The Mail Room: Netflix’s Data Dump and Zaslav’s Next Deal Headache

challengers movie zendaya
Challengers is not yet a hit by traditional standards, because of that $55 million budget—including more than $10 million up front for Zendaya. Photo: Courtesy of MGM
Matthew Belloni
May 28, 2024

Back in the day, most information at a talent agency ultimately flowed through the mail room, so I stole the name for my periodic reader question column. If you’d like something answered, just respond to this email and I’ll put it in the Google doc for a future issue. Today, questions about a quiet rights negotiation at Warner Bros. Discovery, what top film composers make, the future of Starz, and one of the most enduring hits in television, among many other topics…


Everyone’s talking about David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery probably losing the NBA, but nobody’s talking about the other rights deal he’s about to bungle: All Elite Wrestling. Why?