Netflix Subscriber Woes Suggest Streaming Wars Have Started to Buffer

took aim at the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial in this weekend's cold open, and mocked the public's fascination with the case's more embarrassing details of the «cuckoo trial.»The sketch gave viewers a look inside the courtroom where Depp (played by Kyle Mooney) is delivering testimony in which he claimed Heard defecated in their marital bed.When one attorney (Aidy Bryant) is pressed on the validity of the claims, she says they have surveillance video of Depp's house staff «discovering the alleged fecal matter on the bed.»«Objection, that still wouldn't prove my client is guilty of anything,» Heard's attorney (Heidi Gardner) says.«But, I'll allow it, because it does sound fun,» the judge (Cecily Strong) declares. «And this trial is for fun.»Unearthed surveillance from the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial pic.twitter.com/DFdtE5uarVAfter viewing the footage, the judge bangs the gavel and weighs in, sharing, «This trail has given me a lot to consider.

Selena Gomez ended up with bags of onions and makeup multiple shades darker than her skin tone in a hilarious SNL sketch that spoofed Old Enough.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix is adapting bestselling author Don Winslow’s novels The Dawn Patrol and The Gentlemen’s Hours for features. Charlène Favier is aboard to direct, with Chernin Entertainment and The Story Factory’s Shane Salerno producing. They are out to high level writers to script the film.

We’ll be seeing more of Mandy McAllister in the upcoming sixth season of Young Sheldon. Emily Osment, who joined the fifth season of the CBS comedy as a recurring, has been promoted to series regular for Season 6.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorAfter years of companies spending like drunken sailors on streaming video, some are now suffering hangovers.Netflix, in the first quarter of 2022, lost customers for the first time in more than a decade. It could shed 2 million more in Q2. The streaming giant is scrambling to find new sources of revenue growth, with execs hoping to monetize password-sharing freeloaders and — previously unthinkable at the Big Red N — planning to introduce advertising-supported plans.CNN+, hailed as a bridge to the news cabler’s future, is DOA: It’s getting axed 32 days after launch under new management at Warner Bros.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterThe trade organization representing American movie theater owners isn’t gloating about Netflix’s recent stock misfortunes — they’re opening their arms, they say.At CinemaCon, the annual Las Vegas convention of theatrical exhibitors, leadership from the National Association of Theatre Owners touched on Netflix’s recent subscriber losses and subsequent jaw-dropping $54 billion loss in market cap.Netflix’s sign of softening brought a screeching halt to the prevailing industry logic that going all-in on streaming investment was the way to please shareholders. While some speculated this would benefit traditional theatrical releases, Warner Bros.

Danielle Deadwyler is set as the lead in Demimonde, HBO’s sci-fi drama series, written, executive produced and to be directed by J.J. Abrams.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterIn the wake of big spender Netflix’s Q1 shocking subscriber loss news, David Zaslav made a point to say Warner Bros. Discovery “will not overspend to drive subscriber growth” during Discovery’s first-quarter earnings call Tuesday.“As you’ve heard me say, we are not trying to win the direct-to-consumer spending war,” the WBD CEO said, instead promising that the newly combined WarnerMedia-Discovery company would “invest in scale smartly.”Warner Bros.

In Warner Bros Discovery’s first earnings call with Wall Street analysts, CEO David Zaslav re-emphasized his plan to take a prudent approach to streaming as he guides the newly merged company.

CinemaCon, studios will land in Sin City with a renewed appreciation for the money that can be made in cinemas.After experimenting with different release strategies and launching their own streaming services, many studios better understand that there’s no substitute for the attention and treasure that comes with a big, old-fashioned theatrical launch. Bold moves like Warner Bros.’ decision to send its entire 2021 slate to HBO Max at the same time the films opened in cinemas proved to be a mixed bag, and every major studio has opted to have some kind of exclusive theatrical window for the foreseeable future.That means that the palpable tension that hung over last year’s gathering will have lifted, even as the box office has failed to recapture its pre-pandemic stride.

Afternoon all, Max Goldbart here preparing you for another dose of International Insider in what, as ever, has been a busy old week. Scroll down for all the news and analysis.

The brand new streaming service CNN+ is already being shut down.

UPDATED: CNN+, the news network’s expensive venture into subscription streaming, will shut down at the end of the month.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorAT&T, in its Wall Street swan song as an entertainment entity, reported solid subscriber pickup for HBO Max and HBO for the first quarter of 2022. The now-divested WarnerMedia unit was again a drag on profitability because of continued investments in HBO Max and the launch of CNN+ — reflecting a key reason AT&T spun it off.WarnerMedia is now part of Warner Bros.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterThe finale of CNN+’s “Land of the Giants: Titans of Tech,” titled “The Netflix Effect,” launches Thursday, perfect timing for an entertainment industry that is both reeling amid Netflix’s shocking Q1 subscriber miss, poor second-quarter outlook and the wait to see if CNN+ can find its groove as quickly as it might need to in order to survive.Based on the “Land of the Giants” podcast from Vox Media’s Recode, the CNN+ docuseries explores the complicated histories of Meta (a.k.a. Facebook), Apple, Amazon, Google and now Netflix.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNetflix has held Madison Avenue at arm’s length for years. Now, the popular streamer wants to draw the advertising industry in a tighter embrace.After years of resisting the prospect of running commercials, Netflix signaled on Tuesday that it’s ready to consider launching an ad-supported tier of its service, which has lured traditional TV viewers with ad-free series like “Stranger Things” and “Ozark” and commercial-free movies like “Don’t Look Up.” Figuring out an ad strategy could take months, said Reed Hastings, Netflix’s co-CEO, during an investor meeting, “but think of us as quite open to offering even lower prices with advertising as a consumer choice.”The company announced its intention to court commercials just weeks before the start of the industry’s annual “upfront” ad sales season, when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk of their commercial inventory for the next programming cycle.

In an unusual feat for really any Monday at the box office, the No 2 movie from this past weekend, beat the No. 1 opening pic. Specifically, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 made $4.5M yesterday to Warner Bros.’ The Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore‘s $3.68M.

continues its dominant run as the year’s highest grossing film — racking up a reported $750 million+ at the worldwide box office — the Warner Bros.-DC superhero flick has now made its streaming debut, too.Beginning today, the Robert Pattinson-led thriller is available to stream exclusively on HBO Max — or purchase in 4K on Amazon Prime Video for $30, too.Directed by Matt Reeves,  explores the origin story of Gotham City's notorious billionaire and caped anti-hero (played by Pattinson) as he attempts to solve the mystery behind a series of a strange murders — with clues from The Riddler (Paul Dano) at the center of the case.The film features an all-star cast that includes the likes of Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as Lieutenant James Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred, Colin Farrell as the Penguin and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, among others.Whether you're looking to watch DC's moody superhero retelling or are simply eager to rewatch it from within the comforts of your own home theater, here’s everything you need to know about how and where to watch  — streaming online now.  DC’s dark superhero story will be available to stream on HBO Max or buy online beginning today, April 18.  HBO Max subscribers will be able to watch for free on the streamer. Basic HBO Max plans are available for $10/month or $100/year, and ad-free packages are available for $15/month or $150/year.HBO Max subscribers will also have access to dozens of other original films and TV shows — including critically acclaimed projects like, ,,, and more.

Angelique Jackson After dominating the Grammy Awards with five wins, including album of the year, Jon Batiste is set to conquer a new medium — acting. The musician has joined the cast of “The Color Purple,” directed by Blitz Bazawule, for his feature acting debut.Batiste is set to portray Grady, husband to Shug Avery (played by Taraji P. Henson).

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterWarner Bros. Discovery and AT&T each ended the trading week with their respective shares selling at a 3% increase from where the stocks opened Monday.The newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery, born out of the $43 billion merger of Discovery, Inc.

EXCLUSIVE: Having already landed an A-list ensemble for its upcoming Barbie pic, Warner Bros. and Mattel have upped the anty by rounding out the cast with some high level talent. Sources tell Deadline that Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Oscar winner Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya and Jamie Demetriou. They join a cast that includes Margot Robbie, who will star in the titular role, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrara, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Hari Nef and Will Ferrell.