Aaron Taylor-Johnson Responds To Rumor That He Is The New James Bond

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is reportedly looking for even more ways to cut costs and make more money, and this could include a price hike for Max and additional layoffs. Bloomberg reported these details and more ahead of WBD’s earnings briefing on May 9.

WBD has already cut more than 2,000 jobs in the past year, though the scale and timing of any future cuts is unknown. The report also said WBD might look to slash “hundreds of millions of dollars” from the company’s streaming division, mostly in marketing and technology.

In terms of a price hike for Max, the report said a price increase is coming, but it’s not clear when this could take place or what the new rate might be. Currently, Max costs $10/month with ads or $16/month without ads.

A spokesperson for WBD declined to comment on a potential price increase for Max or about the reported cost-cutting moves, but said the company is “focused on the long-term growth of the business overall.”

In terms of what WBD does plan to spend money on in the future, Zaslav has said the company will focus on franchises and tentpoles that have the best shot at making a profit. To that end, WBD has announced a Harry Potter TV show and an additional Game of Thrones spin-off.

Additionally, Zaslav has said he believes the company’s big money-makers, including DC and The Lord of the Rings, are currently “underused.” This could be a signal that WBD plans to invest further in these franchises in the future.

In other news, Conan O’Brien, who just launched a new TV show on Max, recently poked fun at the decision to change the name of HBO Max to Max on an appearance on Hot Ones. He said, “Is it HBO Max or just Max? I can’t get used to it. It’s not a better name.” He added: “They used to call it HBO, but people found that too popular. So now it’s Max because that really rolls off the tongue.”

Amid WBD’s layoffs, cuts, and the high-profile cancellation of Batgirl, Zaslav recently saw his pay rise in 2023 to $49.7 million, up from $39.3 million in 2022.

WBD will release its next earnings report and answer questions on May 9, so keep checking back for more.

Amazon has announced that Prime Video’s ads are getting more intrusive. In a blog post (via The Verge), Amazon announced an “expanded suite” of ad formats with the aim of pushing you to buy stuff and to help Amazon make more money.

Amazon said Prime Video will soon have “shoppable carousel ads” on TV shows and movies. This will display a sliding lineup of products that viewers can quickly add to their Amazon cart. Upon interacting with it, this ad will pause to allow users to browse through it. Whenever the viewer stops interacting with the ad, the programming will continue.

The next type of ad is what’s called an “interactive pause ad.” This means when you pause a TV show, movie, or live sport on Prime Video, an ad may pop up, along with options for “Add to Cart” and “Learn More.” Viewers can resume their TV show or movie whenever they want.

The third new type of ad for Prime Video is what’s called an “interactive brand trivia” ad. This will show “factoids” about a specific brand and then encourage them to shop or learn more about the product or brand in question.

Amazon is announcing these new ad types ahead of the company’s upfronts presentation on May 14.

For context, Hulu has had ads on paused videos since 2019. YouTube is now testing ads when you pause.

Amazon upset people earlier this year when it introduced ads to Prime Video’s premium tier. Users can bypass the ads by paying an extra $3 per month. Amazon is now facing a potential class-action lawsuit that alleges the company deceived subscribers with this new plan.

One of the next big releases for Prime Video is The Boys Season 4, which releases on June 13. Check out the newest trailer above.

Furiosa, a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, has a new trailer out now–and it’s absolutely epic. Not only that, but tickets to the George Miller-directed movie are on sale now.

Furiosa stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character, Furiosa, who was played by Oscar-winner Charlize Theron in Fury Road. Chris Hemsworth plays the main antagonist, Dementus. Furiosa is a standalone Mad Max movie that digs into the origins of Furiosa, and as this newest trailer shows, there is a lot to know about who Furiosa is and where she came from.

“As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus,” reads a line from the movie’s description. “Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.”

Alyla Browne and Tom Burke also star in Furiosa. Miller also co-wrote the script with Fury Road’s Nico Lathouris. Behind the camera, Furiosa brings back a number of people in the costume department who won Oscars for Fury Road.

Furiosa releases in theaters on May 24, just in time for the Memorial Day long weekend in the US. International markets get the movie first, however, starting on May 22.

The film had its debut in Sydney, Australia on May 2. It is the biggest movie ever filmed in Australia, and it received tax breaks for shooting down under.

Earlier this year, Greg Daniels, the man who developed the American version of The Office, revealed that he was planning a new follow-up series for the hit comedy. Now, Peacock has officially ordered The Office follow-up series, and set production to begin this summer.

Daniels co-created the new show with Michael Koman, who previously co-created Nathan For You. The duo cast Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore in the leading roles in April. While details about their characters have yet to be revealed, the connecting thread between this show and the original series will be the documentary crew that followed Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton employees for over a decade. The crew will reunite to chronicle the story of “a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.”

“It’s been more than ten years since the final episode of The Office aired on NBC, and the acclaimed comedy series continues to gain popularity and build new generations of fans on Peacock,” NBCUniversal Entertainment President Lisa Katz in a statement. “In partnership with Universal Television and led by the creative team of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, this new series set in the universe of Dunder Mifflin introduces a new cast of characters in a fresh setting ripe for comedic storytelling: a daily newspaper.”

The new series doesn’t have an official name yet, and the rest of the ensemble cast will presumably be in place when the show begins filming in July.

Twisters will apparently explore what happens when you shoot fireworks into a tornado. The act is courtesy of Glen Powell’s character Tyler Owens, who confidently says at one point in the sequel’s new trailer: “We don’t need PhDs and fancy tech. Sometimes the old ways are better than the new.” Not to be outdone, Kate Cooper (portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones) responds: “Well, you can always trust a guy who puts his face on a T-shirt.”

This banter and more are part of the action-packed new trailer for Twisters, which can be seen below. The video also features a fire tornado and Owens walking in the rain with a cowboy hat and wet white T-shirt. There’s also a truck getting pulled into the air by a tornado and a water tower collapsing, among other destruction.

The twin tornadoes from the first Twisters trailer also make an appearance, combining to create a super whirlwind. We also, once again, see how Cooper is roped back in to chasing storms and comes across the boisterous Owens, who’s known as the Tornado Wrangler. While there don’t appear to be any connections to the original Twister, there is a chance Cooper, for example, could be the daughter of Helen Hunt’s Jo Harding and Bill Paxton’s Bill–especially since his last name is never given.

This sequel to Twister was given the green light back in 2022, with Powell coming on board roughly a year ago. Twisters takes place in central Oklahoma and will also feature Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Brandon Perea (Nope), Sasha Lane (Loki), and Maura Tierney (Liar Liar, The Iron Claw). The movie is directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who previously worked on Minari and Mandalorian.

Twisters is set to premiere in theaters on July 19.

Ian Gelder, best known for his role as Kevan Lannister in Game of Thrones, has died at age 74, his husband, fellow actor Ben Daniels confirmed. Gelder had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and Daniels had stopped work to care for him.

“It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” Daniels posted on Instagram. “He was the kindest, most generous spirited, and loving human being. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him by my side. He coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity. Ever. He was remarkable and will be so missed.”

Saltburn star Richard E. Grant shared his condolences in Daniels’ post, while the Royal Shakespeare Company, and even Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies also paid their respects on his passing. Gelder was also a veteran stage actor at the Royal Shakespeare Company having played major roles including Antonio in The Merchant of Venice and the Duke of Clarence in Richard III.

For decades, Gelder made a career appearing in TV shows like Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, HBO’s His Dark Materials, and Doctor Who. His performance in Game of Thrones as Kevan Lannister propelled him to a new level of fame. As the younger brother and trusted adviser of Lord Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance), Gelder appeared in four of its eight seasons.