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Ghosts is a fantasy sitcom series created by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman. Based on the British series of the same name, the CBS series follows Sam and Jay, a young couple from New York who inherit a dilapidated manor from a distant relative. They soon come to the decision that they will be turning the manor into a bed and breakfast, but their plan goes awry when they get there and discover that the house is occupied by ghosts who consider the manor their house. Ghosts stars Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Danielle Pinnock, Richie Moriarty, Asher Grodman, Sheila Carrasco, Devan Chandler Long, Rebecca Wisocky, and Román Zaragoza. So, if you loved hilarious comedy, fantastical story, and entertaining characters in Ghosts, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Ghosts (Rent on Prime...

Director and producer Todd Holland has signed with Buchwald for representation.

The Emmy and Directors Guild Award winner has helmed more than 150 episodes of television throughout his career, along with a host of pilots and several feature films. He’s most associated with HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show and Fox’s Malcolm in the Middle — he directed 51 episodes of the former and 26 installments of Malcolm, winning Emmys for his work on both shows.

Holland’s directing credits also include episodes of 30 Rock, Twin Peaks, My So-Called Life, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Not Dead Yet and Grace and Frankie, among many others. He also helmed the pilots of Go On, The Real O’Neals, Girls Club and Mr. Mayor, among others, helping set the visual template for those shows.

Most recently, Holland directed and shared a story credit on Paramount+’s movie Monster High 2 (he also directed its predecessor), which...

Prepare yourselves: They Might Be Giants' "Boss of Me" lyrics are about to be stuck in your head for the first time in two decades.

Malcolm in the Middle, the Emmy-winning anti-sitcom that aired on Fox from 2000 to 2006, began filming its highly anticipated revival in April 2025. The project had been rumored for years, and it was finally confirmed in December 2024 as a four-episode continuation to stream on Disney+. Most of the established cast members are back, including Frankie Muniz as the titular Malcolm, a young genius who's now all grown up with a daughter of his own.

Read on for everything to know about the Malcolm in the Middle revival.

The first photo

On April 22, Muniz broke the internet when he posted an initial photo on social media of himself with Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek. "Always good to have Mom and Dad around!" he wrote from the set. The...

The Directors Guild Foundation is working with the Motion Picture Television Fund to administer financial assistance to DGA members impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.

The fund — which will offer $2,000 grants to those in need of help with emergency relocation costs and/or help replacing personal property — has been established via a $250,000 donation from the foundation. Additionally, the Directors Guild of America has authorized another $100,000 to cover member needs.

“I am inspired by the strength and resolve of the DGA community to help one another at a time of immense need,” Directors Guild Foundation chair Todd Holland said in a statement Tuesday. “This fund will provide critical resources directly to impacted DGA members as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragedy.”

Anyone who is able to donate to the fund is encouraged to do so. Those in need...

Top TV director-producer and President of the Directors Guild of America Lesli Linka Glatter was one one many prominent Hollywood figures who lost their homes in the Palisades fire.

The eight-time Emmy nominee, who has worked on such series as Homeland, Pretty Little Liars, Mad Men, The Morning Show and the upcoming Zero Hour, posted a note on Instagram thanking those who had reached out to her in the aftermath of the disaster.

“I am safe, at my son’s house in the valley,” she wrote. “Sadly my house is gone, as is so much of the Palisades… this is heartbreaking for many. My heart goes out to all those who have lost so much and to those in danger.”

Also on Friday, Glatter sent a letter to DGA members about the fires, in which she shared her own experience.

“I have been so fortunate to call Pacific Palisades home.

One of the most influential comedy series of the new millennium, Malcolm In the Middle, is finally getting a revival, just in time for the 25th anniversary of its launch on Fox. The family comedy will return for a limited, four-episode run on Disney+ with original cast members Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek on board to reprise their roles as Malcolm and his parents Hal and Lois, respectively. The trio teased the new installment in a video, which you can watch below.

Also back are Malcolm In the Middle creator Linwood Boomer, who will be a writer on the new episodes, and producing director Ken Kwapis, who will direct all four. 20th Television and New Regency, whose joint venture Regency Television (via Fox TV Studios and Regency Enterprises) was behind the original series, are producing for Disney Branded Entertainment.

Muniz, Cranston and Kaczmarek are expected to be joined...

Serendipity seems to follow Ralph Macchio — and it most recently took him to Australia.

In October, Coldplay released the song “The Karate Kid,” and it’s exactly what you think it’s about, down to the lyrics about “Daniel.” That, of course, is the name of the lead character played by Macchio in three “The Karate Kid” movies and six seasons of Netflix’s “Cobra Kai.” After Macchio heard the tune, he shared it on social media — and that’s when Coldplay concocted a plan. Frontman Chris Martin asked Macchio to come to Australia, where they were playing a series of dates, and film the music video. The ruse included bringing the actor on stage to help perform “The Karate Kid.”

“It was just one of those whirlwind things,” says Macchio, who just returned from Down Under. “It’s just a beautiful track. It blew my mind that he wrote the song,...

Toy manufacturing giant Mattel has unveiled the most exciting series of Monster High collectibles, which will be available for purchase this summer, arriving almost a year after Monster High 2 premiered. As fans are aware, the Monster High franchise began with Mattel's famous fashion doll collection, which inspires the 2022 Monster High: The Movie directed by Todd Holland and produced by Mattel and Brightlight Pictures. Unsurprisingly, the film was well received globally, such that it led to the development of a sequel released on October 5, 2023, as well as the creation of an animated series as part of a second Monster High brand relaunch.

When golfers make it to the green at the Directors Guild Foundation’s tournament later this month, all they have to remember is the words of the late Chubbs: “Just tap it in.” That will no doubt be a mantra that entire day, as the Dgf has named their annual golf tournament fundraiser after the late Carl Weathers, a fitting tribute to the actor who passed away in February.

The honor is no doubt an earned one, as Carl Weathers not only served as a key member of the Dgf but played a rather beloved character in one of the quintessential golf movies. We all remember that Chubbs was poised to be the next Arnold Palmer, but his pro career was cut short when an alligator bit his hand off after he tried retrieving his ball from a lake. The alligator may have gotten Chubbs’ hand but he got...

Actor Carl Weathers is being remembered for his service to The Directors Guild Foundation (Dgf), with the organization renaming their premier annual fundraising event in his honor.

Going forward, the organization’s annual golf tournament will be known as the Directors Guild Foundation Carl Weathers Memorial Golf Tournament.

Weathers starred as Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and appeared in Predator, The Mandalorian, Happy Gilmore, Action Jackson, Arrested Development and dozens of other films and TV shows. He died in February at 76.

“Carl Weathers was the embodiment of dedication to the Directors Guild and the Foundation,” said Director and Dgf Chairman Todd Holland. “For over two decades, he devoted himself to serving the DGA, including as an officer of the Foundation since 2012. Relishing the opportunity to give back, connect with peers, and enjoy quality time with friends and colleagues on the green, Carl Weathers eagerly anticipated the Directors...

Mattel and Universal are partnering on a Monster High movie. The Monster High toy line features characters who are teenagers inspired by classic monsters. The already robust Monster High franchise could potentially support a live-action blockbuster.

Monster High will be following Barbie to the big screen. The latter title, which was a Greta Gerwig-directed live-action comedy starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll, was a worldwide phenomenon when it was released in 2023. The Barbie box office ballooned to $1.45 billion by the end of its theatrical run, breaking records and becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year. In the wake of the movie's success, other movies based on Mattel toys have either gone into pre-production or progressed further in development including Polly Pocket and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

Per TheWrap, the latest Mattel toy to join these movie properties is Monster High. The characters in the toy line, which was launched in 2010, are supernatural,...

Matthew Wilkas as Lawrence Wright and Skylar Astin as Todd Wright in ‘So Help Me Todd’ season 2 episode 6

Dean Winters, from Allstate’s “Mayhem” commercials, continues his guest-starring arc as a veteran private investigator on CBS’s So Help Me Todd season two episode six. “Is the Jury Out?” will air on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 9pm Et/Pt. Todd Holland directs from a script by Scott Prendergast and Katherine Langenfeld.

Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden leads the cast as Margaret Wright and Skylar Astin stars as the titular Todd. Season two also features Madeline Wise as Allison, Tristen J. Winger as Lyle, Inga Schlingmann as Susan, and Rosa Arredondo as Francey.

“Is the Jury Out?” Plot: Lawrence enlists Todd’s services to find out the sexual orientation of a judge. Also, with her client’s livelihood at stake, Margaret and Lyle search for a reluctant witness.

Dean Winters and Allison Wise...

In The Late Great, Primetimer staffers and contributors revisit shows that were cut short, but still cast a long shadow over the TV landscape.

Twenty years ago, a short-lived series from Todd Holland and Bryan Fuller (purveyor of cult hits Pushing Daisies and Hannibal) made its debut on Fox: Wonderfalls.

The quirky hour-long show was unlike anything that was airing on television at the time. Network lineups in 2004 tended to be primarily made up of procedurals, sitcoms, teen soaps, and unscripted programming. A whimsical dramedy about an Ivy League graduate who starts receiving guidance from inanimate toy animals in order to dole out random good deeds may have been considered a little too left of center.

Monster High 2 follows Clawdeen, Draculaura, and Frankie as they face bigger challenges during their sophomore year, including new students, powers, and evolving friendships. A bigger threat could tear their friendship apart and change the world forever. The first Monster High film was well-received by fans, and the cast is back for the sequel. The film introduces a new character, Toralei, a feisty British werewolf. Director Todd Holland and Executive Producer Adam Bonnett are excited about the passionate fanbase and the emotional authenticity of the characters.

Monster High 2 takes place during the sophomore year at Monster High and follows up Monster High, which took place during the freshman year. The friendship of Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura, and Frankie Stein is put to the test as they face bigger challenges than ever before including new students, new powers, and evolving friendships. There is also an even bigger threat that could not...

"Monster High 2" is a new Mattel Television live-action musical fantasy feature, based on Mattel's "Monster High" franchise, directed by Todd Holland, starring Miia Harris, Ceci Balagot, Nayah Damasen, Case Walker, Marci T. House, Jy Prishkulnik, Lina Lecompte, Justin Derickson, Lilah Fitzgerald and Nasiv Sall, streaming October 5, 2023 on Nickleodeon and Paramount+:

"...the first movie followed the story of 'Clawdeen Wolf' (Harris) and the second film will focus on 'Draculaura' (Damasen), trying to find her place in a Monster World, with lots of singing and dancing..."

Click the images to enlarge...

The Directors Guild Foundation announced on Wednesday that it is making a $100,000 donation to the Motion Picture and Television Fund to support entertainment workers financially strained by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

“Our film crews are our work family. We need to help everyone who’s suffering,” said Directors Guild Foundation chairman Todd Holland said in a statement. “The DGA Foundation supports the vital mission of the MPTF to support the crews who work alongside us with crucially important financial assistance. The need is so great, and we are glad the Directors Guild Foundation can help meet the challenge.”

The Dgf’s contribution comes two weeks after MPTF president/CEO Bob Beitcher sent out an open letter urging Hollywood to provide more support to the organization in its efforts to provide financial grants to workers struggling to make ends meet. The DGA and the Dgf have been regular contributors to the MPTF’s relief fund.

Amid Hollywood’s summer of strikes, the Directors Guild Foundation is pledging $100,000 in financial assistance to the Motion Picture & Television Fund for crew members affected by strike-related production halts.

“Our film crews are our work family. We need to help everyone who’s suffering,” said Todd Holland, Directors Guild Foundation film chair.

“The DGA Foundation supports the vital mission of the MPTF to support the crews who work alongside us with crucially important financial assistance. The need is so great, and we are glad the Directors Guild Foundation can help meet the challenge.”

The $100,000 donation to the MPTF is an addition to Dgf’s existing assistance efforts, which includes its interest-free loan program and the Directors Guild of America’s emergency relief grants for its members. The DGA has also been a longtime supporter of the MPTF, to the tune of “millions of dollars of contributions to the general MPTF fund,...

The Directors Guild Foundation is contributing $100,000 in new financial assistance to the Motion Picture & Television Fund for industry workers affected by the ongoing strikes. The Writers Guild has been on strike since May 2 and SAG-AFTRA since July 14.

“Our film crews are our work family,” Dgf Foundation Chairman Todd Holland said. “We need to help everyone who’s suffering. The DGA Foundation supports the vital mission of the MPTF to support the crews who work alongside us with crucially important financial assistance. The need is so great, and we are glad the Directors Guild Foundation can help meet the challenge.”

MPTF’s president and CEO Bob Beitcher: “The generous support of MPTF and the community it serves by the DGA and the DGA Foundation is a true blessing to our industry. Our appreciation is immense.”

Added a DGA spokesman, “The Dgf, DGA and MPTF for decades have had a close relationship,...

Lesli Linka Glatter has been elected to a second term as president of the Directors Guild of America.

The veteran helmer known for her work on “Homeland,” “Mad Men” and numerous other TV series, was re-elected during the DGA’s biennial national convention held Saturday at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles. The guild reported that 164 delegates representing about 19,500 members took part in the convention to authorize a new slate of officers and members of the national board of directors.

“I am honored to once again accept the responsibility of serving as President of the Directors Guild of America,” Glatter said in a statement. “At this critical time for our industry, I am more committed than ever to our Guild’s mission of protecting the creative and economic rights of our members and working collaboratively both internally and externally on the issues affecting us all. As we embark on the next chapter of our Guild,...

Lesli Linka Glatter has been re-elected president of the Directors Guild of America by acclamation of the delegates at the DGA’s Biennial National Convention in Los Angeles.

“I am thrilled to say we are as strong and united as ever before,” she said. “Together, we will continue our shared fight — along with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA — for an industry in which we are all fairly valued and celebrated for the work we do.”

“At this critical time for our industry, I am more committed than ever to our Guild’s mission of protecting the creative and economic rights of our members and working collaboratively both internally and externally on the issues affecting us all,” she said. “As we embark on the next chapter of our Guild, I’m elated to work alongside an incredibly talented, creative and diverse Board, all of whom generously volunteer their time to advocate for...

New directors contract will run from July 1 through June 30, 2026.

Update: A Hollywood directors strike has been averted after Directors Guild of America (DGA) membership ratified the new collective bargaining agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Friday night (June 23) with an 87% vote in favour.

The deal, which concludes negotiations that ran from May 10 to June 3, approves a new contract that will last from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2026.

Meanwhile on Saturday SAG-AFTRA leadership posted a video saying ongoing talks with AMPTP were “extremely productive” and Guild president Fran Dreschler and national executive director and head...

New contract will run from July 1 through June 30, 2026.

A Hollywood directors strike has been averted after Directors Guild of America (DGA) membership ratified the new collective bargaining agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Friday night (June 23) with an 87% vote in favour.

The deal, which concludes negotiations that ran from May 10 to June 3, approves a new contract that will last from July 1 of this year through June 30, 2026.

Meanwhile the writers are in the eighth week of their strike and Hollywood remains on tenterhooks as to the outcome of the SAG-AFTRA talks with AMPTP. SAG-AFTRA contracts expire...

The Directors Guild of America has formally ratified the new collective bargaining agreement that its leaders struck with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on June 4. The deal, which passed with the support of 87% of DGA members, officially ensures that the guild will not join Hollywood’s writers in striking this summer.

The three-year deal included a 76% increase in foreign streaming residuals for projects produced for the largest studios and streaming platforms. Other highlights included increased parental leave benefits and language stating that artificial intelligence is “not a person” and cannot replace directors on film and television projects.

“I’m proud to report that DGA members have joined together to ratify a new contract that will allow every Director, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Associate Director and Stage Manager to share in the success of what we create,” guild president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement. “Our...

Members of the Directors Guild of America have overwhelmingly ratified a new film and television contract. The vote was 87% in favor to 13% opposed, with 6,728 members voting out of 16,321 eligible (41%).

Releasing the voting data is a break from DGA custom; it the past the guild would only say that contracts were ratified “overwhelmingly.”

“I’m proud to report that DGA members have joined together to ratify a new contract that will allow every Director, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Associate Director and Stage Manager to share in the success of what we create,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “Our new contract secures gains on wages, global streaming residuals, safety, diversity and creative rights that build for the future and impact every category of member in our Guild. The strength of our new contract is a testament to our Negotiations Committee Chair Jon Avnet, Negotiations Co-chairs Karen Gaviola and Todd Holland,...

The Directors Guild of America announced on Friday evening that its members have voted to approve its bargaining agreement with Hollywood studios.

Out of 6,728 votes received, 5,853 votes were in favor of ratification for a vote share of 87%. In a sign that more Hollywood creatives are getting involved with their unions, 41% of the 16,321 eligible DGA members voted, the highest turnout percentage ever for a DGA contract ratification vote and with an overall vote count higher than the 4,155 votes received by the Writers Guild during its 2020 ratification vote.

“I’m proud to report that DGA members have joined together to ratify a new contract that will allow every Director, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Associate Director and Stage Manager to share in the success of what we create,” said DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter. “Our new contract secures gains on wages, global streaming residuals, safety, diversity and creative rights that build for...

Voting is now underway for the ratification of the new DGA film and TV contract. Members were sent ballots tonight along with the memorandum of agreement, as well as an executive summary of the new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The tentative agreement was approved last night by the DGA national board, which unanimously recommended that members ratify it. Voting must be completed by June 23.

“In this new agreement,” DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter told members, “we were able to win many significant advancements, including a number of important industry ‘firsts’ including: essential protections regarding AI, terms and conditions in non-dramatic SVOD programs as well as high-budget AVOD programs, Feature Director compensation for ‘soft prep,’ expanded paid post-production for Episodic Directors, a new foreign streaming residuals structure based on subscribers, and banning live ammunition on sets. We also obtained critical improvements in wages, streaming residuals,...

The Directors Guild of America’s national board of directors has unanimously approved the tentative agreement reached by the guild’s negotiating committee late Saturday, a deal that aims to set parameters around the use of artificial intelligence and boost streaming residual rates.

With the board’s approval, the contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will be sent to a ratification vote by DGA membership. The guild expects to send materials to its members this week.

“We set out to negotiate a contract that would build for the future. This is a significant deal with gains for every Director, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Associate Director and Stage Manager,” said DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter. “Our industry is rapidly changing and expanding, and this agreement is what we need to adapt to those changes, break new ground and protect the DGA’s 19,000 directors and directorial team members today,...

Amid the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) struck a tentative deal with studios and streamers for a new labor contract.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reached an agreement for a three-year labor contract, an agreement that includes improved wages and benefits, residuals from streaming, and protections against AI, among other terms. However, the agreement is tentative as a ratification vote has not yet been scheduled. The agreement is to be submitted to the national board of the DGA in a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 6. Negotiations began on May 10.

Related: Tom Holland Confirms Spider-Man 4 Meetings Were Happening Before WGA Strike

"We have concluded a truly historic deal," said Jon Avnet, chair of the DGA’s negotiations committee. "It provides significant improvements for every director, assistant director, unit production manager,...

After less than a month of negotiations, the Directors Guild and Hollywood’s top studios and streamers have struck a tentative deal on a new three-year labor contract.

The agreement between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) includes gains in wages and benefits, streaming residuals, AI protections and more. (Full details are below.) Union leaders will need to lay out what they perceive to be the gains and compromises in the contract to members in the coming days before members ultimately participate in a ratification vote. There is no date yet for the ratification vote; the tentative agreement will be submitted to the DGA’s national board at a special meeting set for Tuesday.

The new deal arrives after the DGA and AMPTP spent all day Saturday at the negotiating table.

“We have concluded a truly historic deal,” said Jon Avnet, chair of the DGA’s negotiations committee.

Monster High first crept onto the scene as a book series in 2010, quickly followed by its web series debut, featuring bite-sized episodes that sent chills down fans’ spines. This spooktacular franchise has risen from the crypt to delight fans with a new CGI animated series on Nickelodeon and a highly-anticipated sequel to the third-generation reboot.

In this monstrous blog post, we’ll guide you through the eerie origins and spine-chilling tales that make up the crypt-ivating universe of Monster High movies.

Related: ‘Sing 2’ Cast & Characters Guide: Get to Know the Stars

So, grab your favorite ghoulfriends and join us as we embark on a frightfully fun adventure through the bewitching world of Monster High, where each story stands on its own, ready to send shivers down your spine.

Sale Monster High Ultimate Collection Erin Fitzgerald, Missi Hale (Actors)Steve Sacks (Director)Audience Rating: Nr (Not Rated) $69.95 Check Reviews Here...

As striking writers continue to walk picket lines in Los Angeles and New York, buyers and sellers are marching the Croisette, making their way to the Cannes film market. Whether or not they pack their bags with films in hand is still unclear.

Heading into the festival, dealmakers were largely confident, or at least vocally so, that the WGA strike would not have a major impact on the film market. Scripts for splashy packages had been rushed to get in prior to the May 1 strike deadline and the projects with A-list talent like Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh seemed to have numbered more than many markets in recent memory.

Now, on the ground, a slightly more complicated picture is emerging

Top of mind is the potential for a multi-union strike. Less than a week before the opening of the Cannes market, the DGA entered contract negotiations with negotiations committee co-chair...

On Wednesday top negotiators for the Directors Guild of America will travel to Sherman Oaks to begin hammering out a deal with studios and streamers that is sure to be one of the most momentous in the union’s recent history.

The union is embarking on negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers at a moment when around 11,500 Hollywood scribes are on strike after their own contract talks with the business coalition collapsed. (While the directors’ and writers’ labor groups are prioritizing separate issues, there is some key overlap on agenda items like streaming residuals and data transparency.) And the DGA is starting to negotiate less than two months before its contract expires on June 30, an unusual step for the union, which in recent cycles has reached a consensus earlier as part of its philosophy that sometimes such advance deals improve worker leverage. This time around, entertainment...

Negotiators for the Directors Guild of America on Tuesday gave a video preview of their upcoming talks with the studios, saying they are “fighting to receive our fair share of the new, global future.”

The DGA begins its round of bargaining on Wednesday with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The guild is focused on rewriting the streaming residual formula to account for the growth in foreign subscribers.

“The explosive popularity of streaming around the world has transformed how, and where, our work is viewed, and our contracts must adapt to changing production and distribution,” said Karen Gaviola, negotiations co-chair.

The DGA talks will begin on the ninth day of the Writers Guild of America strike. The negotiations will take place in the same AMPTP conference room in Sherman Oaks where WGA negotiators spent six weeks attempting to reach an agreement, before those talks collapsed on May 1.

So...

The Directors Guild of America has released a new video outlining its bargaining position on the eve its contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which get under way Wednesday. The video features Jon Avnet, chair of the DGA’s negotiating committee, and co-chairs Karen Gaviola and Todd Holland.

“Now that formal negotiations are beginning, you will hear from us less frequently,” they said in an accompanying message to the guild’s members (watch it here). “As you know, we don’t negotiate in the press. Contract negotiations can bring speculation and rumors that appear online or in the media.”

They also laid out their priorities “for a strong contract that treats us fairly and allows us to share in the success of an evolving entertainment industry,” which include:

Securing wage increases that address inflation. Maintaining the strength and sustainability of our world-class pension and health care plans.

On the eve of the start of contract negotiations, top dealmakers for the Directors Guild of America are telling members that their 2023 talks with studios and streamers “are about more than our next contract.”

“We know there will be conflict. The battle will test us. But we won’t rest until we win a strong contract today that builds a bridge to continued DGA prosperity into the future,” negotiations committee co-chair Todd Holland said on Tuesday in a video message to the union’s 19,000 members, a group that includes directors, assistant directors, unit production managers and stage managers.

Featuring Holland alongside negotiations committee chair Jon Avnet and co-chair Karen Gaviola, the video overviews top negotiations priorities this cycle and sets a serious tone for the upcoming talks. “Together, we are an unstoppable union. We’ve negotiated world-class contracts because we deserve them,” Avent said. Added Gaviola, “This year, our negotiations...

“Make no mistake: the current position of the studios is a threat to the economic model that for decades has protected tens of thousands of good, union jobs in our industry,” says Directors Guild of America president Lesli Linka Glatter today, one week after the Writers Guild went out on strike.

“Like many others, we had hoped the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers would reach a fair and reasonable agreement during the WGA’s negotiating window,” Glatter added in her statement this morning. “But despite six weeks of negotiations, the AMPTP refused to adequately address the writers’ core issues and concerns.” (See the full statement below)

The message early Tuesday from Glatter comes one week exactly since the WGA went on the picket lines for the first time in 15 years, and one day before the DGA is set to start their own negotiations with the AMPTP.

Exclusive: “This is about setting the course for the industry for the future,” said Directors Guild of America chief Lesli Linka Glatter today on the guild’s upcoming talks with studios and the WGA strike that started this week. “We’re in a team sport. We’re only as good as our teams.”

In the midst of the biggest labor action to hit Hollywood in over a decade and with Writers Guild picket lines up all over LA and NYC, the DGA are set to sit down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on May 10 to begin their own contract negotiations. As of now, the DGA have not made public what their specific goals in those negotiations are.

Talks for the guild this year will be led by Jon Avnet with negotiation co-chairs Todd Holland and Karen Gaviola as the heads of an 80-person negotiating committee. Earlier this week,...

The Directors Guild of America is ramping up its member mobilization efforts ahead of its 2023 negotiations with the studios and streamers.

The union, which represents thousands of directors as well as unit production managers, stage managers and others, has appointed its former presidents Paris Barclay and Thomas Schlamme co-chairs of its new outreach team, current leader Lesli Linka Glatter said on Tuesday. This group, which the guild announced in early March, will focus on communicating negotiations updates to members and boosting their engagement and solidarity in the talks.

“With their experience as former presidents of the DGA and their unrivaled knowledge of our industry, Paris and Tommy will serve as incredible representatives of our Guild to our members as we prepare to win the best possible contract for our members,” Glatter said in a statement. “With their guidance, the DGA Outreach Team is ready to unite our 19,000 members to fight for our future.

The Directors Guild of America set a date with studios and streamers for its latest contract negotiations.

The union, which represents directors, assistant directors, unit production managers and others, will enter into talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on May 10, the AMPTP and the DGA jointly announced on Monday. The DGA’s current basic agreement expires on June 30.

Directors Guild leaders communicated the date in a message to its members on Monday that positioned the union’s focus going into negotiations as forward-looking: “The DGA has always protected our members’ future by anticipating where the industry is going, where future growth will take place and negotiating agreements that reap benefits now and more significantly, in the future,” negotiations chair Jon Avnet, co-chairs Karen Gaviola and Todd Holland and national executive director Russ Hollander wrote. “Today, this means addressing the impact of vertical integration and Company self-dealing...

The need for greater residuals and more diversity were some of the vital issues expressed by filmmakers tonight at the DGA Awards ahead of the guild’s talks with the AMPTP.

The DGA’s contract expires on June 30, the same day as SAG-AFTRA’s and two months after the May 1 expiration of the WGA’s contract.

Eric Appel — a first time nominee for the Roku movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story — noted, on a personal level, that while he’s directed his fair share of television over the years and remembers “a time” when he was able to collect “a lot of residuals” for that work, revenue of the sort “does not really exist” when it comes to projects he’s taken on of late in the brave new world of streaming. “I definitely want [the industry] to just rethink how those residuals work, so it’s not one-and-done when you make your project,...

Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter, speaking tonight at the 75th Annual DGA Awards, vowed that the guild will “fight like hell” later this spring to win a fair film and TV contract – and not just for current members, but for generations to come.

Related Story DGA Says “Studios Are Not Yet Prepared To Address Our Key Issues” & Won’t Be First Guild To The Bargaining Table This Year Related Story DGA: Joseph Kosinski, Judd Apatow, Sara Dosa, Eric Appel & Others On Need To Address Residuals, "Systemic Inequities" In Upcoming Contract Talks Related Story DGA Awards Winners List – Updating Live

“These negotiations are about more than just bargaining a strong contract for the next three years – they are about setting the course for the future of our industry,” she told the members, nominees and guests gathered in the main ballroom at the Beverly Hilton. “The DGA is prepared and ready...

The Directors Guild of America will change its typical course of action when it comes to contract negotiations this year.

Instead of earlier in the year as it has in the past, the organization will not begin negotiations ahead of its contract expiration this June until “later this spring.”

“Our approach to bargaining is, and has always been, guided by one simple principle: We will only negotiate when we believe we will win the best possible deal,” DGA’s Jon Avnet, Karen Gaviola, Todd Holland and Russ Hollander wrote in a letter to members on Saturday.

The letter continued, “In other negotiations cycles, we have won strong gains by waiting to negotiate until later in the process. Some of our most important gains, including the establishment of our groundbreaking Pay TV residuals formula, have been won when we negotiated closer to the expiration of our contract.”

The leaders explained that...

The Directors Guild of America informed members Saturday that it has decided to hold off on bargaining a new contract with the major studios until later this spring, saying the studios are not yet ready to address its major issues.

The guild has already signaled that it expects an unusually tough round of bargaining this year. The current Basic Agreement is set to expire on June 30.

In previous cycles, the DGA has often met well before the expiration date to hammer out a new agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. But in a letter to membership, the union leadership said it is “not in our interest to begin negotiations well in advance of our contract expiration.”

“We will work with the studios to schedule bargaining dates for later this spring,” the leadership wrote.

That decision could allow the Writers Guild of America to begin its negotiations with the AMPTP first.

DGA leaders told their members tonight that the DGA won’t be the first guild at the bargaining table with the AMPTP this year because “the studios are not yet prepared to address our key issues.” It’s a break from recent tradition: the DGA has gone before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in each of the last three bargaining cycles. The last time the DGA didn’t go first was in 2010, when pre-merger SAG and AFTRA came to the bargaining table first. The last time the WGA went first, back in 2007, a 100-day writers’ strike ensued.

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The Directors Guild is waiting for the moment “when we believe we have the most leverage to win” to begin official 2023 contract negotiations with studios and streamers, according to two union leaders.

The Guild, which bargains on behalf of directors, assistant directors, unit production managers and others, updated its members on Monday that bargaining dates for their core film and television contract have not yet been scheduled. Both the DGA’s Basic Agreement and Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement expire on June 30, 2023.

“When it comes to making the decision about when to start negotiations, we are guided by one simple principle: we will only begin bargaining when we believe we have the most leverage to win the best possible deal for DGA Directors and their teams,” DGA negotiations chair Jon Avnet and national executive director Russell Hollander said in the message. “Some years, that means we have negotiated early,...

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Directors Guild of America leaders say the union is “prepared for a fight” in its upcoming round of negotiations with studios and streamers in an extraordinarily “difficult and complicated” industry environment.

“We have been preparing for more than a year to execute our Guild’s highest purpose: to protect your economic and creative rights,” DGA negotiations chair John Avnet and DGA national executive director Russell Hollander wrote in a message to members on Thursday. “We are ready for negotiations and, if necessary, we are prepared for a fight. These negotiations will shape the future of our industry.”

The union’s current basic agreement contract expires June 30, 2023. Traditionally, the DGA kicks off the industry negotiating cycle, with their talks occurring before those of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. In its latest message, the union did not say when negotiations will commence.

The DGA represents around 18,000 directors,...

DGA leaders have told their members that the guild’s upcoming contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers “will not be an ordinary negotiation” and that “if necessary, we are prepared for a fight.”

Avnet, left, and Hollander

The DGA’s current contract expires June 30, and no date has been set for the start of negotiations.

The DGA has only struck the industry once in its entire history – back in 1987. That strike only lasted 15 minutes on the West Coast, and for three hours and 15 minutes on the East Coast, before a deal was reached.

Related: Hollywood’s Covid Protocols To Remain In Place As Negotiations Continue

In a message to their members Thursday, DGA Negotiations Chair Jon Avnet and National Executive Director Russell Hollander said:

“We have been preparing for more than a year to execute our Guild’s highest purpose: to protect your economic and creative rights.

Peacock announced season two of the original baking competition series, “Baking It,” hosted and executive produced by Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler. The second season premieres on the streamer on Monday, December 12.

The second season of the series marks the first time the Emmy-winners have hosted a show together. Poehler replaces fellow “Saturday Night Live” alum and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Andy Samburg, who hosted the first season with Rudolph. Additionally, a special holiday episode of “Baking It” will air December 12 at 10pm Et/Pt on NBC. In the holiday special, Maya and Amy invite their famous friends to “cele-bake” the holidays in a friendly competition to raise money for their charities.

The show is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paper Kite Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment. Poehler, Rudolph, Nicolle Yaron, Pip Wells, Kate Arend and Dave Becky serve as executive producers.

Released earlier this month, Nickelodeon’s live action Monster High: The Movie has proven to be a big time success, and just like that a sequel has now already been ordered up!

Deadline reports, “Nickelodeon and Mattel Television have given a green light to a sequel to the live-action movie musical. Based on the Mattel franchise about the children of famous monsters and creatures, the feature-length TV movie will begin production in January in Vancouver, Canada, and will air on Nickelodeon and stream on Paramount+ in 2023.”

Monster High: The Movie is now streaming on Paramount+, where millions have tuned in to watch since the film’s premiere on October 6. You can read Meagan’s review here.

“We are ecstatic to tell the monstrous next chapter of this beloved franchise to our audience,” said Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan, Co-Heads of Nickelodeon & Awesomeness Live-Action. “Monster High’s message of embracing one...

Nickelodeon and Mattel Television have greenlit a sequel to “Monster High: The Movie,” which will begin production in Vancouver, Canada, in January. The live-action movie musical, based on the toy company’s doll collection of the same name, will air on Nickelodeon and stream on Paramount+ in 2023.

The first live-action movie for the franchise, “Monster High: The Movie” premiered on Nickelodeon and Paramount+ on Oct. 6, 2022. According to the streamer, it was the No. 1 kids and family movie on Paramount+ during its launch week and reached more than 4 million total viewers across its premiere weekend on linear.

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“We are ecstatic to tell the monstrous next chapter of this beloved franchise to our audience,” Zack Olin and Shauna Phelan, co-heads of Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Live-Action, said in a statement. “Monster High’s message of...