🎬 AI's Licensing Lifeline

👋 Good morning! You know those famous (or infamous) Nicole Kidman ads that play before movies AMC Theaters? Well it looks like we have more meme-able content to look forward to: Nicole Kidman says she’ll “do whatever it takes” to save cinemas with more viral AMC ads, and she already has “some more ideas for the next one.”

Welcome aboard the Dailies. As you sip your morning brew, we’ll get you caught up with the fast-paced world of Hollywood - no need to chase down a newsstand, we’ve got everything you need right here.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• AI’s Licensing Lifeline

• European TV’s Boom

• Documentarians’ New Shield

• Last Looks: 👀 Bite-sized scoops on developing stories/projects

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

🤖📜 AI's Licensing Lifeline: As AI companies dance through a minefield of copyright battles, they’re considering licensing agreements as their lifeboat. Instead of waiting for long legal battles over the right to use copyrighted materials for AI training, they’re starting to pay for it up front. Examples include OpenAI securing a licensing deal with Getty Images, allowing legal use of their image library for AI training, and IBM's acquisition of The Weather Company and its data to train its AI systems. Recently, OpenAI’s CTO caused a bit of a stir online when she dodged questions about what data the company has used to train their new text-to-video software, Sora (see tweet below👇). This preemptive licensing approach could give AI developers the legal thumbs-up they’re looking for while the courts take their time deciding the rules of the game.

📺📈 European TV Defies Downturn, For Now: While the American TV industry is slowing down, Europe’s TV world is buzzing, with a record 873 new shows in 2022, up from 775 the year before. This news comes from the European Audiovisual Observatory, which shared its findings at the recent TV festival SeriesMania, noting a stark difference between the U.S. where the production of new series fell. This boom is driven by big spending by streaming services, totaling $5.3B on European shows as they try to grab more market space and follow European content rules. The growth is heavily skewed towards the U.K. and Spain. The report hints that the current high spending on European TV might decrease due to factors such as unsustainability of current spending levels, market saturation, regulatory changes, economic conditions, and the concentration of investment in specific countries.

🎥🛡️Documentarians’ New Shield: The PRESS Act: Back in January, Congress passed the PRESS Act, granting documentary filmmakers hefty protections against federal snooping. Originating as a shield for journalists, this act notably extends its armor to documentary creators. How? By clearly stating that unless it's about stopping terrorism or immediate violence, Uncle Sam can't compel filmmakers to hand over their precious outtakes or source info. With the House already on board, all eyes are now on the Senate to bring this cinematic safeguard home. While it's a win for free speech and artistic freedom, the road ahead in the Senate remains a cliffhanger.

Development 🗒️

• Bill Hader to star in Warner Bros.' ‘The Cat in the Hat’ animated film. (more)

• Netflix's ‘Quarterback’ team reunites for ‘Receiver,’ a new docuseries set to premiere in summer 2024. (more)

• Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman secure a two-picture deal with Warner Bros, planning to shoot the third 'Knives Out' film with Daniel Craig later this year. (more)

• Cate Blanchett narrates ‘Our Living World,’ a Netflix nature docuseries premiering Apr. 17. (more)

• Travis Kelce is in talks to host a celebrity version of 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?' on Amazon Prime Video. (more)

• David Chase and Terence Winter, the brains behind 'The Sopranos,' reunite for an untitled horror film at New Line, marking Chase's directorial debut in the genre. (more)

• Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Showalter team up for Amazon MGM's holiday comedy 'Oh. What. Fun.’ (more)

• Prime Video orders new MrBeast show, ‘Beast Games.’ (more)

• Jimmy Kimmel is producing ‘High Hopes,’ a Hulu series about two brothers managing a cannabis shop in Los Angeles. (more)

• Ilfenesh Hadera joins Denzel Washington in Spike Lee's Apple and A24 project ‘High And Low.’ (more)

• A live-action Popeye film is in development by Chernin Entertainment and King Features. (more)

• Storm Reid is set to star in 'Get Lite,' Teyana Taylor's directorial debut for Paramount. (more)

• NBC is developing a 'New Amsterdam' sequel. (more)

• Peacock orders ‘The Good Daughter,’ a limited series with Jessica Biel. (more)

• Jeffrey Wright joins Spike Lee’s ‘High and Low.’ (more)

✅ Renewed & Cancelled ❌

• ‘NCIS: Sydney’ is renewed for S2 at CBS and Paramount+ Australia. (more)

Business 🤝

• George Lucas endorses Bob Iger for Disney leadership amid a proxy battle. (more)

• Paramount+ introduces an ad-supported tier in Canada and Australia. (more)

• 'Pachinko' creator Soo Hugh secures a multi-year deal with Apple TV+ and Media Res. (more)

• CAA lays off 20 staffers across multiple departments. (more)

• Neon forms a financing partnership with Waypoint Entertainment to produce more mid-budget films. (more)

• ESPN secures a $7.8B extension with the College Football Playoff through 2031-32, adding ABC simulcast for the National Championship starting in 2026-27. (more)

• Blumhouse acquires a 10% stake in American Immersion Theater expanding its live events reach. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The Sundance Film Festival will take place Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 for its 2025 edition in Park City and Salt Lake City. (more)

• The BBFC plans to tighten age ratings for sex and nudity in films. (more)

• Lego apologizes for using AI-generated art in a Ninjago-themed quiz. (more)

• ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ becomes the most watched music film ever on Disney+ With 4.6M views. (more)

• YouTube introduces an honor-code based requirement for creators to label videos with 'realistic' AI-generated content. (more)