David Ellison promises an editorially independent CNN. Sure thing, David.
A breezy newsletter to cap off the week. There’s actually quite a number of interesting news stories today and some really high profile trailers. ABW will be back later today with the weekly TV guide newsletter.
A story in two quotes
Here’s new incoming Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Ellison (pending the deal being approved) on the topic of CNN under the new ownership:
“CNN is an incredible brand with an incredible team, and we absolutely believe in the independence that needs to be maintained for those incredible journalists, and we want to support that going forward,”
That sounds good. What else does he have to say?
“Editorial, independence will absolutely be maintained. It is maintained at CBS, it will be maintained at CNN.”
Oh dear.
Netflix gets deeper into the Ben Affleck business
Earlier this week Netflix signed a first-look streaming deal with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company Artists Equity. Now it is ending the week with the announcement that it is lining Ben Affleck’s wallet with even more money by buying his film-focused AI company InterPositive.
Affleck will join Netflix as a senior adviser, along with all 16 of InterPositive’s team of engineers and researchers.
He founded the company back in 2022.
From THR:
Working with engineers, researchers and creative executives, he founded the company, which developed proprietary AI-powered tools meant to help filmmakers create their films and shows in a fast, efficient way, while centering the humanity of it all.
The company captured a proprietary dataset on a closed soundstage, eventually leading to the company’s first model, which Affleck writes is “trained to understand visual logic and editorial consistency, while preserving cinematic rules under real-world production challenges such as missing shots, background replacements or incorrect lighting.”
In other words, the focus is on filmmaking technique, not the performance of the actors. The tool also allows directors or filmmakers to upload dailies to hone the model for a specific project.
Netflix supported the announcement with a promotional video interview between Affleck, Netflix chief product and technology officer Elizabeth Stone, and chief content officer Bela Bajaria:
News Desk
High Potential has been renewed for a third season, with the search on for a new showrunner. Read: Deadline
Vincent Cassel is checking into The White Lotus for season 4. Read: Variety
The Brady Bunch house, located in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, has been designated by the Los Angeles City Council as a historic-cultural monument. Next please: Stately Wayne Manor. Read: The Guardian
March 4 marked the 25th anniversary of The Lone Gunmen TV show, a short-lived comedic spin-off from The X-Files that will forever be remembered as the show featuring an effort to crash a plane into the Twin Towers just months before the terrorist attack on Sept 11. Series co-creator Vince Gilligan is interviewed in a retrospective for Polygon.
9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville have been renewed by ABC. Read: Deadline
Scott Patterson has pushed back at suggestions his character’s exit from Sullivan’s Crossing was creative. He says he wanted out. Read: Deadline
Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney is making a Netflix show about Alexander The Great and Aristitle. This is the first reference to Aristotle in this newsletter, FYI. History has been made. Read: THR
Betty Gilpin is joining the cast of the fantastic Ethan Hawke TV show The Lowdown. Read: Deadline
RIP writer-producer Bob Rosenfarb, best known for work on shows like Head of The Class, Step By Step, and Who’s The Boss?. He was 74 years-old. Read: THR
Canal+ has shuttered South African streamer Showmax. Read: Deadline
Former Better Call Saul showrunner Peter Gould has sold his new show Disinherited to FX. Read: The AV Club
More Firefly cast members have filmed videos ahead of a March 15 reveal as to what these are all about. With most of the cast having already released videos and the announcement still a week away… does that provide room for a Joss Whedon video to be slipped in there? And how will the Internet react to THAT? Also, please note that this article I am linking to commits the cardinal pop culture writing sin of suddenly shifting to first person perspective nine paragraphs in – hacky stuff. I would never. Read: Polygon
Earlier in the week Netflix was talking about hosting pubcasters like the BBC on its platform. Today the BBC is talking about hosting rival third party streaming services on its own iPlayer. Read: Deadline
Stan original series Black Snow has been greenlit for a third season. Read: C21
Trailer Park
The Testaments, Hulu’s sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale, debuts April 8.
The series follows young teens Agnes, dutiful and pious, and Daisy, a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders. As they navigate the gilded halls of Aunt Lydia’s elite preparatory school for future wives, a place where obedience is instilled brutally and always with divine justification, their bond becomes the catalyst that will upend their past, their present, and their future.
Anthology show Beef is back for season 2 on Netflix April 16.
Every couple meets their match. BEEF returns with a new cast and a new “beef,” as a Gen-Z couple witnesses an alarming fight between their Millennial boss and his wife. Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Cailee Spaeny, Charles Melton and guest starring Youn Yuh-jung and Song Kang-ho.
The Boys returns for its fifth and final season April 8 on Prime Video.
Lorne, a feature documentary about SNL’s Lorne Michaels, debuts in cinemas April 17.
That’s the newsletter for the today.
Consider becoming a paid supporter of Always Be Watching.
Connect with Dan on Bluesky. Connect with Dan on Letterboxd. Connect with Dan on Linkedin. Challenge him on the NYT word game Crossplay. Email Dan @ alwaysbewatching.com or just reply to this email.
