Get the latest gossip
NBCUniversal Shakeup Ends a Turf War and Puts Donna Langley in the Driver’s Seat
NBCUniversal's leadership shuffle has ended an almost two-year turf war between powerful executives.
While Langley had dominion over all production operations, Lazarus kept oversight of NBC programming and NBCU’s most valuable cable asset in the streaming era: Bravo, thanks to its sticky brand of unscripted hits including the “The Real Housewives,” “Top Chef” and “Below Deck” franchises. She had technically reported to two bosses as she helped NBC schedule its “Chicago” dramas and Bravo serve up its “Housewives” tea – and even stronger stuff at the popular Bravocon in-person fan conventions that have become a lucrative venture for NBCU of late. Langley played a yearslong waiting game to arrive at her position of power – a rare seat of autonomy for a woman at the studio level – and earned her oats by producing blockbuster film franchises and luring star talent including the top filmmaker of his generation, Christopher Nolan, who is sticking around to make his next movie after bringing Universal a best picture Oscar and a nearly $1 billion in global box office haul for 2023’s “Oppenheimer.” She’s also held in the highest regard by the directors and producers she shepherds from development to the screen and, increasingly, to streaming “bridge content” based on IP like “Jurassic World” and “Fast and Furious.”
Or read this on Variety
