From Willie Wonka to Edward Scissorhands, <keyword id="19920478" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Johnny-Depp" source="keywords">Johnny Depp</keyword> has an impressive arsenal of characters under his belt, with no two portrayals anything like the other. And yet, one role has constantly reigned far above the rest in popularity, forever changing cosplay conventions worldwide. We’re talking about <keyword id="20369637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Captain-Jack-Sparrow" source="keywords">Captain Jack Sparrow</keyword>, of course.<br /><br />Depp’s portrayal of Jack in the <keyword id="21104350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pirates-of-the-Caribbean" source="keywords">Pirates of the Caribbean</keyword> movies has helped the <keyword id="19912330" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="franchise" source="keywords">franchise</keyword> reportedly gross a staggering $4.5 billion globally. Being such a pivotal and unique character, it would undoubtedly feel odd watching the movies without Johnny Depp reprising his role. And yet, that could very well be the plan for the franchise going forward, it turns out.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Complete reboot of the franchise" comment="subhead" text="Complete reboot of the franchise"><span data-til="noop">Complete reboot of the franchise</span></cmsannotation><br />According to media reports, two more Pirates of the Caribbean films are in production, with a complete reboot on the table for the franchise. Unfortunately for Depp die-hards, this may also mean that the character will no longer play the main role in future installments.<br /><br />Much of this ruling stemmed from the infamous Depp v Heard defamation trial in 2022, following which there have been speculations that <keyword id="19899232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Disney" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Disney" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Disney">Disney</keyword> has maintained their distance from the actor. Johnny Depp himself has expressed that he felt “deeply hurt” by Disney’s subsequent decision to cancel the sixth <keyword id="6356021" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="movie" source="Orion">movie</keyword>.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Will Jack Sparrow return?" comment="subhead" text="Will Jack Sparrow return?"><span data-til="noop">Will Jack Sparrow return?</span></cmsannotation><br />However, <keyword id="21093022" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jerry-Bruckheimer" source="keywords">Jerry Bruckheimer</keyword>, producer of all five previous Pirates of the Caribbean films, has conveyed eagerness to bring the actor back to the franchise.<br /><br />"It's a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it," Bruckheimer told Entertainment Weekly. "I love him. He's a good friend. He's an amazing artist and he's a unique look. He created Captain Jack”.<br /><br />Even if Johnny Depp returns to his prodigious role, it is unlikely that the upcoming two movies will feature him as the lead. Bruckheimer has insinuated that a Margot Robbie-centered Pirates movie will likely receive production priority, perhaps due to the billion-dollar success of the recent Barbie movie. A script is being developed for the other reboot movie, with <keyword id="3004349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dead-men-tell-no-tales" source="Orion">Dead Men Tell No Tales</keyword> writer <keyword id="21744886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jeff-Nathanson" source="keywords">Jeff Nathanson</keyword> at the helm.<br /><br />"I think he's cracked it," Bruckheimer remarked on Nathanson’s script so far. "He's got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we'll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.”<br /><br />As the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise sails into uncharted waters, fans can only speculate on what the future holds. However, with talents like <keyword id="19956077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Margot-Robbie" source="keywords">Margot Robbie</keyword> potentially steering the ship and Jeff Nathanson's promising script developments, the franchise is poised for an exciting evolution. One thing is certain: the spirit of Captain Jack will forever be a guiding star on the horizon of pirate adventures.<br />

New Pirates of the Caribbean movies unlikely to feature Johnny Depp as lead

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="46161" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Disney">Disney</keyword> is moving forward with its sequel to the 2019 remake of "<keyword id="80260" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Lion-King">The Lion King</keyword>."</li><li>Oscar-winning "Moonlight" writer and director <keyword id="3727319" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barry-Jenkins">Barry Jenkins</keyword> is set to direct the <keyword id="6356021" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movie">movie</keyword>, <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/09/the-lion-king-sequel-barry-jenkins-moonlight-director-disney-1234586787/">according to a new report from Deadline.</a></li><li>Deadline also reports that this sequel's plot "will further explore the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa’s origin story."</li><li>The 2019 remake of "The Lion King" <a href="https://www.insider.com/highest-grossing-movies-box-office-2017-1">grossed $1.6 billion</a> at the box office worldwide. </li></ul><p>Disney's planned sequel for the "live-action" animated version of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/the-lion-king">"The Lion King"</a> is moving forward with Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins at the helm, <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/09/the-lion-king-sequel-barry-jenkins-moonlight-director-disney-1234586787/">according to a new report from Deadline.</a></p><p>Jenkins, who wrote and directed the 2016 best picture winner "Moonlight," will direct the sequel. The first-remake's screenwriter Jeff Nathanson is returning to write the new movie, as well. Deadline's Mike Fleming Jr. reports that "the story will further explore the mythology of the characters, including Mufasa's origin story."</p><p>In a statement to Variety, Jenkins <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/lion-king-sequel-director-barry-jenkins-1234786355/">said he grew up with "The Lion King" characters</a> in the '90s. </p><p>"Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true," <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/lion-king-sequel-director-barry-jenkins-1234786355/">Jenkins said</a>.</p><p>"The Lion King" remake grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide at the box office last year, continuing the trend of Disney's success with reboots of its hit animated films.</p><p>You can see <a href="https://www.insider.com/highest-grossing-movies-box-office-2017-1">all the Disney remakes which have made over $1 billion in our list here</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Barry Jenkins golden globes" height="1257" width="1676" msid="78391424" hostid="261"></div><p>Back in 1998, Disney released a direct-to-video animated sequel to "The Lion King" called "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride." While the original film was a take on Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the sequel drew inspiration from "Romeo and Juliet," centering around Simba's daughter Kiara falling in love with Kovu, a young male lion from a different pride.</p><p>Based on Deadline's reports, it seems as though this new "Lion King" sequel won't follow the same narrative as the 1994 sequel, but instead look back into the past of the main characters. </p><p>Jenkins followed up his 2016 Oscar-win for "Moonlight" with the 2018 film "If Beale Street Could Talk," which landed him another Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay. Regina King won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in the film.</p><p>This year, Jenkins wrapped production on an Amazon TV series, "The Underground Railroad," which he adapted from Colson Whitehead's novel of the same name. Jenkins wrote and directed the full series. </p><p>There's no news yet about the potential release date for Disney's sequel to "The Lion King."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/lion-king-remake-versus-original-photos-2019-7">How 18 key moments in the 'Lion King' remake compare to the original movie</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/references-in-the-lion-king-movie-2019-7">10 clever references in the original 'The Lion King' you may have missed as a kid</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/disney-live-action-remakes-2017-2">Disney has 21 live-action movies of its animated classics planned — here they all are</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/why-the-lion-king-animals-dont-show-emotions-emote-2020-1">The 'Lion King' VFX team explain and defend why the animals in the remake don't show emotion: 'It shouldn't feel cartoony'</a></li></ul>

A new 'Lion King' sequel is officially in the works with Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b02f9209ec86725008b4bd4-1892/gettyimages-456876576.jpg" border="0" alt="Evan Spiegel" data-mce-source="Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair" data-mce-caption="Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel." /><p class="source"><span>Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair</span></p><p class="caption">Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/snap-stock">Snap</a> bear Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson is slightly less bearish on the stock.</strong></li><li><strong>Snap's rollback of its app redesign, upgraded advertising platform, Android app bug fix, and layoffs are the main factors contributing to Nathanson's upgrade from "sell" to "neutral."</strong></li><li><strong>Still, Nathanson remains cautious on Snap. </strong></li><li><strong><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/snap-stock">Watch Snap trade in real time here.</a></strong></li></ul><hr /><p><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/snap-stock">Snap</a>'s biggest bear on Wall Street is slightly less pessimistic on the stock. </p><p>Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson upgraded Snap from "sell" to "neutral" and raised his price target to $9 from $7. At his previous target, no other analyst on Wall Street was more bearish on the company.  </p><p>While Nathanson says the stock is still "crazy expensive," he believes "several factors could potentially improve Snap's situation throughout the year." Those factors, he said, are Snap's rolling back of the app redesign, completion of its programmatic advertising platform, cleaning up of the Android version of the app, and its new organizational structure. </p><ul><li><strong>The rollback of the redesign</strong> is happening. In the wake of the Snapchat redesign, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/snap-responds-to-changeorg-petition-to-remove-snapchat-update-2018-2">more than 1 million users signed a petition on Change.org in protest</a>, and several celebrity influencers, including <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-jenner-death-of-snapchat-tweet-2018-2">Kylie Jenner</a> voiced their displeasure with the new format. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-reports-q1-2018-earnings-2018-5">Snap's first-quarter earnings were a disaster</a>, and showed that the redesign bore much of the responsibility for user numbers missing expectations. But management has been quick to recognize the perceived need to revert to the prior app layout. "Perhaps Snap woke up to reality when it saw its financial results," Nathanson wrote. Snap will move friend stories back to the right side of the app, and list friend contacts in order of most recent communication. Nathanson said both moves "address the two key complaints from our focus groups." </li><li><strong>Snap is almost done completing its programmatic ad platform. </strong>Snap previously had its sales team sign advertisers up one by one. That's old fashioned, and Nathanson said, "The model was hardly scalable." With the programmatic self-serve ad platform, the process is more efficient. "With this new ad model, Snap could tap into the long tail of small businesses, a valuable group of businesses that have fueled Alphabet and Facebook to market dominance," Nathanson wrote. </li><li><strong>Snap is fixing its Android app bug. </strong>Snap was originally built for IOS, so Android software had trouble supporting updates and crashes were frequent. But management is finally fixing the issue. "In third-quarter 2018, Snap plans to release a completely rebuilt Android app," Nathanson said. If the bug is fixed, Android users will spend much more time on the platform, which will boost ad impressions and touches and in turn boost revenue. </li><li><strong>Snap is trimming its employee headcount. </strong>Snap needed more horsepower to fix the Android bug, complete the new ad platform, and tinker with the app layout. Now, those projects are almost complete. <span style="color: #222222;">Cutting the company head count cuts costs, but it also reflects that the company is ready for a more calculated approach to achieving growth.</span> "Snap's decision to re<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #222222;">in in costs despite faltering growth highlights a more measured approach to scaling the business," Nathanson said. </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #222222;">"</span></span>While 2017 was a year of investment, 2018 is starting off more disciplined with revenue growth exceeding expense growth for the first time in first-quarter 2018." </li></ul><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b02f5e11ae66230008b4981-699/screen shot 2018-05-21 at 123729 pm.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2018 05 21 at 12.37.29 PM" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" data-mce-source="MoffettNathanson" /><p class="source"><span>MoffettNathanson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Let's remember, Nathanson is still a bear on Snap, and the company still has a long way to go before it reaches significant profitability. "We do anticipate a rough second-quarter 2018 and are cautious on results for the rest of the year," Nathanson wrote. "We are happy to lock in the gains from our original Sell call on 3/16/17 and watch how things unfold from the sidelines."</p><p>Snap is down 28% this year. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/snap-stock"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b02f6a61ae6621b008b49c2-954/screen shot 2018-05-21 at 124036 pm.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2018 05 21 at 12.40.36 PM" data-mce-source="Markets Insider" /></a><p class="source"><span>Markets Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-breaking-up-regulating-amazon-2018-4">Jeff Bezos on breaking up and regulating Amazon</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/0rS7JYdq-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Snap's biggest bear says it's still 'crazy expensive' but breaks down why he's upgrading the stock

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56969b73c08a80bd448b56bb-933-700/hoc.jpg" alt="house of cards" data-mce-source="Netflix" /><p class="source"><span>Netflix</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>In the war for eyeballs, Netflix is taking a big chunk of viewership from the major networks, a new study shows.</p><p><span> Michael Nathanson, an analyst for research firm MoffettNathanson, conducted a study of viewing habits of Netflix subscribers in the United States, <a href="http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/netflix-tv-ratings-decline-2015-1201721672/" target="_blank">Variety</a> reports. </span></p><p><span>Based on an estimated 20 billion hours of streamed video from subscribers in 2015, he found that Netflix is responsible for half of the drop in TV viewing in America. There was a 3% total drop in TV viewing last year, and Netflix's stake amounts to about 1.5% of that.</span></p><p><span>What's perhaps most surprising is that the study found that the major networks - ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox - are losing way more viewership to the streaming video giant than their cable counterparts. In homes with Netflix, for instance, CBS viewing was 42% lower than homes without the streaming service. ABC and NBC were down 32% and 27%, respectively, versus non-Netflix homes. That's pretty big.</span></p><p><span>In contrast, Viacom networks - such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and VH1 - were down just 5% in Netflix homes. And Disney actually went up 11%. Nathanson believes this may mean younger viewers are switching back and forth between Netflix and regular TV more than other age groups.</span></p><p><span>Not all networks are suffering in the same way, though. Some</span><span> networks actually saw an increase in total viewing, including<span> Time Warner, such as HBO and TNT; Scripps Networks Interactive, including Food Network and Cooking Channel; AMC Networks, such as AMC and IFC; and Discovery Communications, including TLC and  Animal Planet.</span></span></p><p><span><span>Traditional TV networks have not been quick to embrace streaming.</span></span><span><span> Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said last November that the company was thinking about <a href="http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/time-warner-svod-windows-gotham-syndication-sales-1201633291/" target="_blank">delaying releases of its shows</a> to streaming in order to curb some viewership loss.</span></span></p><p><span><span>And during the Television Critics Association press tour in January, one NBC ratings executive presented numbers he believed represented Netlflix's ratings. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-and-amazon-show-ratings-released-by-nbc-2016-1" target="_blank">He then said</a>, "<span>I don't believe there's enough stuff on Netflix that is broad enough and is consistent enough to affect us in a meaningful way on a regular basis."</span></span></span></p><p><span><span><span>This new study shows that NBC probably shouldn't underestimate Netflix.</span></span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-account-multiple-users-2016-1">How to see if someone is mooching off your Netflix account</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="hyaGJkMDE6JmPz9bIZzn4F7tsmDwCtOu" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'hyaGJkMDE6JmPz9bIZzn4F7tsmDwCtOu',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Netflix caused a big drop in TV viewing in 2015, according to a new study

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b3135821ae66240008b484d-2400/gettyimages-629849300.jpg" border="0" alt="Jeff Bezos" data-mce-source="Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images"><p class="source"><span>Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>As the <keyword id="6354777" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Media">media</keyword> industry goes through a massive realignment driven by multiple mergers, Amazon looms in the background.</strong><span></span></li><li><strong>Some industry insiders see Amazon staying away from any acquisitions, as the company looks to avoid getting saddled with declining businesses.</strong></li><li><strong>Yet others see a perfect opportunity for the e-commerce giant to pounce and grab up a media asset that could help bolster Prime Video in its quest to take on Netflix.</strong></li><li><strong>Amazon's Prime service is now the No. 3 video-streaming service behind Netflix and YouTube. A recent survey, however, found that only one in three Prime members actually used it.</strong></li></ul><hr><p>As the media industry plays a prolonged game of merger musical chairs, it seems wise to ask: What would Bezos do?</p><p>While many of the ongoing or proposed deals - whether AT&amp;T-Time Warner or <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/shari-redstone-weighs-options-merge-cbs-viacom-sell-go-shopping-1117498">CBS-Viacom</a> - are driven by media companies' need to get bigger to defend against tech giants like Netflix and Facebook, Amazon's looming hangs over every discussion.</p><p>Amazon's Prime service is already the No. 3 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/viewers-watch-movies-on-amazon-tv-shows-on-hulu-originals-on-netflix-2018-1">video-streaming service behind Netflix and YouTube</a>. And Amazon seems to loom large over just about every industry, with businesses as varied as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-news-amazon-healthcare-risk-reminder-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">healthcare</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-just-handed-corporate-america-a-50-billion-question-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grocery stores</a> taking large hits to their stock price from the mere prospect of Amazon disruption.</p><p>But does Amazon want in on any media deals? Does it need a big media platform to pump up use of its Prime Video service (a recent survey found that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-video-gaining-viewers-but-still-lacks-awareness-versus-netflix-2018-5">only one in three Prime members actually used it</a>) or to ramp up its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-to-give-facebook-google-run-for-their-money-in-advertising-2018-7">advertising aspirations?</a></p><p>Or is Amazon better off hanging back and letting legacy media players grapple with legacy issues while it focuses on multi-industry domination?</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/590b77ad2ceae9512a8b4ece-980/amazon-prime.jpg" border="0" alt="Amazon Prime" data-mce-source="Amazon"><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>We talked to media experts, and they were torn. Some said Amazon should steer clear of big-ticket deals and stick to bidding for sports rights. Others said it could bid for CBS or a movie studio like <a href="https://www.mgm.com/#/our-titles">MGM</a>.</p><p>And looming large over Amazon and any moves it may make is the Trump White House.</p><p>Here's what people are saying about Amazon's next move in media:</p><h2>The 'Stay the Hell Away' theory</h2><p>Broadcast and cable-TV companies are in secular decline. Comcast shed 140,000 cable-TV subscribers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comcast-earnings-beat-sheds-140000-cable-tv-subscribers-2018-7">in the second quarter alone</a>. The companies' businesses are being thoroughly disrupted by Silicon Valley.</p><p>So, many media insiders ask, why would Amazon want to mess with expensive companies and start managing decline?</p><p>"Why would Amazon want broadcast networks tied to [getting paid by carriers] or cable networks that require linear distribution? It makes zero sense,"said Rich Greenfield, a media and tech analyst at BTIG.</p><p>Greenfield said Amazon would just pay for shows, movies, and sports rights, something that would be much cheaper than making acquisitions.</p><p>"They will buy nobody," he said. "Who wants to be tied to a legacy ecosystem?"</p><h2>But could Amazon buy CBS? Could anyone?</h2><p>On the flip side, there are a lot of deals to be had out there. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/26/acquiring-cbs-would-be-a-logical-way-for-amazon-to-win-thestreaming.html">CNBC reported in June</a> that the industry analyst Michael Nathanson had written a note suggesting that Amazon should snatch up CBS.</p><p>Of course, the future of CBS is highly uncertain. As the company explores a merger with Viacom, leadership of the two companies are locked in a bitter legal battle, with <a href="https://www.recode.net/2018/5/29/17405580/shari-redstone-endgame-cbs-viacom-complaint-merger-sale-verizon">CBS' controlling owner, the media mogul Shari Redstone, looking to combine the two companies and push out CBS' CEO, Les Moonves</a>.</p><p>On Friday, CBS was rocked by a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/08/06/les-moonves-and-cbs-face-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct">bombshell story in The New Yorker</a> detailing multiple women's accusations of unwanted sexual advances by Moonves spanning decades. CBS' board is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/29/business/cbs-les-moonves.html">said to be weighing whether it should dismiss Moonves</a>.</p><p>All this drama could inhibit sales talks - or, theoretically, accelerate them if Redstone can assume control quickly.</p><p>CBS could give Amazon access to a content studio, letting it make "Star Trek" series that it could distribute globally and possibly use to bring lots more folks to Prime. Maybe there's a way for Amazon to use CBS' mainstream shows to get more Americans shopping and streaming through its ecosystem.</p><p>It could use CBS' direct-to-consumer subscription play, CBS All Access, as a testing hub for getting more people streaming other CBS shows, locking them in to the Prime ecosystem.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58f65552f40dae20008b53a5-2000/ncis%20new%20orleands%20renewals%20cbs.jpg" border="0" alt="NCIS New Orleands renewals cbs" data-mce-source="Patti Perret/CBS" data-mce-caption="Scott Bakula on &amp;quotNCIS: New Orleans.&quot;"><p class="source"><span>Patti Perret/CBS</span></p><p class="caption">Scott Bakula on "NCIS: New Orleans."</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>Or it could give Amazon tons of headaches, such as owning TV stations that are declining in value, not to mention a news organization it may not want to touch, the ad-industry veteran Jay Sampson said.</p><p>"At $22 billion plus a premium?" he said, referring to CBS' $22 billion market cap before any Viacom deal happens.</p><p>"I don't see what they'd be getting that's terribly strategic."</p><p>If anything would be compelling about CBS, Sampson said, it would be live sports like CBS' NFL deal. But Amazon - which has nonexclusive rights to Thursday-night NFL games - could just wait until the next huge sports-rights package is up for grabs.</p><h2>Should Amazon just buy its way into sports?</h2><p>It's not easy to figure out which media play Amazon may make because the company rarely telegraphs its intentions. Did anyone see the Twitch acquisition coming a few years ago?</p><p>"It's hard to tell. These guys are nonlinear thinkers," the media consultant Bernie Gershon said. "Who thought they would buy Whole Foods?</p><p>"If anything, I think Amazon will make a play for more sports rights when they come up rather than buying a legacy media company."</p><p>Amazon has already snatched up some rights to stream the NFL and the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/amazon-premier-league-tv-rights-201920-season-sky-sports-bt-sport-a8387451.html">English Premier League</a>. A quick way Amazon could get much deeper into sports is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-must-sell-regional-sports-networks-if-it-buys-fox-2018-7">by snatching up 21st Century Fox's regional sports networks, which Disney must sell as part of its agreement to buy major Fox assets</a>.</p><p>But those networks - while highly lucrative - are tied to an eroding pay-TV model, at least for now. Would Amazon want to buy them and then unbundle them? Or leave as is?</p><h2>Remember, Amazon did buy Twitch</h2><p>Elgin Thompson, a managing director at Digital Capital Advisors, which specializes in mergers and acquisitions, sees perhaps a surprising synergy between sports and Amazon's video game livestreaming service, Twitch.</p><p>Simply put, livestreaming is a great way to market Amazon shopping.</p><p>"<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazons-970-million-purchase-of-twitch-makes-so-much-sense-now-its-all-about-the-cloud-2016-3">Amazon acquired Twitch</a> for $1 billion not because of an innate love for online gaming but to reach the massive and growing eSports audience," he said (the price was $970 million in 2014). "That time spent can also be used to serve ads for Amazon products."</p><p>Plus, tons of gamers spend time playing massively popular sports-themed games (think the "Madden" or "FIFA" series). So there could be natural ties to exploit, he said.</p><h2>Why not just buy a studio?</h2><p>There is lots of support for this idea in media circles. Amazon is putting lots of money into making its own shows. But it could use an instant library of shows and movies. One name that was frequently mentioned was <a href="https://www.mgm.com/#/our-titles">MGM</a>, which produces the James Bond franchise.</p><p>Indeed, while distribution and consumption are being disrupted in media, content is still vital.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55df5d3a9dd7cc1d008b6753-713/daniel-craig.jpg" border="0" alt="daniel craig" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="Casino Royale/MGM and Sony/Screenshot"><p class="source"><span>Casino Royale/MGM and Sony/Screenshot</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>"What Amazon might pursue to win out over Netflix, etc., is an accelerated strategy for owned content," said Alex DeGroote, the owner of DeGroote Consulting, which focuses on media and tech companies.<p>"Amazon Studios to date has been largely organic or self-funded. There is an argument for having a central, scaled studios hub, in the way that Whole Foods has added a bricks-and-mortar hub to the e-commerce retail strategy."</p><h2>Then there's the Trump factor</h2><p>It's fun to speculate what should or shouldn't be done with CEO Jeff Bezos' checkbook. But even if Amazon has the perfect strategic rationale and the wherewithal to make a big deal, there's one factor that could muck up the whole thing: The Donald.</p><p>President <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/01/opinion/disney-fox-deal.html">Donald Trump's administration seems to like certain mergers</a> (Fox-Disney) and not others (<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/12/justice-department-will-appeal-time-warner-att-merger-approval-dow-j.html">AT&amp;T-Time Warner</a>).</p><p>And he's also overall not wild about Amazon and Bezos.</p><p>In truth, Trump is a wild card in any media deal.</p><p>For example, Sampson argued that Amazon should grab up Comcast, for its crucial broadband connection into millions of potential Prime homes. But "I don't think Bezos would want the scrutiny," he said, considering that Comcast owns NBC News. "He took The Washington Post private for a reason."</p><p>"The reality in all of this is the White House," Thompson said. "Anything Amazon does will be initially blocked for obvious, personal reasons. Hopefully the court of law remains impartial and adjudicates transactions on the merits. But these are unprecedented times."</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Amazon Washington Post has gone crazy against me ever since they lost the Internet Tax Case in the U.S. Supreme Court two months ago. Next up is the U.S. Post Office which they use, at a fraction of real cost, as their "delivery boy" for a BIG percentage of their packages....</p>- Donald J. Trump  (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1021384752136409088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/manage-your-boss-navy-seal-work-strategy-2018-6">Why you hold your boss accountable, according to a Navy SEAL</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/DH90whX1-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div></hr>

'Who thought they would buy Whole Foods?': Industry insiders see Amazon as the ultimate wild card in the media merger wars

<p class="p1"><div class="image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="Disney" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5230e725ecad04b11684f3ee-960/pirates-of-the-caribbean-3.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5230e725ecad04b11684f3ee-1051-525/pirates-of-the-caribbean-3.jpg?maxX=800" border="0" alt="pirates of the caribbean " width="800" /></a><p class="source on-image"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PiratesoftheCaribbean">Disney</a></p></div></div>We've been hearing about "<keyword id="14709" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pirates-of-the-Caribbean">Pirates of the Caribbean</keyword> 5" for some time. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Last month, news broke the fifth film in the long-running <keyword id="10419" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Johnny-Depp">Johnny Depp</keyword> franchise would be titled "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-title-name-2013-8">Dead Men Tell No Tales</a>."<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Earlier this week, <keyword id="46161" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Disney">Disney</keyword> announced it would <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pirates-caribbean-5-delayed-beyond-625570" target="_blank">delay the upcoming sequel from July 10, 2015 to summer 2016</a>. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">This news came shortly after Disney and Marvel announced its upcoming "Ant-Man" feature was <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2013/09/ant-man-new-release-date-july-31-2015/">moving up from November 2015 to July 31, 2015</a>.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Afterward, Walt Disney Studios sent out an update saying the film won't necessarily be coming out in 2016 saying the release is "<a href="http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/09/10/pirates-of-the-caribbean-5-delayed/" target="_blank">unset</a>."<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> In other words, Disney doesn't know when they'll be releasing the sequel.</span></p>
<p class="p1">What's going on?<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Producer Jerry Bruckheimer told The Hollywood Reporter the <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/pirates-caribbean-5-delayed-beyond-625570" target="_blank">film was pushed back because the script isn't finished</a>. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Apparently, the film currently exists only as a "well-received outline" and screenwriter Jeff Nathanson is currently working on a second script. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">THR reports that a studio source claimed the original script "was too expensive" and "complicated and hard to follow."<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Originally production on the film was set to start in March of next year.</p>
<p class="p1"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">THR says that the delay will most likely cause the budget of the fifth film to top $200 million.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52313aefeab8eace3ea48e6f-960/pirates-of-the-caribbean-johnny-depp.jpg"><span class="click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52313aefeab8eace3ea48e6f-666-499/pirates-of-the-caribbean-johnny-depp.jpg" border="0" alt="pirates of the caribbean johnny depp" width="480" style="float: right;" /></a><p class="source"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PiratesoftheCaribbean">Disney</a></p></div></div>2007's third installment "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is by far the most expensive film ever made at a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-expensive-movies-ever-made-2012-12?#1-pirates-of-the-caribbean-at-worlds-end-2007-3345-million-25" target="_blank">costly $300 million</a>. </p>
<p class="p1">There's nothing odd with release dates for films getting moved around. This happens all the time, especially with ones set to debut so far in the future. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">However, given a recent release, the story sounds eerily familiar. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Earlier this year, Bruckheimer and Depp's long-awaited "Lone Ranger" Western <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/despicable-me-2-wrecks-the-lone-ranger-2013-7">flopped at theaters</a> after <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-lone-ranger-the-end-is-the-best-2013-7">multiple delays</a>, a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-lone-ranger-looks-like-it-bomb-2013-7">poor marketing campaign</a>, and <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lone-ranger-budget-johnny-depp-336526?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=heatvisionblog">rising costs to the film</a> put the estimated budget of the film north of $215 million.</p>
<p class="p2"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">After debuting to a weak </span><a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=loneranger.htm">$29 million three-day opening weekend</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> (less than 2012's "</span><a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=johncarterofmars.htm">John Carter</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">" bomb), Disney announced during its Q3 earnings call it predicts a </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-lone-ranger-could-lose-160-190-million-2013-8">$160-$190 million write down on the film</a><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Could "<keyword id="1865129" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Pirates-5">Pirates 5</keyword>" be in danger of going the same route as "The Lone Ranger"?<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Not necessarily.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">For one, Pirates is a very well-established brand for the Mouse House.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">All together, the four films in the series have earned <a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/search/?q=pirates%20caribbean" target="_blank">more than a combined $3.7 billion worldwide</a>.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Despite the "Lone Ranger" hiccup, 50-year-old Depp commands not only the successful "Pirates" franchise but also the "<a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=aliceinwonderland10.htm">Alice in Wonderland</a>" series which brought in more than $1 billion at the box office.<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">A <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2013/07/johnny-depp-finalizing-alice-in-wonderland-2/">sequel is currently in the works</a> for the film. <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Overall, Disney has a very solid schedule in place for the next few years between its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-new-star-wars-is-coming-in-2015-2012-10" target="_blank">future "Star Wars" films</a>, Marvel projects ranging from "The Avengers 2" to individual superhero stories, and it's successful Pixar <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword>.</p>

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