ICv2: Studio Ghibli Acquired; 'Loki,' 'Hunger Games,' 'Percy Jackson,' and 'Doom Patrol' Trailers; WWE and UFC Form TKO Group, WWE FOX TV Deal to End

NEWS

STUDIO GHIBLI ACQUIRED; 'LOKI,' 'HUNGER GAMES,' 'PERCY JACKSON,' AND 'DOOM PATROL' TRAILERS; WWE AND UFC FORM TKO GROUP, WWE FOX TV DEAL TO END

Showbiz Round-up

Posted by Jeffrey Dohm-Sanchez on September 25, 2023 @ 3:25 am CT

Fall is officially here, the pumpkin spice is flowing, and so is the Hollywood news. Time for a round-up!

Nippon Television has bought a controlling stake in Studio Ghibli, according to Variety. Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind Hayao Miyazaki's movies, will become a subsidiary of the Japanese broadcaster. The sale comes as Miyazaki has just released his final movie (see "Last Miyazaki Film Opens") and is about to retire. By selling Studio Ghibli to Nippon TV, Miyazaki shores up the succession plan for the studio after his son, Miyazaki Goro, declined becoming the future head of the studio.

Marvel Studios released a new trailer for Loki Season 2 (see below). This series will begin streaming on October 5, 2023 (see "Marvel Delays Seven").

Lionsgate released another official trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (see below). This movie, starring Tom Blyth, Hunter Schafer, Rachel Zegler, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis (see "'Hunger Games' Prequel Casting"), will hit theaters on November 17, 2023.

Disney+ revealed a new teaser for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (see below). Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda will star as Hermes in the series, which will launch on December 20, 2023 (see "’Percy Jackson’ Casts Star").

Max released an official trailer for Doom Patrol: The Final Episodes (see below). The final season was announced back in January 2023 (see "'Titans' and 'Doom Patrol' Ending") and was split into two parts, the first of which ran in late 2022. The last episodes begin streaming on October 12, 2023.

The WWE and Zuffa (parent company of UFC) have merged to form TKO Group Holdings, Inc. Within the new group, Endeavor Group Holdings (owners of Zuffa) will have a 51% controlling interest whereas the WWE will have a 49% stake. The new sports promotion group will be headed up by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, marking the first time the WWE has not been majority-controlled by a member of the McMahon family (see "Vinnie Mac Returns"). After closing the deal, the WWE announced that Friday Night Smackdown will be headed back to USA Network via a NBCUniversal five-year deal, moving from FOX, which starts in October 2024.

For more information on geek movie releases, check out ICv2's Best in Shows Geek Movie Calendar. Currently, our calendars show releases running through 2027.