companies and brands Netflix will now own.

1. HBO

The deal includes Warner Bros Discovery's streaming and premium-TV business, giving Netflix full ownership of HBO, one of the strongest content brands in the world, known for Game of Thrones, Succession, The Last of Us and more.

2. HBO Max / Max

Netflix will also acquire the HBO Max (rebranded as Max) streaming service, a direct competitor. This dramatically increases Netflix’s control over prestige television and reshapes the streaming landscape.

3. Warner Bros Television

The acquisition includes Warner Bros’ television production unit, one of the industry’s largest suppliers of scripted and unscripted programming, producing shows for networks globally.

4. Warner Bros Pictures

Netflix gains control of Warner Bros Pictures, the centerpiece film studio behind franchises such as Harry Potter, DC Films, Mad Max and Fantastic Beasts.

5. DC Entertainment / DC Studios

The DC superhero universe featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Joker and more, falls under Netflix’s ownership as part of the studios division.

6. New Line Cinema

The iconic studio behind The Lord of the Rings, The Conjuring and IT will become part of Netflix’s content empire through the Warner Bros acquisition.

7. Cartoon Network Studios

The animation division producing global hits like Ben 10, Adventure Time and The Powerpuff Girls will be owned by Netflix, expanding its youth and animation catalogue.

8. Adult Swim

Known for Rick and Morty, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and cult animation, Adult Swim also moves under Netflix as part of the studios and TV assets it is buying.

9. Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

TCM’s extensive classic-films library and broadcast brand will fall under Netflix's control, giving it unmatched catalogue depth.

10. Vox Media Partnership Assets

Warner Bros Discovery maintains multiple joint ventures, including content partnerships with Vox Media (such as digital news/documentary collaborations). These partnership rights transfer to Netflix as part of the studio and streaming business purchase.

The article was originally published by Wionews

Netflix Wins the Warner Bros. Discovery Bidding War, Enters Exclusive Deal Talks

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Warner Bros. Discovery is moving forward with exclusive deal talks with Netflix, TheWrap has learned.

WBD has selected Netflix after the streaming giant offered $30 a share for the studio and streaming assets, according to two people familiar with the deal talks. The deal also includes a $5 billion break-up fee to match the terms that Paramount added with its bid.

While its unclear what the makeup of the new bid looks like, the prior bid was a mix of mostly cash and stock.

Netflix securing a win over rival suitors Paramount and Comcast represents a stunning turnaround from just two months ago, when co-CEO Greg Peters shaded big media mergers as not having an “amazing track record,” and Paramount buying WBD seemed like a foregone conclusion. Fast forward to today, and Netflix has won a furious M&A bake-off after three rounds of bids.

Representatives for Netflix and WBD weren’t immediately available for comment.

These exclusive talks clear the road for Netflix to acquire the Warner Bros. studios, HBO Max and a treasure trove of IP assets like “Harry Potter” and the DC Universe. Netflix, which once aspired to be like HBO when first embarking on original content, is on a course to become its next owner. Obtaining such assets could dramatically reshape the entertainment landscape and give Netflix even more power over Hollywood — concerns the streamer will have to assuage.

Regulatory hurdles

The willingness to include the unusually large breakup fee was likely critical with questions arising on how Netflix will get a deal with Warner Bros. through regulatory approval. It would face stiff antitrust scrutiny and opposition from the U.S. Department of Justice, New York Post’s Charles Gasparino reported on Tuesday.

A representative for the Department Justice declined to comment on the report.

In a Nov. 13 letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson and Department of Justice antitrust division assistant attorney general Gail Slater, Republican Rep. Darrell Issa warned that a Netflix bid would raise antitrust concerns that could harm consumers and Hollywood alike. He noted that consolidation between the two companies would “diminish incentives to produce new content and major theatrical releases,” which could “undermine opportunities for the full range of industry professionals both in front of and behind the camera.”

California Attorney General Robert Bonta has previously voiced his opposition to any deals involving WBD. “Further consolidation in markets that are central to American economic life — whether in the financial, airline, grocery or broadcasting and entertainment markets — does not serve the American economy, consumers or competition well,” his office told TheWrap last month in response to Paramount’s initial offer.

“We are committed to protecting consumers and California’s economy from consolidation we find unlawful,” the spokesperson added.

The process of completing the deal could distract the company from executing its core business. There’s also the X factor of Netflix jumping into the deep end of the theatrical business, a part of the entertainment world it has kept its distance from. Netflix shares fell 5% on Wednesday when investors realized the prospect of a deal happening was very real.

Netflix Set To Bid For Champions League Rights

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Streaming giant Netflix is set to bid for UEFA Champions League rights for the 2027/28 season. They are thought to be interested in the ‘global first pick’ package, which will give exclusive rights around the globe for the leading game in each round.

UEFA will attract around €5 billion per year in the next round of bidding, an increase from the current package, which brought them in €3.3 billion.

Champions League Showcases Best Teams in Europe

The UEFA Champions League is considered the premier football competition in Europe, so it is no surprise that Netflix want to be part of the action. They will be hoping to feature the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and Arsenal, three teams flying high in their respective leagues this season. The latter top the Premier League standings ahead of their visit to Fulham in a London derby. They are 1/2 favourites in the Fulham vs Arsenal odds for the game.

In the Premier League betting this season, Liverpool are 11/4 to defend their title. The six-time Champions League winners are hugely popular around the world, so Netflix will be keen to frequently feature Arne Slot’s side if they secure the ‘global first pick’ package.

The Champions League changed its format in 2024 to include a 36-team league in the opening phase of the competition. This has helped to pit the bigger teams against each other earlier than usual, increasing the viewing figures for the group stage.

Amazon Already Involved in Champions League

One of Netflix’s direct competitors, Prime Video, already streams Champions League matches as part of the current package. They share the rights in the UK with TNT Sports, with Amazon broadcasting 17 matches.

Amazon, Apple and Disney are expected to bid along with Netflix for the ‘global first pick’ package from 2027. UEFA will be hoping that with four streaming giants involved, it will drive the auction to record numbers.

The winner of the auction may need to increase the cost of their packages to their customers to fund the expenditure. They will be hoping to attract new subscribers who are keen to watch the Champions League.

Boxing Has Proved a Big Success for Netflix

Should they win the rights to the UEFA Champions League, it won’t be the first sporting event that Netflix have streamed. They have already shown some major boxing events on their platform.

Netflix hosted the exhibition event between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson in 2024. It was watched live by over 60 million households. The company also shot content in the lead-up to the fight to sit across their platform.

More recently, Netflix won the rights to the huge clash between Saul Alvarez and Terence Crawford. That was billed as one of the biggest clashes this decade in the sport. Over 41 million households watched that fight live from Las Vegas.

If they can win the right to the Champions League, it will be a boost for Netflix, who are keen to be more involved in some of the leading sporting events in the world.

Captain Planet Live-Action Series In The Works At Netflix

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Captain Planet and the Planeteers‘ long-awaited live-action adaptation is getting a big boost — and a major twist. In a competitive situation, Netflix has landed for development Captain Planet, a live-action series based on the cult animated show, Deadline has learned. It hails from Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Warner Bros. Television where Berlanti Prods. is based.

Mrs. Davis co-creator/executive producer Tara Hernandez will be writing the adaptation of the 1990 environmental superhero animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which ran on TBS and in syndication for six seasons.

Appian Way previously spearheaded a live-action feature Captain Planet take. Originally set up at Paramount Pictures in 2016 with Glen Powell co-writing with Jono Matt and potentially starring, the project never materialized, with the rights eventually reverting to Warner Bros. Discovery, though Powell had remained passionate about it as his star rose fast post-Top Gun: Maverick.

Conceived by Ted Turner, Captain Planet and the Planeteers follows five teenagers who tackle environmental disasters with the help of a superhero, Captain Planet. The animated series was produced by DIC Enterprises (Seasons 1-3) and Hanna-Barbera Cartoons (Seasons 4-6).

Berlanti is no stranger to the superhero genre — he built an expansive DC universe at the CW. This marks Berlanti Prods.’ second high-profile live-action series adaptation of a beloved WBD animated property for Netflix, joining the upcoming Scooby-Doo origin series. At Netflix, the company also was behind hit thriller drama series You, co-created by Berlanti.

Berlanti Prods.’ current slate includes NBC’s Brilliant Minds and the CW’s All American. The company’s pipeline also includes horror thriller Stillwater, based on the Skybound comics, which has a series order at Amazon with Berlanti and Carly Wray adapting; mystery Foster Dade in the works at Hulu; Dilettante, starring Jeff Daniels, set up at Apple; and a family drama at HBO Max.

Environmental causes have been at the heart of Appian Way’s documentary slate with projects such as the Emmy-winning The Path Of the Panther, We Are Guardians, Virunga, And We Go Green, Fin, The Loneliest Whale and Ice On Fire as well as the kids animated series Ozi: Voice of the Forest.

After a decade as a writer-producer on The Big Bang Theory and spinoff Young Sheldon, Hernandez co-created with Damon Lindelof and served as an executive producer and showrunner on Peacock’s AI-themed limited series Mrs. Davis. She is repped by WME. Berlanti Prods. is repped by CAA; Appian Way by LBI.

Press Release: Netflix Announces Live Action Scooby-Doo Series

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The eight-episode show goes back to the haunting case that started it all.

Half a century, three theatrical films, and more than a dozen animated series later, Scooby-Doo remains one of pop culture’s most recognizable and entertaining characters. But few people know about how the cowardly dog and his mystery-solving gang first got together. In a new series, showrunners Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg (and their production company, Midnight Radio) are going back to the beginning, to the terrifying case that started it all.

Based on the characters from Hanna-Barbera, the latest show is a modern reimagining of the iconic mystery-solving group of teens and their very special dog. During their final summer at Camp Ruby-Spears, old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding a lonely lost Great Dane puppy that may have been a witness to a supernatural murder. Together with the pragmatic and scientific townie, Velma, and the strange, but ever-so-handsome new kid, Freddy, they set out to solve the case that is pulling each of them into a creepy nightmare that threatens to expose all of their secrets.  

The series will be executive produced by Rosenberg and Appelbaum, as well as Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman (via Berlanti Productions), and André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner (via Midnight Radio). “One of my first and favorite jobs in Hollywood was sitting with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera while they signed animation cels,” says Greg Berlanti. “Josh and Scott and everyone at Midnight Radio have crafted a story that captures their amazing spirits and their genius creation. We are grateful to them and everyone at Warner and Netflix for the partnership in helping bring this iteration of Scooby-Doo to life!”

This isn’t the first time a beloved franchise has made its live-action debut on Netflix. Netflix has continued the world-building of beloved franchises with live-action adaptations of ONE PIECE and Avatar: The Last Airbender, as well as fan-favorite characters like Wednesday. “Mystery Inc. is back in business! We’re excited to bring Scooby-Doo to TV as a live-action series for the first time,” said Peter Friedlander, vice president of scripted series at Netflix. “The beloved franchise has had an impact on pop culture that is undeniable — it’s rich with universal themes of friendship that generations of fans have long embraced. Together with creative powerhouses Berlanti Productions and Midnight Radio, we’re committed to delighting longtime fans and opening up a world of groovy adventures for a new era of meddling kids.” 

The show is a result of Berlanti Productions’ overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Clancy Collins White, president of creative affairs at Warner Bros. Television, added, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with our longstanding partners at Berlanti Productions and with Midnight Radio to bring the legendary Scooby-Doo franchise to a live-action series for the first time. It’s no mystery why audiences continue to love these iconic characters after more than a half century. We’re excited for a new generation to discover Mystery Inc. And we’re grateful to our partners at Netflix for the opportunity.”

Possibly Cancelled. Still No Update Of A Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Season 2 On Adult Swim

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Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is an American adult animated fantasy television series created by Genndy Tartakovsky and aired on Cartoon Network's night-time programming block Adult Swim. The series stars the voices of Hazel Doupe, Demari Hunte, and Tom Milligan. 

Tartakovsky originally conceived Unicorn: Warriors Eternal in his early days at Cartoon Network Studios. The series took almost 20 years to get made, with Tartakovsky pitching it to various studios before it was picked up by Cartoon Network and HBO Max.

The series premiered on Adult Swim from May 5, 2023 and concluded on June 30, 2023 literally a year ago with only 10 episodes. Although a second has yet to be commissioned by the network, Tartakovsky has expressed interest in doing multiple seasons.

Why Unicorn: Warriors Eternal may not be returning with a season 2?

No one at Cartoon Network, Adult Swim or Warner Bros. Animation not even Genndy Tartakovsky has talked about the show. As for the creator, he's currently working on Heist Safari and a third season to Primal for the mentioned brands.

If anything, it's possible that with Warner Bros. Discovery being cash constraint that they rather put their focus on lesser projects. Even with Tartakovsky already working on these projects it's possible he may not be able to pencil in Unicorn: Warriors Eternals.

Another theory that comes to mind is the possibility of it being a miniseries I mean that's happened with Infinity Train but surprisingly got additional seasons. Both of which had their first seasons end with a question mark with one that was eventually renewed.

Even My Adventures With Superman which was originally commissioned by Cartoon Network before moving to Adult Swim. Unlike Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, Superman got a 2 season renewal but with that concluding soon was renewed for a season 3.

‘SpongeBob’ Universe Expands With Three Paramount+ Spinoff Movies, New Theatrical Film

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Three new SpongeBob SquarePants character spinoff movies for Paramount+ are in the works at Nickelodeon Studios, in addition to a new theatrical release about the porous resident who lives in a Pineapple-under-the-sea. The news was announced today by Brian Robbins, Chief Content Officer, Movies and Kids & Family for Paramount+ at the ViacomCBS Investor Event.

The first of Paramount+’s SpongeBob character spinoff movies, which focus on different Bikini Bottom residents, will drop in 2023.

The expansion of the SpongeBob franchise follows the recent success of SpongeBob series offshoots Kamp Koral on Paramount+ and The Patrick Star Show on Nickelodeon, the first season of which will be available soon to stream on Paramount+.

Paramount has made three SpongeBob feature movies, the first in 2004, which altogether have grossed close to $471M worldwide. The highest grossing installment was 2015’s The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water which grossed over $325M WW. However, because of the pandemic, Paramount was forced to pull The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run from U.S. release in 2020. The sequel received a Canadian theatrical release in August of that year, making $4.8M, while the film in the states served as the branded launch for Paramount+ in 2021. The pic’s foreign rights, except for China, were sold to Netflix.

“As we’ve known with Nickelodeon’s long-standing success, the kids and family audience is incredibly loyal, and we see that on Paramount+ as well, with kids and family ranking as one of the strongest genres on the service in terms of both engagement and subscriber acquisition,” said Robbins. “So as they stay for our shows and look for even more of them, we’re doubling down on giving them what they want by expanding the universes of the characters they love the best.”

Jeepers: ‘Scooby-Doo’ Live-Action Series From Berlanti Productions Lands At Netflix With Major Commitment

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The one-hour drama project is said to be nearing a deal at the streamer with a script-to-series commitment. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps aside from the fact it will be based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Warner Bros. Television will produce, with the studio having recently launched the “Dead Boys Detectives” series at Netflix.

Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg serve as writers and will also executive produce along with André Nemec and Jeff Pinkner under their Midnight Radio banner. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman will executive produce via Berlanti productions (the company is currently under an overall deal at WBTV). Jonathan Gabay of Berlanti Productions and Adrienne Erickson will co-executive produce.

Reps for both Netflix and WBTV declined to comment.

Should the project go forward, it would not be the first live-action Scooby-Doo project to make it to the screen. Most famously, “Scooby-Doo” was released in 2002 and starred Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini, with Neil Fanning voicing Scooby. The film was a box office success, generating over $250 million worldwide. A sequel with the same cast, “Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed,” came out in 2004 and grossed over $180 million. There was also the live-action TV film “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” and its sequel that were released in 2009 and 2010.

There have also been a wide range of Scooby-Doo animated projects over the years, beginning with the original cartoon series in the late 1960s. Various incarnations have followed over the years, spanning multiple animated series and films. Most recently, the animated film ““Scoob! Holiday Haunt” was meant to be released on Max but was scrapped in a cost-cutting move. Currently, Max airs the animated series “Velma,” with Mindy Kaling voicing the bespectacled member of the Mystery Inc. gang.

Development Alert: Netflix Will Stop Reporting Subscriber Numbers By 2025

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Netflix will no longer report subscriber numbers — which has been a key metric for streaming services for years — beginning with the first quarter of 2025.

The company made the announcement in releasing its first-quarter 2024 earnings Thursday. Netflix handily topped expectations for subscribers net adds, gaining 9.33 million in the period, to reach nearly 270 million globally. It also beat Wall Street expectations on the top and bottom lines.

Despite the Q1 earnings beat, Netflix shares dropped more than 3% in after-hours trading Thursday, possibly as investors reacted negatively to the news that the streamer will stop reporting quarterly sub totals.

In its Q1 letter to shareholders, Netflix said that engagement — time spent with the service — is its “best proxy for customer satisfaction.” As such, it will no longer report quarterly membership numbers or average revenue per member (which it dubs “ARM”), as of Q1 2025. Netflix said it will announce “major subscriber milestones as we cross them” but will cease disclosing quarterly subscriber numbers.

Netflix continues to see solid subscriber gains in markets around the world; for example, it netted 2.53 million new customers in the U.S. and Canada in Q1. But eventually those sub numbers will start to plateau, and the company wants to reorient investors toward time-spent-viewing metrics where it has more potential upside in the years ahead.

Co-CEO Greg Peters said on the earnings call that Netflix’s number of subscribers has been a decreasingly relevant measure for the health of the company’s business. He cited, as an example, Netflix’s paid-sharing initiative, which gives primary account holders the option to add an “extra member” for an incremental monthly fee (and those “extra members” are not counted as separate subscribers). Meanwhile, with Netflix’s advertising plan, higher engagement is tied to higher revenue per member, as opposed to the fixed per-sub revenue on the plans with no ads.

“As we’ve noted in previous letters, we’re focused on revenue and operating margin as our primary financial metrics — and engagement (i.e. time spent) as our best proxy for customer satisfaction. In our early days, when we had little revenue or profit, membership growth was a strong indicator of our future potential,” Netflix said in the letter. “But now we’re generating very substantial profit and free cash flow (FCF). We are also developing new revenue streams like advertising and our extra member feature, so memberships are just one component of our growth.”

The company continued, “In addition, as we’ve evolved our pricing and plans from a single to multiple tiers with different price points depending on the country, each incremental paid membership has a very different business impact. It’s why we stopped providing quarterly paid membership guidance in 2023 and, starting next year with our Q1’25 earnings, we will stop reporting quarterly membership numbers and ARM.”

According to Netflix, it will continue to provide a breakout of revenue by region each quarter and the foreign-exchange impact “to complement our financials.” Going forward, the company will add guidance for annual revenue in addition to what it already provides: annual operating margin and free cash flow forecast and forecasts for quarterly revenue, operating income, net income and earnings per share.

Last December, the company released its first “Netflix Engagement Report,” inclusive of more than 18,000 titles and nearly 100 billion hours viewed between January-June 2023, representing 99% of all viewing during that period. In the report, Netflix divulged streaming performance metrics for licensed content. It plans to release the data twice per year — mainly to highlight the massive engagement across a wide range of content on its service.

“Success in streaming starts with engagement,” Netflix said in the shareholder letter in discussing the decision to stop reporting subscriber numbers. “When people watch more, they stick around longer (retention), recommend Netflix more often (acquisition) and place a higher value on our service. It’s why we’ve been providing progressively more information on engagement, starting with our Top 10 weekly and most popular lists and more recently our biannual report into viewing on Netflix (which covers ~99% of all video watch time on our service). This is more information than any of our competitors provide, and we expect to provide even more over time.”

Netflix To Become The Exclusive Home Of WWE Network Beginning In 2025

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WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., and Netflix today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago. 

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025. 

“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”

“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”

“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base." 

With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple  H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. 

The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms. 

Regular Nick Shorts: Netflix To Premiere 'The Casagrandes Movie' In 2024, Spider-Man’s Restarting High School In This Upcoming Disney+ Cartoon And Marvel Studios Unveils Black Panther Prequel Eyes Of Wakanda

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The Casagrandes is being revived

The news was announced by WrapPRO, which profiled Netflix Animation and their current and future efforts in the space. Midway through their piece, they reveal a first look (pictured above) and confirmation that The Casagrandes Movie will be released sometime in 2024.

Nickelodeon revealed that The Casagrandes Movie, a brand new film based on The Casagrandes, was in the works earlier this year. Although not much else about the movie has been said since the original announcement, Miguel Puga, a co-executive and director on Nickelodeon's hit animated series, hinted in November that production on The Casagrandes Movie had wrapped!

According to WrapPRO, The Casagrandes Movie is directed by Miguel Puga and written by Tony Gama-Lobo and Rebecca May, Lalo Alcaraz and Rosemary Contreras. The movie was produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios Inc.

Spider-Man stars in a new series

Spider-Man is one of the hallmarks of Marvel. Of course, he’s had multiple cartoon iterations over the years, from the 90s rendition to the Spectacular series. And now, he’s going back to Freshman year.

Announced in 2021, Spider-Man: Freshman Year – or as it is now called, Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man – is one Marvel Studios animated project that fans don’t know a lot about, despite getting some details at 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con.

Sadly there isn’t a concrete release date, but Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has been confirmed to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024. It will also run for at least one additional season after its first.

Black Panther prequel makes a landing

In March 2023, rumors began to swirl that Black Panther director Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media production company had begun developing an animated series for Marvel Studios. As Marvel Studios revamped their streaming slate and skipped out on SDCC ’23, the series, said at the time to be referred to as The Golden City, remained nothing but a rumor until now. During a press event for Season 2 of What If…? held at the Walt Disney Studios Lot, head of streaming, television and animation for Marvel Studios, Brad Winderbaum, revealed that the new series will hit Disney Plus in 2024.

Titled Eyes of Wakanda, the animated series will tell the story of “brave warriors” who “throughout Wakandan history have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts.“

Roundups #134: Hamster & Gretel And Eureka To Make Its African Debut On Disney Channel And Disney Junior, Verdeelde Liefde Returns For A Second Season On eExtra And Netflix To Crack Down On Password Sharing By March

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Here are the four developments launching on Disney Channel and Disney Junior respectively

Vikingskool (New Episodes) - February 6th
Erik, Ylva and Ani are budding Vikings, confident that they all have what it takes to succeed in the ruthless Vikingskøøl, but the road to graduation is long.

Hamster & Gretel (New Series) - February 13th
When Gretel and her pet hamster -- named Hamster -- get superpowers, older brother Kevin must work with them to figure out how to protect their city from mysterious dangers.

Mickey Mouse Funhouse (New Episodes) - February 6th
Mickey, Minnie and Funny go on an adventure to the Kingdom of Majestica, where they find out if dragons are friendly beings or not.

Eureka (Girls In Science) - February 11th
It follows a talented young inventor from a fantastical prehistoric world who uses her creative thinking to devise inventions and contraptions aimed at making the world a better place.

Regular Nick:
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj to rollout on Nicktoons in Africa
- Moonbug Kids To Distribute New STEAM Focused Series, Ocean Explorers
- New Bear Grylls series is coming soon to Da Vinci Kids

Zeynep and Mehdi are back for drama on eExtra

Verdeelde Liefde follows the life of Zeynep a young woman whose mother gave her up for adoption in order to have a better life following her brother's death. By fate, she meets Mehdi who at one point from monster become the love of life.

The first season stars Demet Özdemir, Zuhal Gencer, Senan Kara, Fatih Koyunoglu, Elif Sönmez, Hülya Duyar, Naz Göktan, Incinur Dasdemir and Ibrahim Celikkol.

Season 1 is set to reach its climax by the end of the month with season 2 following immediately after the first season.

In season 2, Özlem accuses Sultan of stealing the money in Baris's room. Savas admits he took the money. Ali Riza gathers his family and goes to Sultan's house to apologize. Sultan accepts getting back to work.

Openview Plus:
- Imbewu has been cancelled on e.tv after 5 seasons
- Reviewing major changes coming soon to the SABC
- A look at former NBC soap, Passions

Farewell to password sharing on Netflix

The time Netflix 'freeloaders' have long feared will soon arrive - password sharing will be banned by the end of March.

The company shared the news in a letter to shareholders, noting that 'widespread account sharing' has exceeded over 100 million viewers.

These individuals, however, will be able to transfer their profiles to a new paid account, allowing them to carry over their preferences.

Netflix said 2022 had been a 'tough year' due to its first subscriber loss in more than a decade - its customer base fell by 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter.

'Today's widespread account sharing undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix, as well as build our business.' the company said in its letter.

'While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognize this is a change for members who share their account more broadly.'

YouTube Premium:
- Zoey 102 feature film is coming to Paramount+
- Dungeons And Dragons TV series is coming to Paramount+
- How to view the latest content on PBS Kids?

Roundups #115: Tom And Jerry In New York Cancelled On Boomerang And HBO Max, Lord Of The Skies Returns For An Eighth Season On Telemundo USA And The Addams Family Spinoff Wednesday Is A Global Success On Netflix

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Tom And Jerry likely cancelled on HBO Max

Based on the 2021 theatrical film, Tom and Jerry In New York settle in to their new digs at the Royal Gate Hotel and unleash mayhem across the Big Apple, inciting chaos uptown, downtown and everywhere their manic escapades take them.

The series premiered in the same year on HBO Max and was made available to Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels internationally with a total of 13 episodes each with a duration of 21 minutes over 2 seasons.

Since November 2021, no more episodes had been ordered and with the reconstruction of Warner Bros. Discovery it wouldn't be shocking if it were cancelled considering how the theatrical film performed.

Regardless, the crew are working on the preschool series Tom And Jerry Time for Cartoonito.

Aurelio returns for another season on Telemundo

It's official! Telemundo revealed the premiere date for season 8 of 'El señor de los cielos'. Through its social networks, the television house shared a video where Aurelio Casillas (Rafael Amaya) is seen being tortured in jail.

"They took me out of the grave, they made everyone believe that I was dead. Locked up, tortured, like an animal, but there is no caged animal that does not want to escape and that does not want to return to its herd. The family is not touched, much less if they are Casillas", the protagonist is heard saying.

Season 8 of 'El señor de los cielos' premieres on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 on Telemundo.

For the continuation of the story, one of the actors who confirmed his return was Isabella Castillo, who shines with Isidro (Garbiel Bonilla), who returns with his role as the son of Aurelio Casillas (Rafael Amaya). Another beloved character is Tata (Wendy de los Cobos), who published an image with her fictional son, Ismael Casillas.

Wednesday becomes a global sensation

Wednesday, the comedy-horror series from Tim Burton about the titular daughter of the Addams Family starring Jenna Ortega, made its highly anticipated debut on Netflix last week on November 23. In that time, the series has been well received by critics and has now even broken a Netflix viewing record! The show is now at the top of the list for the most viewed hours of a Netflix debut for an English-Language TV series at a staggering 341.2 million hours viewed in its first week.

The eight-episode series came in at #1 on the global Netflix Top 10 for the week of November 21 - November 27, with it reaching the top spot in 83 countries, a feat that has only been achieved by Season 4 of Stranger Things. The series was also featured in the Top 10 of all 93 countries tracked. Burton serves as both director and executive producer on the series with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar acting as executive producers, writers, and showrunners. Fellow executive producers include Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Kevin Miserocchi, Kayla Alpert, Jonathan Glickman, Gail Berman, Tommy Harper, and Kevin Lafferty.

Power Rangers Actor Jason David Frank Has Died

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Jason David Frank was a key attraction to the Power Rangers franchise, debuting on the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series when it premiered in 1993. Frank was one of the most–if not the most–consistent presence throughout the franchise, appearing in 10 series and four movies. Although he primarily portrayed the Green Ranger, he would also later play the White, Black and Red Rangers through various iterations in the Power Rangers franchise, which has run almost consistently since the ‘90s, with one as recently as this September.

Power Rangers of course continues to have a major fanbase, which never really gave itself a chance to die down much since 1993. Going back to that time, basically everyone of that age had a favorite Power Ranger and took on that role during recess. And let’s face it, many of us argued over who got to be the Green Ranger.

In addition to his acting career, Jason David Frank was an accomplished martial artist. Frank was an 8th degree black belt and was even inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame. He also had a short MMA career in 2010, with an amateur record of 3-0 and a professional record of 1-0, winning by submission.

Many have begun to send their thoughts on the news of Jason David Frank’s unfortunate death. Friend and trainer Mike Bronzoulis wrote on social media, “Jason was a good friend to me and I will miss him. Love n prayers for his wife Tammy and their kids, I pray that God gets yall through this difficult time.”

Roundups #100: Rihanna To Headline A Major Event In 2023, A Look Into Netflix's Marilyn Monroe Movie, Cardi B Lost Multimillion Dollar Deal For Call Of Duty

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Rihanna is going all in next year

Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 12 as the N.F.L. enters the first year of a new deal with Apple Music as primary sponsor of the halftime show, replacing Pepsi.

It is the first scheduled return to the stage for an artist who last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in early 2018, and whose most recent solo album, “Anti,” was released in January 2016.

“We’re excited to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the N.F.L. to bring music and sports fans a momentous show,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president for Apple Music and Beats.

The announcement is an about-face for the singer, who was among the artists who rebuffed invitations to perform on football’s biggest stage in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who has been unable to find a new team since he became a free agent in March 2017. Kaepernick accused the league of blackballing him because of his kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality toward Black people.

Blonde currently streaming on Netflix

Blonde premiered on Netflix on 28 September, but film fans have been able to watch it in cinemas since 23 September – although, the movie has received a mixed reaction. One fan said Armas' performance as Monroe was the "rawest portrayal we've ever seen" as another person described her as "impeccable". Meanwhile, one viewer said they "never want to watch it again".

"There is this emotional detachment from Marilyn Monroe that makes this such a dark and graphic film. It’s actually disturbing how exploitative this is," another critic said of the film, with someone else claiming that Blonde is full of "needless scenes of sexual assault and anti-abortion propaganda."

With Blonde creating so much controversy, many viewers have been left wondering what – if anything – is factual about the movie, especially given that Blonde is actually based on a biographical novel, not real life. With that in mind, we took a deep dive into the key scenes in the film to ask: What's true and what's not in Netflix's Blonde?

Cardi B lost multimillion dollar deal

Cardi B revealed that she missed out on a collaboration with Call of Duty due to a court case. Apparently, this was also supposed to be a massive payday for her which she now regrets missing out on.

Spotted by sources, the rapper said on Twitter, “My stupid decisions from the past caused me to miss out on money now. I had a multi-million dollar Call of Duty deal on the table that I couldn’t take because of court. Guys think twice about those quick decisions! Lesson learned”. Additionally, In response to a fan’s question about a certain piece of jewellery she wore in her music video for ‘Hot Shit’, she also confirmed that it was indeed inspired by Call of Duty.

Call of Duty has collaborated with numerous rappers in the past. For instance, Warzone Season 3 featured a live-action trailer with Swae Lee, Saweetie, Jack Harlow, Young Thug, and Gunna. The battle royale title also collaborated with Snoop Dogg, who got his own operator skin in-game.

 

Season Six Continues To Unleash Rick And Morty’s Particular Brand Of Animated Multiverse Madness Around The World!

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As the new season of Rick and Morty unleashes around the world, fans have turned out in droves to celebrate Adult Swim’s Emmy® Award-winning animated comedy.

Debuting in 112 countries in 38 languages, Rick and Morty season six captured substantial international viewership. Rick and Morty has continued to grow in the US since season six’s premiere early this month. After only three days, the first episode of Rick and Morty saw a 57% growth in delivery, bringing its overall delivery to 1 033 000 viewers.  Rick and Morty is also the best-performing animated show on HBO Max in Europe since the platform launched. And in the top 10 best-performing series on HBO Max in Europe in 2022. HBO Max in Latin America reported a Rick and Morty viewership growth of over 500% in the week following the debut of the season six premiere episode on the service.

Monday, 12 September, marked the conclusion of the global Rick and Morty #WORMAGEDDON immersive fan experience, which galvanised fans both online and in-person to partake in a special 'living episode' of their favourite show leading up to the season six premiere. Since the first build was revealed in Mexico City on 20 August, over 100 000 fans showed up in person to one or more of the 14 unique scenes spotted on six continents.

Watch the reveal of the South African immersive build here.

“It’s so satisfying to see people around the world showing up, literally in person this time, for this new season of Rick and Morty,” said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. “It speaks volumes about the talent and care that go into making this amazing series.”

With some fans travelling to multiple countries to visit different unique builds and nine lucky fans winning the treasure hunt to receive a coveted life-size, golden ‘Rick’ head, #WORMAGEDDON reached Rick and Morty fans in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and several cities in the United States.

Rick and Morty fan, Henning Gawrisch from Muizenberg, walked away with a golden Rick head.

The sixth Wormageddon scene appeared in South Africa. It featured the Rick and Morty character, Tiny Rick, chilling out and eating ice cream with one of the worms at the Muizenberg Beach Huts in Cape Town. The first clue for South Africa was released on Friday, 26 August, at 4pm. Only 20 minutes later, Henning Gawrisch from Muizenberg was lucky to get to the location first, say the code word, and win the golden ‘Rick’ head. The immersive build on Muizenberg beach was a special partnership with the Beach Hut Trust. The site was visited by close to 3 500 visitors.

The Beach Hut Trust was established to promote, protect and preserve the Beach Huts of Cape Town. A public and private partnership that recognises the Beach Huts as arguably South Africa’s most iconic structures and the value that has to tourism and job creation. “Partnering with Rick and Morty and the Adult Swim team was an incredible opportunity for us to promote our city and country to a huge audience around the world,” says Daniel Blaauw, Trustee of the Beach Hut Trust. “Their generous sponsorship of our campaign has proven that the Beach Huts hold value not only for us but to a vast international audience. The partnership created employment and will help sustain our initiative as we grow and create more opportunities.”

Additionally, fans at home could follow along with the global adventure via a series of custom animated shorts about the origins of #WORMAGEDDON including A Citadel Secret, A Journey to Earth, Threat Level: Wormageddon, and Wormageddon: Final Showdown, alongside original videos featuring each build. The original #WORMAGEDDON video content has received over 75 million global views and counting. Several million views came from South Africa alone in partnership with five Cape Town-based social media content creators. Notable highlights from content created in South Africa include a version of the iconic Rick and Morty  'Let Me Out' song by Hanna Kuruneri and Liam Stoffberg’s hilarious take on the #WORMAGEDDON campaign. Watch the key moments of the global campaign here.

“It’s absolutely electrifying to witness the Rick and Morty fan community from different countries around the world coming together to celebrate this series,” said Tricia Melton, chief marketing officer for Warner Bros. Discovery Kids, Young Adults and Classics group. “We knew the power of the Rick and Morty fandom, but it’s still nothing short of astounding to find how many fans took the time to visit one of our 14 custom builds in person or to follow the adventure online.”

New episodes of season 6 continue to premiere throughout September in southern Africa on Mondays on Netflix, only 24 hours after the US premiere. 

 

Malverde: The Legend Or A Myth, A Look At The Lives Of Former Patron Saints Heraclio Bernal And Felipe Bachomo

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Jesus Malverde was of Yoreme and Spanish heritage. He is a "Robin Hood " figure who was supposed to have stolen from the rich to give to the poor. He is celebrated as a folk saint by some in Mexico and the United States, particularly among drug traffickers. Historically, the existence of Malverde is not verified so we dwell into the world of other Patron Saints.

Heraclio Bernal

During the pre-Revolutionary period (1870-1910) while Porfirio Diaz was in power, the corrido was much less abundant than it would be in latter years. With national affairs controlled by the central government and a long period of peace, the corridista had little to work with. However, as soon as caudillos (military leaders), bandidos (bandits) and the pueblo began to take arms in revolutionary bands, the corrido had a new purpose. During this time period, some of Mexico's most important national figures like Francisco Madero, Venustiano Carranza, Emiliano Zapata, Pancho Villa, and Alvaro Obregon were swept from their high positions by rebellion and political assassination. As such, these figures often met with violent deaths giving the corridista subjects that were not only historical but dramatic. Through the tales that the corridista spun, these men became not only famous but legendary. Today we still hear these corridos in cantinas and plazas throughout Mexico and parts of the United States.

Most interesting are the corridos of the bandidos who were often striking personalities. These bandidos were usually close to the pueblo and often acted as modern day "Robin Hoods". Heraclio Bernal was a typical "Robin Hood" character, taking from the mines and the government and giving to the pueblo which included laid off mine workers. Although most of the corridos about Heraclio Bernal celebrate him as a larger than life character, it is important to remember that he was a real man....a very couragous and brave man.

Heraclio Bernal was born in 1855 in El Chaco in the municipality of San Ignacio, Sinaloa as the fourth child of a poor family. Bernal's first run-in with the law came in the town of Guadalupe de los Reyes where he worked in the local mine. Here he was wrongly accused (according to some) of stealing bars of iron and arrested. Although he was able to get away, he was later apprehended in a small town nearby. Bernal was sent to Mazatlan where he spent the rest of the year (1877) in jail.

Map of Sinaloa and environs

From 1879-1880 Bernal was involved with the uprising of General Jesus Ramirez Terron in Mazatlan and the southern part of Sinaloa against Porfirio Diaz. Bernal was given the rank of lieutenant but soon returned to attacking mines, businesses and government offices in the region of Guadalupe de los Reyes. For the most part, Bernal and his bandidos were interested in arms and ammunition. However, when they did seize money on a raid, Bernal was quick to share it with his comrades. Most of Bernal's bandidos were mine workers from the Sierra Madre Occidental of the states of Durango and Sinaloa. Over the years, historians have disagreed on how many men Bernal had with estimates ranging from 10 to 200. In any case, during this time, Bernal and his band were headquartered in the remote area of El Maguey in the municipality of Durango surrounded by inaccessible mountains.

Later in 1879, Bernal would help the rebellion of Jesus Ramires Terron once again. Terron had just launched the Plan de Copala which denounced the government of Porfirio Diaz and demanded a strict interpretation of the constitution of 1857. From 1880 on, Bernal took the city of Mazatlan and extended his raids from Nayarit to the Tarahumara mountain range. He continued to attack mines and other government offices as he controlled nearly the entire line of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

In 1885, Bernal signed and published the Plan en la Rastra that denounced the president of the republic and the local authorities of Sinaloa. However, it was in 1886 that Bernal gained national fame. During a presidential address, Porfirio Diaz mentioned the fight that his government was engaged in with Bernal and in 1887, a bounty of 10,000 pesos was placed on his head.. There are a number of versions as to the death of Bernal. One version states that he was hiding in a cave dying of illness with his friend Crispín García standing guard. According to this version, after Bernal had died of his illness, García shot him in the head several times so he could collect the bounty. However, according to Nicole Giron, Bernal was surrounded in the mountains near the mines of Nuestra Senora Sinola and was killed on the fifth day of January in 1888 (Avitia Hernández 309). No matter how Heraclio Bernal died, the fact is that his name lives on. Many versions of the corrido of Bernal's death still exist today as a tribute to the Rey de Sinaloa.

Credits: Jaime

Felipe Bachomo

Felipe Bachomo was born in 1883 in Jahuara; an indigenous neighborhood of Mochicahui on the banks of the Fuerte River in northern Sinaloa. From a very young age; Without knowing how to read or write, he was employed as a laborer in the hacienda of the rich landowner Don José María Cásarez, where it is said he fell in love with one of the boss's daughters named Elvira.

On May 1, 1911, Bachomo, in the company of other Mayo Indians, armed with bows and arrows and an old pistol or carbine, left Jahuara to join Ibarra's forces with whom they participated in military actions in Sinaloa until the triumph of the Maderista revolution with the taking of Mazatlan, thus ending the military campaign.

Once the military campaign was over, the soldiers were “licensed”, that is, to give them the freedom to return to work on their land. But the Mayo Indians knew that they had no land to work, so they returned to Mochicahui but in order to start their own struggle under the leadership of Bachomo, with their own flag and objectives: to recover the dispossessed lands.

Bachomo thus became an independent force in the Fuerte River basin, establishing its headquarters in Jahuara, commanding nearly 6,000 men with military supplies that it had accumulated during the Maderista campaign, as well as bows and arrows that they themselves had made. He didn't know anything about politics and he didn't support Carranza or Huerta, even, he had his own fight and that was to fight against the local caciques.

The caciques of the region reacted harshly to the Indians, carrying out a massacre in Ahome, taking those who remained alive prisoner. Maytorena encouraged Bachomo to stop the arbitrariness, and on April 18, 1914, he took the town to heart and blood, freeing the detainees and ordering the looting of the shops and houses of the "yoris", so called white people.

General Felipe Rivera; Chief of the Carrancista forces in Sinaloa, in recognition of his courage he extended the appointment of General, but Bachomo maintained his independence, his cause was not that of Carranza and his revolution was limited to persecuting and punishing the caciques executioners of his race. His was not a caste war, as evidenced by the fact that his second in command; Jesús Ruiz was a yori (white), in addition to the fact that many mestizos such as Lorenzo Robles were among his forces. In fact, one of his lieutenants; Armando Borboa, was a target of criminal and cruel instincts, who was the real author of the looting, fires and rapes, which Bachomo was later accused of in the process that followed to shoot him.

Credits: Héctor Lizarraga

Roundups #89: Megan Thee Stallion Joins The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Selena Gomez Enters Negotiations For Working Girl Reboot, Scrapped HBO Max Series Drawing Interest Of Various Streamers

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Megan Thee Stallion joins the cast of She-Hulk

Megan Thee Stallion is following up her role on Starz’s P-Valley with a cameo appearance in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

In an upcoming episode, she becomes involved in a legal case that is being handled by attorney Augustus “Pug” Pugliese, played by Josh Segarra. Segarra teased what’s ahead while chatting with Deadline on the red carpet of the show’s premiere.

“A gentleman is being catfished by somebody that lives in another universe, let’s say. Another world,” Segarra said before confirming Deadline’s teasing response that the catfisher is pretending to be a certain recording artist.

Selena Gomez might be joining another reboot

Selena Gomez and 20th Century Studios are partnering for a reboot of Working Girl.

Gomez is in talks to produce a remake of the 1988 comedy that starred Melanie Griffith as a Long Island woman who secretly takes over her boss’ job while she recovers from a broken leg. Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver also starred in the original film, which was directed by Mike Nichols and was a massive success, earning Oscar nominations and an impressive $100 million box office haul.

It is unclear if Gomez would also star in the project, which is eyeing a release on Hulu.

Batman is gaining traction

While Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams' Batman: Caped Crusader won't be coming to HBO Max, the animated series is reportedly very much alive and drawing interest from Apple, Hulu, Netflix, and more.

As reported by THR, Batman: Caped Crusader was one of six animated titled that was pulled from HBO Max's upcoming slate and will no longer be produced by the company. It was stated that these shows were not necessarily canceled, but instead would be shopped to other studios.

According to THR's sources, "it is believed that the various Warners divisions making the show and movies will make more money on the titles by selling them to other outlets than having them on Warners’ own streamer."