Mornin! This is Sean McNulty and here’s the Hollywood + Media news to know on MONDAY June 13, 2022.
Where I actually have some news for once 🙋♂️ (it’s about time I start pulling my weight around here).
NEWS ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
The folks at THE ANKLER have kindly asked me to join their product, and after a tough negotiation over how many times I can use my favorite Colin Farrell gifin a given month… I’m excited to say that THE WAKEUP will be joining there starting tomorrow.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
If you already pay to subscribe to THE ANKLER - Nothing changes for you, in fact you probably know all this already courtesy of Janice Min’s note to you yesterday.
If you’re a freeloader to THE ANKLER - There will be instructions in tomorrow’s newsletter about signing up to get THE WAKEUP.
BUT:
If you don’t get THE ANKLER… or you’re like “Wtf is THE ANKLER??” -
FIRST - It’s a great newsletter product that I’ve linked to here quite a few times, launched by Richard Rushfield who writes their flagship newsletter all about the inner workings of Hollywood and its execs. It has grown to include other newsletters such as analysis from ENTERTAINMENT STRATEGY GUY and insider HOLLYWOOD scoops with their HOLLYWOOD TRANSOM newsletter.
SECOND - You’ll also get a special offer in tomorrow’s newsletter with instructions to sign up.
SO BASICALLY: More to come tomorrow and this week, just wanted to communicate that all to you today. And for any new readers - you can probably just skip to the Casey Kasem gif.
hopefully the panda helps soften the blow? via giphy
SEAN, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? I LOVE FREE THINGS!
Totally get it. I’ve seen your schwag closet. As some of my very first readers & friends know (and a big, BIG thanks to those key folks who helped me shape it in the pre-launch phase), I initially started THE WAKEUP to see “Is this a thing??”, without… any semblance of a real plan for it. Yes seriously.
And I love doing it - not too many people sit on earnings calls for fun 🥳 . Well maybe Rich Greenfield, although with the money he makes I’m sure he throws that in for free.
But while fun, THE WAKEUP takes several hours each day to put together. Being a #medianerd🤓 is a real time-suck. Who knew writing was like, a job?
AND: After 1.5 years of doing THE WAKEUP every weekday… the only way something like this becomes viable is either with Advertising (which I have 0 background in), or by making it a paid Subscription… which honestly I would have done myself at some point soon.
SO: As I probably wrote in your high school yearbook, it’s not the end of a journey but rather the start of a new one - and I really hope you’ll continue along with me!
“Jurassic World: Dominion” : $143 Million ($389 Million global)
Pretty much matched the last one (“Fallen Kingdom” did $148 Million in June 2018).
Kinda between “Top Gun” ($127 Mil) and “Doctor Strange” ($187 Mil) 3-day openings.
46% of ticket buyers were 18-34 year-olds.
IMAX was 8% of the total, which is basically their typical take on a movie.
But… 25% of Global tix were for 3-D screenings (13% of US gross) - it’s back!
$52 Million was from CHINA (tho remember UNI only keeps about $13 Million of that). Biggest US pic debut there this year by far… as “Top Gun” and “Doctor Strange” both are not being allowed to show there.
“Top Gun: Maverick” : $50 Million ($393 Million US, $747 Million global)
Still just a 44% drop, even more impressive when you factor in the loss of all higher-priced IMAX and Premium format screen $$ this weekend.
Will overtake “Doctor Strange” US total next weekend, already beat “The Batman” ($369 Million). But hey superhero movies had a nice run.
“Doctor Strange…” :$5 Million ($398 Million US, $930 Million global)
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” : $2.3 Million ($27 Million US)
The Bad Guys” : $2.3 Million ($95 Million US, $230 Million global)
“Downton Abbey: A New Era” : $1.6 Million ($40 Million US)
Has now hit it’s $40 Millionbudget with the US gross (minus rev shares with theaters).
Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans and Chris Messina all taking roles in the currently-shooting pic.
Matt’s playing NIKE exec Sonny Vaccaro who put the whole Air Jordan thing together… although apparently MichaelJordan won’t be seen in the movie as a character - he’ll only be talked about. huh.
Ben’s playing NIKE founder Phil Knight (still🤞 his hair style matches what HBO did with Knight in “Winning Time”) and directing.
Bateman is Vaccarro’s NIKE boss, Rob Strasser
Viola is playing Jordan’s mom Dolores
Tucker is playing an instrumental junior NIKE exec
Wayans is playing a college hoops coach at U OF IOWA, who brokered the Jordan-Vaccarro relationship
Messina is playing Jordan’s famous agent David Falk
Of note - former WB Pics head and rumored soon-to-be head of Matt & Ben’s new company Jeff Robinov is a producer on this too. /Deadline
She just did their upcoming “Pet Sematary” prequel, no word on her take although it’s been 23 years since the Johnny Depp movie produced by Scott Rudin so… certainly updatable. /Deadline
Games 1 thru 3 were doing about 11-12 Million each… although this is likely more due to being on Friday night when more people are watching out of home (the 8 Million doesn’t account for that yet).
Still this Finals matchup is gonna fall on the lower side of interest vs. other NBA Finals historically, despite being close so far (tied 2-2). Game 5 is tonight. /Deadline
ALSO IN TV
APPLE TV+ renews “Schmigadoon!” for a 2nd season. This one will be set in musicals from the 60’s & 70’s, and all cast are returning 🎶. /Deadline
That’s for a 5 year deal, starting with the next season in March 2023, and streaming rights only.
Although to note - this is very breaking news as of 830am, and some reports have SONY in the mix here (possibly they got the TV package?) so more to come tomorrow. This headline is from THR to note.
But more of note - current rights DISNEY+HOTSTAR doesn’t appear to be anywhere in the conversation.
Back to the $2.6 Billion - the service is called VIACOM 18 there, although PARAMOUNT GLOBAL only now has a smaller stake in the venture
INDIA media conglomerate RELIANCE is a big investor
As is James Murdoch… of those Murdochs (he’s the non #MAGA one), who put in a lot of money earlier this year with another guy with a lot of walkin around money, Uday Shankar.
DISNEY+ HOTSTAR (what DISNEY+ is called in INDIA, with 43+ Million subscribers) previously had the IPL rights for the past 5 years, both TV and Streaming for about half that price (about $500 Million a year), and has played a key role in the subscriber growth #s for DISNEY+.
The next IPL season isn’t until March thru May (in terms of popularity - it’s INDIA’s NFL), so DISNEY+ streaming numbers may not take an immediate hit… but certainly will come 2023:
The subscriber bump from the start of this year’s IPL season represented half of DISNEY+’s total gains in Q1.
Granted - it’s hard to justify the $500+ Million a year cost when DISNEY+HOTSTAR total annual revenues are in the $500 to $750 Million range, but either way… likely another big headache for Bob Chapek. Although at least this headache isn’t entirely self-inflicted.
The TV rights are still up for auction today and expected to get around $3 Billion, and there are also much lower cost overseas rights and some smaller carve out packages avail, so more to come tomorrow. /THR
FOR COMPARISON - IPL rights should total about $6 Billion for 5 years.
NFL rights ran about $50 Billion for US rights alone over 5 years in their most recent renewals.
Hits your inbox weekdays by 830a (ish) East Coast time
👩💻 NEW TO WATCH:
HBOMAX “The Card Counter” - Paul Schrader pic with Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish hit the service - STREAM HERE
ABC NBA Finals- Game 5 at 9p
🕵️♀️ THE WEEK AHEAD
TUE -“Halftime”JLo doc hits NETFLIX
WED - New Melissa McCarthy series “God’s Favorite Idiot”hits NETFLIX
NHL Stanley Cup begins, Colorado vs Tampa Bay
THU - “Father of the Bride” reboot hits HBOMAX
NBA Finals Game 6 on ABC
FRI - PIXAR is finally back in movie theaters with “Lightyear”
SAT -Golf’s US OPEN today and tomorrow
SUN - Father’s Day!
🎥 TRAILER HOUSE
No new trailers but a few good Michael Che on HOWARD STERN clips, talking about Chris Rock - the slap and Che’s relationship with him, and a “Half Viagra” SNL sketch that didn’t make the show that would totally kill.
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