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HOW TRUMP'S "51ST STATE" JIBES MADE CULTURE & MEDIA KEY BATTLEGROUNDS FOR CANADA'S FUTURE

liberals appear set for a majority in upcoming national elections thanks to a surge of patriotism born out of trump's goading

Canada goes to the polls on April 28, and when its TV production community hits the voting booths, they’ll be doing so with a sense of renewed optimism. That’s all down to an unexpected source: Donald Trump.

A few months ago, Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre was expecting a big majority win, maybe even a landslide, as favor turned against Justin Trudeau and his left-leaning Liberals. Poilievre had made clear he would enact wide-scale change at the CBC and target other cultural institutions that didn’t fit with his Trump-lite version of right-wing politics. Voters broadly seemed to like it.

Now, with less than two weeks until voting, it is the Liberals that appear set for a majority, thanks to a surge of patriotism born out of President Trump’s goading of the U.S.’ northern neighbor and his plans to turn it into the “51st state.” The Conservative lead has crumbled and even Trump himself seems to have accepted Mark Carney as his Canadian counterpart, recently saying a Liberal leader would be “easier to deal with.”

Usually, culture and media play a very small part in deciding how elections are won. However, sources across the Canadian production sector tell Deadline that Conservative threats to tear up cultural institutions just as Trump aggressively seeks to recalibrate America’s relationship with Canada (whether through tariffs or other actions) led to culture becoming a real battleground. >>>CBC/Radio-Canada Debate

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Deadline Exclusives & Originals

"There Can Be Only One" - As they say in the Highlander franchise, “There can be only one,” and in the case of the latest reimagining’s new home, that one is Amazon MGM Studios’ studio United Artists. Sources tell Deadline that United Artists and Scott Stuber are in final negotiations to secure rights to a new version of Highlander, based on the 1980s cult classic. >>> Henry Cavill To Star

Pete Davidson Learns 'How To Rob A Bank' - Pete Davidson is in negotiations to co-star opposite Nicholas Hoult in Amazon MGM Studios’ How to Rob a Bank, from director David Leitch, Imagine Entertainment and 87North Productions. >>>A-List Ensemble Expected

Contenders Television: Documentary, Unscripted & Variety Lineup Set - Deadline has finalized the lineup for Contenders Television: Documentary, Unscripted and Variety, its awards-season showcase taking place Saturday, April 26. Participants include Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, Kelsea Ballerini and Saturday Night Live duo Ego Nwodim and Mikey Day. >>>15 Titles

The Deadline Q&A

Angela Bassett & Tim Minear Dissect ‘9-1-1’ Shocker & Its Fallout And Explain Why [Spoiler] Had To Die

In an interview with Deadline, 9-1-1 executive producer/showrunner Tim Minear explained the decision to kill off the beloved character, and what it would mean for the long-running drama, which has been renewed for a ninth season. He addressed the online leaks from the shoot and teased upcoming 9-1-1 cast addition(s). 9-1-1 co-lead/executive producer Angela Bassett, who plays LAPD Sargent Athena Grant, spoke of her shock after learning of the character's fate. >>>Read The Interview

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QUOTABLE

"It came to take this industry for granted" - Ben Affleck on the State of California and its less-than-competitive tax incentives for film and TV production

Renewals, Cancellations & Pickups

‘Pacific Rim’ Live-Action Series From Eric Heisserer & Legendary Set At Amazon

‘America’s Culinary Cup’ From Padma Lakshmi & Susan Rovner Lands Greenlight At CBS

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Casting About

Joel Kinnaman is the latest to join the cast of Imperfect Women, Apple’s limited series based on Araminta Hall’s novel, starring and executive produced by Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington. Kate Mara also stars in the series adaptation, penned by Annie Weisman.

Piper Perabo has been tapped for a recurring role on Grey’s Anatomy in Season 21, Deadline has confirmed. Perabo will appear in a multi-episode arc portraying Jenna Gatlin, a fierce mother to her 9-year-old, Dylan.

Development

Exclusive
Canada’s Bell Media & Fox Entertainment Global Developing Emily VanCamp Series ‘Prejudice’ About Sex Worker-Turned-Litigator

‘Clueless’ Series Starring Alicia Silverstone In Works At Peacock

Exclusive
Wendy Finerman, Jonathan E. Lim’s City Hill Arts Developing Medical Thriller ‘Chasing My Cure’

Exclusive
Fat Joe, Kenya Barris & Dominic Colón Developing ‘The Book Of Jose’ At Starz

BY THE NUMBERS

700 - Number of FAST channels from Samsung TV Plus, making it the top provider of such channels in the U.S.

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🎬 Glen Powell is teaming with filmmaker Judd Apatow on an untitled original comedy for Universal. Powell is writing the script with Apatow.

🖥️ Netflix’s Adolescence shot to the top of the Nielsen charts during the week of March 17 to March 23, when it racked up 1.44B minutes in its first full week on the streamer.

🗞️ An Associated Press print reporter is expected to have a spot in the White House pool by Sunday, following a court order to end Donald Trump‘s ban on the wire service for failing to conform to his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.

Hirings, Promotions & Exits

Lee Corso Retiring From ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ After 38 Years

Rudabeh Shahbazi Joins Pat Harvey As Co-Anchor Of CBS Los Angeles Newscasts; Sheba Turk Upped To Morning Anchor

Campfire Studios Hires Boardwalk Pictures Exec Andrew Bank, Promotes Allyson Holloway

On the Radar

Sat - NBA Playoffs tip off
Sun - Easter
Tue - Andor S2 premiere
Thu - Comcast earnings

Photo of the Day

A New Hope - As Star Wars Celebration kicked off in Japan, cast and filmmakers from multiple Star Wars projects posed outside Tokyo's Zojoji Temple. Inside the convention hall, highlights included director Shawn Levy and Ryan Gosling taking the stage to officially announce their much-anticipated new theatrical project, Star Wars: Starfighter.