“The company that we knew and loved is changing,” says a prophetic Terrence Howard tonight in a clip from Empire used in sizzle spot celebrating the birth of a new era at what is a slimmed down and new Fox.
Running during the latest episode of theLee Daniels and Danny Strong co-created hip hop drama that is one of Fox’s all time biggest hits, the one-time only 90-second “new chapter” video was full of big names and big shows from the network’s more than 30 year history. “This is a now or never opportunity,” proclaims Beat Shazam host Jamie Foxx in the mash-up of The Simpsons, sports, unscripted and some past and current faves like Empire, 9-1-1 and Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville.
Airing with that typical Rupert Murdoch flare for promotion, the spot (watch it above) for the now Charlie Collier run Fox Entertainment comes just hours after the mega-merger Disney-Fox $71.3 billion dollar deal became a Hollywood game changing reality this morning at 12:02 AM ET.
Or as the sizzle spells out: Get Ready For A Fresh Start.
RelatedDisney-Fox: Relief, Gamesmanship, Anxiety, Layoffs Timeline & No Disneyland Perks On Day 1 Of Mega Company With shiny 21st Century Fox assets like FX Networks, National Geographic, Star India, TV and film studios, including the lucrative Avatar, X-Men and Deadpool flicks under its expanding umbrella, Disney formally gained a 60% majority stake in Hulu, home of The Handmaid’s Tale today too Ruling what was once two-thirds of 21CF, Disney’s Hulu stake will likely increase to 70% soon-ish as the Burbank-based media giant is negotiating with fellow bigwig WarnerMedia for the latter’s 10% share. RelatedDisney-Fox Deal Primer: The Ins And Outs Of Hollywood’s Mega Merger
In the works since the last months of 2017, the market shaking deal wrapped up by Disney CEO Bob Iger and now Disney’s largest shareholder Rupert Murdoch saw Fox 2.0 name former House Speaker Paul Ryan to its board yesterday as the organization prepared for its new and leaner life as an “independent public company.”
An independence that they clearly were putting out the happy dance red carpet for tonight.
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