Fair Game

The Weinstein Co. has won rights to “Passengers,” the indie sci-fi drama with Keanu Reeves and Reese Witherspoon starring. The project has been for sale at Cannes with Exclusive Media handling international rights and CAA handling domestic. Brian Kirk, whose TV credits include “Game Of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire,” is attached to direct in what... Read more »

ESPN just released a statement confirming the cuts, which were first reported by Deadspin. Said the company: “We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs. While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive.” If the language sounds familiar, it’s because it is: ESPN is 80% owned by Disney (Hearst owns the other 20%), which has gone division by division to cut costs over the past month or so. Layoffs have already hit the Walt Disney Studios unit (150 layoffs in film, theatrical and music departments) and shuttered LucasArts, the video game division of Disney’s newly acquired Lucasfilm. Previously, Disney Interactive laid off about 50 employees. Now not even super-profitable ESPN, which has about 7,000 employees overall, is immune to the cost-cutting review, and with recent major purchases of spendy live sports rights (teaming on an SEC network, U.S. Open tennis pact among the recent deals) it looks like they’ve been told to tighten the ship.