The Scarlett Johansson cinematic universe

Hey there, Popculturology fans. Thanksgiving week is in the past, and the Friday newsletter is back with a ton of news — including the winner of the bidding war for Warner Bros. ...

Anyone pick up anything cool from the Black Friday sales last weekend? (We got a fancy device to clean our retainers/mouth guards ... because I’m 40 now.) I just missed out on the bidding to win the solution to the “Kryptos” statue at the CIA headquarters, but you all still have a chance to take advantage of The Omnicosm’s Black Friday (Cyber week? I dunno.) sale that takes 30 percent of the cost of an annual supporting subscription.

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Netflix on the verge of buying Warner Bros.

It’s not often news breaks after I’ve sent the weekly newsletter to bed on Thursday that requires me to crack it back open, but shortly after 11 p.m. last night, I saw the news that Netflix appeared to be winner of the bidding war for Warner Bros., beating out Paramount and Comcast.

There are still a lot details to be hammered out and regulatory hoops to jump through, but this deal will be a seismic shift in the media landscape.

The acquisition marks a dramatic strategic shift for Netflix, which has never done a deal of this scope. The streaming pioneer grew to become Hollywood’s most valuable company, without the benefit of a content library or studio, by licensing programs from others and then expanding into original content. Representatives for Warner and Netflix didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

With the purchase, Netflix becomes owner of the HBO network, along with its library of hit shows like The Sopranos and The White Lotus. Warner Bros. assets also include its sprawling studios in Burbank, California, along with a vast film and TV archive that includes Harry Potter and Friends.

According to Bloomberg, WBD will proceed with its “planned spinoff of cable channels including CNN, TBS and TNT” before closing out the deal with Netflix.

It felt like momentum had shifted in Netflix’s direction over the past few days, but it was hard to come around to the idea that anyone besides David Ellison’s Paramount — backed by his father’s historic wealth and the blessing of the current administration — would be the last company standing in the bidding war for Warner Bros. (Bloomberg)

“You’re gonna get in so much trouble for saying bugs”

After Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin recently visited Late Night to chat with Seth Meyers about Spider League and accuse former SNL cast member Brooks Wheelan of a multitude of league infractions, the comedian appeared on Late Night two weeks ago to defend his honor.

And it didn’t go well.

If Wheelan wasn’t already facing further consequences for calling spiders “bugs,” Wingstop — the actual restaurant chain — weighing in with a “FREE BROOKS” in a social media comment probably won’t go well with Spider League officials.

“Sources inside the Spider League offices say [Wheelan] may be facing another suspension for receiving unsanctioned support from a corporate account,” Meyers wrote in an Instagram story.

Robinson reposted Meyers’ story, with the added note: “Should an investigation reveal he received free or even discounted wings, a lifetime ban is not out of the question.”

• “We’re making so much money”: The Spider League phenomenon stretches across the Seth Meyers cinematic universe, with the topic even coming up on a recent episode of The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast. (The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast)

BOOK NOOK

Here’s what I’ve been reading this week …

• Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley (Jacob Silverman)
• The Merge (Grace Walker)

NEWS, NOTES & TRAILERS

Scarlett Johansson joins every movie franchise

We’ve reached the point where news that Scarlett Johansson has joined a franchise, sequel or reboot doesn’t feel like news anymore.

She was a foundational member of the MCU (and I fully believe we’ll see her return at some point in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars). She was one of the leads in Jurassic World Rebirth. She voiced a main character in Transformers One. Disney reportedly wants her to play Mother Gothel in the upcoming live-action remake of Tangled.

It makes sense that everyone wants to work with Johansson. Her movies have made more than $10 billion worldwide.

Over the past few weeks, Johansson is on the verge of adding two more franchises to that lengthy list of credits: DC Studios’ The Batman series and Mike Flanagan’s Exorcist reboot.

• The Batman sequel: While I’m still not sold that a sequel to director Matt Reeves’ The Batman is actually happening, the movie is reportedly still making moves, with Johansson in talks to join Robert Pattinson in an unknown role. Reeves has kept his plans for the sequel under wraps (all while DC Studios co-chief James Gunn occasionally tosses out that Pattinson might also be the DCU’s Batman), so it’s hard to even begin speculating who Johansson might be playing in the upcoming film. (Deadline)