|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Greetings!
While attending Paramount's press conference on Wednesday, I asked Dana Goldberg, the co-chair of Paramount Pictures and chair of Paramount Television, how she and the rest of the team would convince talent to jump over when every studio was essentially making the same pitch.
Goldberg stressed the power of the relationships that she, Paramount Pictures co-chair Josh Greenstein, direct-to-consumer chief Cindy Holland, and the others had fostered over the years. She added they were talking with key talent already, even if she declined to go into details.
It didn't take long, but media reports point to two big names joining the Paramount fold: Matt and Ross Duffer of "Stranger Things" fame.
The Duffer Brothers are a marquee get — no doubt timed to keep the fresh momentum of New Paramount going — and is a signal that the company means business when it comes to its ambitions to be the home for the best talent in front of and behind the camera.
It's also a good illustration of Goldberg's point about using relationships, as Holland was the executive who greenlit "Stranger Things" when she was at Netflix.
Roger Cheng
Managing Editor of Business and PRO
roger.cheng@thewrap.com
PS: We continue to offer a free 2-week trial of WrapPRO. If you’ve been wanting to check out our full coverage, now’s the time. Feel free to forward the news.
The Duffer Brothers will be joining Paramount in a deal to create new shows and features, and will be working with Greenstein and Goldberg on those projects.
It's important to note that Paramount won't be getting "Stranger Things," which airs its fifth and final season on Netflix during the holidays, with more spinoffs to come. But whatever the duo comes up with next could potentially be a new franchise for Paramount and its streaming service.
Paramount is clearly hoping for "Stranger Things"-magnitude reach, but their names alone should at least help the service cut through the noise and get people's attention.
DON'T MISS
"KPop Demon Hunters" has redefined longevity on streaming, with its audience only getting bigger over time. As our own Jeremy Fuster writes, this is a phenomenon that probably wouldn't have happened at the box office, where films premiere and drop off quickly. But its infectious music and quick ability to share clips have helped turn it into a viral hit with momentum that's still going strong.
CATCH UP
Paramount Speaks: The new leadership talks more about its tech ambitions and investment in streaming content
Earnings: Starz posts second-quarter loss of $43 million in first earnings report
Journalism: Los Angeles Times' union to hold first-ever strike authorization vote as contract talks near third year
FAST: Telemumdo launches sports-focused FAST channel "Deportes Ahora"
BIZ CORNER
DATA POINT
IN OTHER NEWS...
