🎬 We Miss You, Mid-budget Movies 🥺

👋 Good morning! Ever dreamt of cinema-quality movies snugly fitted into your daily commute? With the release of the Apple Vision Pro, that dream just got real. But let’s not be that person, shall we? 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♀️

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:

• Box Office vs. Binge-Watch

• Apple’s Big-Budget Flop

• Super Bowl LVIII: Marketing Juggernaut

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, let’s take a look at what happened at the box office this past weekend!

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. 🕵️‍♂️ Argylle: Flops with $18M domestically in its debut, despite its $200M budget.

2. ✝️ The Chosen: S4 Episodes 1-3: Screened at over 2,300 locations, ‘The Chosen’ surprises with $6M+, showcasing strong demand for faith-based content.

3. 🐝 The Beekeeper: Stays strong with $5.3M, a total of $49.4M over four weeks, indicating a potential new franchise for MGM and Jason Statham.

4. 🍫 Wonka: Sweetens the pot with $4.7M, an 8-week domestic total of $201M.

5. 🦆 Migration: Brings in $4.1M, a steady performance with a 7-week domestic total of $106.1M for Universal.

6. 📚 Mean Girls: Stays fetch with $4M, despite a 42% fall, bringing its 4-week total to $66.4M for Paramount.

7. 🙅‍♂️ Anyone But You: Captures $3.5M, a 24% decrease, with a 7-week domestic total of $76.3M for Sony.

8. 📚 American Fiction: Breaks into the Top 10 with $2.3M, leveraging its Oscar nods to a $15M domestic haul, outperforming its modest budget.

9. 🐢 Poor Things: Gathers $2.1M from 1,950 screens, a 27% fall, with a 9-week cume of $28.2M domestically for Searchlight.

10. 🧜‍♂️ Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Grabs $2M, reaching a $423M global total.

🍿 Box Office vs. Binge-Watch 👨‍💻
Finding Balance Between Streaming & Theatrical

In an era where streaming platforms have become the de facto home for romantic comedies, the surprising box office success of ‘Anyone But You’ has thrown a wrench into the narrative. Starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell as unlikely lovers, this sleeper hit is rewriting the script on rom-coms, dragging them back from the streaming service abyss into the luminous glow of the silver screen.

For eons (or what feels like it in the digital age), rom-coms seem to have found their forever home on streaming platforms, where they've found a comfortable niche between old sitcoms and experimental indie flicks. These platforms offered a seemingly endless audience, driven by the convenience of home viewing. Enter ‘Anyone But You,’ twirling into theaters, challenging this trend and illustrating a palpable hunger for shared cinematic experiences that streaming can't replicate.

Streaming, the juggernaut that it is, has offered a stage for storytellers sans the red tape of traditional distribution. Yet, this convenience comes with a catch. Films released directly to streaming may miss out on the cultural impact and revenue potential that theatrical releases can generate. The communal laughter, tears, and gasps that define movie-going are absent in the solitude of streaming, diminishing the overall impact of a film.

This tension between streaming and theatrical releases has been vividly illustrated by Doug Liman's decision to boycott the SXSW premiere of his film ‘Road House.’ Liman's beef with Amazon MGM's decision to stream the film directly on Prime Video, bypassing theaters, underscores a simmering debate within the industry: that streaming might be stifling some films' growth and reach.

Liman argues that streaming services, in their quest to amass content, may overlook the unique value that a theatrical release provides—not just in terms of box office revenue but in the creation of shared cultural moments. ‘Road House’ was poised to be a blockbuster bonanza, deserving of the fanfare that only a theater can provide.

The ongoing debate is not about streaming versus theaters but about how to leverage both platforms to their fullest potential. Streaming has democratized access to content, but theaters elevate film to a communal art form. As filmmakers like Liman champion the cinematic experience, and films like ‘Anyone But You’ draw audiences back to theaters, there's hope for a balanced future.

🍏💸 Apple's Big-Budget Flop: Apple’s Original Films’ latest splash in the cinema pool, ‘Argylle,’ belly-flopped with a meager $18M opening against a Godzilla-sized $200M budget. This isn’t the first time Apple’s silver screen bets have come up short, with ‘Napoleon’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ also not living up to box office expectations. ‘Argylle’s’ tepid debut has sparked debate over the tech giant’s big-budget cinematic ventures. Despite the star-studded cast and a global strategy aimed at bolstering Apple TV+ subscriptions, the film’s lackluster performance and C+ CinemaScore have left many wondering whether Apple’s spendy movie-making spree is sustainable. Apple’s next move is anyone’s guess—will they double down, or is it time to cut scene on these lavish cinematic experiments?

🌟🏈 Super Bowl LVIII Ad Rush: As Super Bowl LVIII gears up at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, it’s not just the 49ers and the Taylor Swift-boosted Kansas City Chiefs drawing eyes; it’s the ad slots that have marketers buzzing. With ad slots hitting $7M for a mere 30-second ad, the Super Bowl remains a golden opportunity for brands in spite of a fragmented media landscape. This year, traditional powerhouses like Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi will share the spotlight with celebs such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tina Fey, highlighting a surge in celebrity-endorsed ads. With the game streaming on CBS, Paramount+, and even a fam-friendly version on Nickelodeon, the event’s broad appeal is undeniable. As the NFL continues to dominate viewer ratings, the Super Bowl stands as a testament to the power of live sports in gathering massive and broad viewership.

Development 🗒️

• Catherine O'Hara joins the cast of HBO's ‘The Last of Us’ S2 in an undisclosed role. (more)

• Matthew McConaughey and Michelle Pfeiffer are in talks to star in the next ‘Yellowstone’ series. (more)

• Miloš Biković is dropped from ‘The White Lotus’ S3 and will be recast by HBO after controversial comments resurface. (more)

• Warner Bros. Discovery closes deal to acquire worldwide rights to ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ for $15M. (more)

• Naveen Andrews joins ‘Last King of The Cross’ S2 on Paramount+. (more)

• Apple secures David E. Kelley's drama ‘Margo's Got Money Troubles’ starring Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman. (more)

• Sam Waterston is leaving ‘Law & Order’ after 20 seasons. (more)

• Luke Evans and Milla Jovovich team up for Brad Anderson's sci-fi action thriller ‘World Breaker.’ (more)

• Jim Carrey is confirmed to return as Dr. Robotnik in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3.’ (more)

• Christoph Waltz, Maya Hawke, John Turturro, and Jon Hamm will star in Stephen Frears' film ‘Wilder & Me.’ (more)

• Iconic Events acquires ‘The Prank,’ a dark comedy led by Rita Moreno. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘Whitstable Pearl’ is set for S3 on Acorn TV. (more)

Business 🤝

• Amazon's investment in video and music content surged by 14% in 2023, hitting $18.9B. (more)

• Charter Communications loses 257,000 video subscribers in Q4, partly due to a Disney dispute, but surpasses Comcast as the largest U.S. pay TV operator. (more)

Grammys 🏆

• ‘Oppenheimer’ wins the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

• ‘What Was I Made For?’ from ‘Barbie’ wins Best Song Written for Visual Media.

• Brett Morgen wins Best Music Film Grammy for 'Moonage Daydream,' a documentary on David Bowie.

• See all Grammy winners here. 👈

Other News 🚨

• Jason Reitman leads an investment group in acquiring Westwood's iconic Fox Village Theater. (more)

• Joe Rogan secures a new deal with Spotify worth up to $250M. (more)

• A former MoviePass executive, Khalid Itum, has been convicted of embezzling $260,000 to cover debts from a Coachella party. (more)

• FanDuel is revising its Super Bowl ad featuring Carl Weathers and Rob Gronkowski following Weathers' recent passing, out of respect for the late actor's legacy and impact. (more)

• MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is set to host the 2026 World Cup final. (more)