🎬 A Ways to Go

👋 Good morning. IMAX executives told Benny Safdie it was impossible: shooting 16mm film and enlarging it for their giant screens would produce grain "the size of basketballs." For 'The Smashing Machine,' starring Dwayne Johnson, Safdie figured out how to reduce the grain and upres the footage to IMAX proportions with stunning results. In a new video with The Rock, he reveals how the film moves from VHS to 16mm to 65mm, with each format serving the story. File this one under "Hollywood’s ongoing film renaissance."

Welcome to The Dailies. Coffee in hand? Let's get you up to speed on the latest industry news. 👇

CLOSEUP
🤔 Remember Lionsgate’s big AI deal? About that…

Lionsgate grabbed headlines last year when it announced one of Hollywood's first major AI partnerships with startup Runway. The deal promised to use AI to create actual movies and shows, with the studio's library training the models. Execs talked a big game… remember when Lionsgate's Michael Burns claimed he could remake their action franchises into anime in just three hours?

Spoiler alert: A year later, it's turning out to be way harder than expected. Some early snags:

• The data problem: Lionsgate's 20,000+ title library sounds massive, but it's not nearly enough to train an effective AI model. One insider said even Disney's catalog would be too small. For context, Google's Veo 3 model pulls from YouTube's entire 20-year archive… that's the scale needed to generate convincing video. By the way, Google claims that’s all kosher thanks to YouTube's terms of service.

• The one-model trap: Studios are realizing no single AI model can do everything. One might nail facial expressions while another handles crowds or visual effects better. Lionsgate's bet on training a single custom model won't deliver the ambitious results they promised. Companies like Adobe Firefly and Arcana Labs are already aggregating multiple AI tools because that's what actually works.

• The legal mess: Then there's the copyright nightmare. Who actually owns the rights when an AI trains on Keanu Reeves' face from John Wick? Does he get a say? The actors, directors, and writers might all have claims. Plus, the U.S. Copyright Office says AI-generated content needs substantial human creative input to qualify for copyright protection. Without enough human involvement, studios could create something they can't fully own or protect.

Looking ahead… Studios are definitely dabbling with AI. Netflix already used it in 'The Eternaut,' and others are trying it for small production tasks. But there's clearly a long way to go before these exclusive partnerships deliver on their grander promises of AI-generated movies.

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CLOSEUP
🍺 Netflix pours itself a brand deal…

Netflix and AB InBev (the conglomerate behind Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona, and Michelob Ultra) just struck a first-of-its-kind global marketing partnership. Here's what they're doing:

• AB InBev brands become title sponsors of Netflix programming worldwide

• Beer brands will sponsor Netflix's live events push (NFL Christmas games, Women's World Cup, etc.)

• In-show integrations when contextually appropriate

• Custom packaging featuring Netflix IP (think collectible ‘Stranger Things’ six-packs)

Why this matters now: Brand deals aren’t new, but this scale is. Netflix's ad tier reaches 94M users across 12 markets. AB InBev sells beer basically everywhere on Earth. Together, they can run global campaigns with local flexibility—Michelob Ultra sponsors ‘Full Swing’ in America, Stella Artois pairs with ‘The Gentlemen’ in Europe, Corona activates in Latin America. It's also a major win for Netflix's two-year-old ad tier, bringing in exactly the kind of premium partner they need to prove the model works.

It’s perfect for Netflix’s push beyond the screen: The streamer’s opening Netflix House venues, launching Netflix Bites restaurants, creating physical spaces where fans can experience their IP. Now AB InBev products become yet another real-world touchpoint at Netflix events, experiences, and stores worldwide. As AB InBev's CMO puts it, they're shifting from "advertiser to experience provider."

STATISTIC
📈 Media companies spent $210B on content…

For years, industry watchers have asked if we've hit "peak content"—the point where there's simply too much TV and film for anyone to watch. But media companies just spent a record $210B on content in 2024, up 4% from 2023, according to new KPMG analysis. The big spenders:

• Comcast/NBCUniversal: $37B (flat from 2023)—still top dog

• YouTube: $32B—huge for a platform built on user videos

• Disney: $28B—juggling streaming, studios, and traditional TV

• Amazon: $20B—betting big on Thursday Night Football and Prime originals

• Netflix: $17B—spending less than rivals but squeezing more value per dollar

The creator economy is growing: Traditional studios and the creator economy are now competing in the same arena. YouTube's $32B represents ad revenue shared with millions of creators, not money spent on producing shows. Same "content spending" label, totally different game. (YouTube also spends on music licensing and NFL Sunday Ticket, but creator payouts dominate.)

What's really happening: Since 2020, these companies have increased spending by 10% yearly on average. But the money's moving: sports rights are soaring, scripted shows are shrinking, and creator content plus ad-supported streaming are the new growth engines. We're not hitting peak content, we're just spreading the money differently.

LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️

• Magnolia Pictures has acquired TIFF hit ‘Normal,’ with Bob Odenkirk starring, for a wide 2026 theatrical release. (more)

• Kenan Thompson’s Artists for Artists is developing ‘Macho,’ a biopic on wrestling legend “Macho Man” Randy Savage. (more)

• Marvin Jones III will play crime boss Tombstone in Marvel and Sony’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day,’ after voicing the villain in ‘Into the Spider-Verse.’ (more)

• David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman are set to reunite on A24’s road-trip drama ‘The Chaperones’ after starring together in ‘The Long Walk.’ (more)

• Nat Geo has acquired Tamara Kotevska’s Venice-winning doc ‘The Tale of Silyan,’ making it a top contender in this year’s Oscar race. (more)

• Matt Rife will star in and co-write ‘The Chasm,’ a Skydance Sports rock-climbing mockumentary comedy based on his original idea. (more)

TV Development 📺

• Jimmy Kimmel returned to ABC with ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!,’ though some Nexstar and Sinclair stations didn’t to air the show. (more)

• Fox has ordered a 12-episode ‘Baywatch’ reboot from Matt Nix and Fremantle. (more)

• Netflix has ordered Joshua Zetumer’s supernatural drama ‘Pagans’ straight to series after a massive bidding war. (more)

• Nicolas Cage, Matthew Goode, Ed Skrein, Alice Eve, Michael Sheen and Ben Kingsley lead Simon West’s WWII espionage thriller ‘Fortitude.’ (more)

• Melissa McCarthy will star in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of ‘Miss Nelson Is Missing,’ with Brad Copeland writing and Hello Sunshine producing. (more)

• MTV has canceled ‘Catfish: The TV Show’ after nine seasons, though producers are shopping the series to other outlets. (more)

• Amazon MGM is developing a private eye comedy starring Marshawn Lynch as himself, from ‘Dave’ and ‘Only Murders’ alum Max Searle. (more)

• Eoin Macken and Andrew Liner are exiting Netflix’s ‘Ransom Canyon’ as series regulars, with S2 now in production in New Mexico. (more)

Business 🤝

• Disney is hiking prices again in October, with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN plans rising by up to $3 per month. (more)

• Hallmark and Netflix have struck a multi-year deal to stream ‘The Way Home,’ plus a slate of Hallmark rom-coms and holiday movies. (more)

• MPRM has sued rival firm 42West, alleging it poached staff and clients in a hostile takeover attempt. (more)

• WGA West named Michele Mulroney president, with Travis Donnelly VP and Peter Murrieta secretary-treasurer. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Disney is set to replace union nurses at its Burbank studio lot with subcontracted staff, a move IATSE Local 80 decries as a “principled attack.” (more)

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