Disney

• The FCC announced it will review eight broadcasting licenses owned or managed by Disney due to the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. • The move came one day after President Trump called for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel over a controversial joke likening First Lady Melania Trump to an 'expectant widow.' • Kimmel faces backlash amid debates on whether his late-night monologue could incite political violence following recent assassination attempt charges.

Walt Disney Company says technology at California theme park will prevent fraud and streamline re-entryDisneyland, the beloved California adventure park, has outfitted some entrance lanes with facial recognition technology, a move its parent company says will prevent fraud and streamline re-entry.At certain entrance lanes, a camera will capture images of visitors, which can be converted via biometric technology into unique numerical values, according to the Walt Disney Company’s website. Continue reading...

• Disney+ revealed "Marvel: Secret Wars," a six-part miniseries event bringing together characters from the MCU, Sony's Spider-Man Universe, and Fox's X-Men franchise in an unprecedented crossover. • Production is set to begin in summer 2026, with Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield all confirmed to return as versions of Spider-Man within the multiverse storyline. • The series will premiere in early 2027 and serve as a major reset point for Marvel's cinematic universe, introducing the Fantastic Four and Professor X to the MCU proper.

• Disney+ launched the full six-episode 'Marvel's Ironheart' series on April 16, starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, pulling 12 million views in premiere day. • The show explores post-Wakanda tech genius clashes with Sacha Baron Cohen's villain, earning 95% Rotten Tomatoes from 200 reviews. • Analysts project it boosts MCU Phase 6 hype, with Disney stock up 2% amid streaming subscriber gains to 155 million.

• 'Star Wars: Rebel Dawn' launched on Disney+ April 9, drawing 45 million views in first day, surpassing 'Ahsoka' debut. • Six-episode arc follows Mon Mothma's rebellion origins, starring Diego Luna and new cast member Amandla Stenberg. • $180 million production boosts Disney+ to 152 million subscribers amid box office slumps.

• New Star Wars series 'Echoes of Mandalore' launched on Disney+ April 5, starring Pedro Pascal and Katee Sackhoff, drawing 25 million global views in premiere day. • Five-episode season explores Mandalorian civil war post-'The Mandalorian' Season 3, with $150 million budget evident in practical effects. • Boosts Disney+ subscribers by 2% overnight, reinforcing franchise's streaming dominance amid cord-cutting trends.

• OpenAI announced on March 25, 2026, it is discontinuing support for its Sora video generation model and ending its collaboration with Disney. • The move follows challenges in scaling the technology amid competition and resource constraints in AI media tools. • This reflects broader pressures on AI firms to prioritize core models over experimental features, impacting Hollywood's generative AI adoption.