🎬 They're Playin' Games

👋 Good morning! The legendary Dick Van Dyke became the oldest Daytime Emmys winner in history this past Friday, bagging the award for guest performer in a daytime drama series at the ripe age of 98. See the full list of winners here.

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Blumhouse Gets into Gaming

• Ashton Kutcher Faces Backlash

• Olympics Coming to the Big Screen

• Congress Presses Venu Sports

• 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
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

The total domestic estimates reached $102.6M, down 38% from 2023. Despite this, the box office is gradually climbing back with a mix of new releases and re-releases:

1. 🕶️ Bad Boys: Ride or Die: Sony’s legacy sequel opened with a solid $56M domestically and $104.6M globally, performing well against its $100M budget. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence still draw crowds, despite past controversies.

2. 🐱 The Garfield Movie: Dropping 29%, Garfield earned $10M this weekend, bringing its domestic total to $68.6M.

3. 🤔 IF: Added $8M, pushing its domestic total to $93.5M.

4. 👁️ The Watchers: Warner Bros’ horror flick stumbled with a $7M domestic debut and $11.7M globally, hindered by poor reviews and a “C-” CinemaScore.

5. 🦍 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Slipping 40%, the latest Apes installment earned $5.4M, bringing its domestic total to $149.8M. It’s close to surpassing the global earnings of Tim Burton’s 2001 version.

6. 🛢️ Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Dropping 61%, Furiosa added $4.2M, with a domestic total of $58.7M.

7. 🚗 The Fall Guy: This action-comedy earned $2.7M, bringing its domestic total to $85.1M. It’s steadily rolling along in its sixth week.

8. 🧙‍♂️ The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Re-Release: The re-release of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy pulled in $6.2M. ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ earned $2.4M, ‘The Two Towers’ $1.9M, and ‘The Return of the King’ $1.8M, prepping audiences for the upcoming animated feature.

🎮👻 Blumhouse is bringing its horror expertise from the big screen to gaming. At the Summer Game Fest, Blumhouse Games revealed a spine-chilling six-pack of titles set to launch in 2024 and beyond, created by indie designers worldwide. This expansion signals Hollywood’s growing recognition of the gaming industry as a powerful storytelling medium. Blumhouse Games president Zach Wood praised the innovative storytelling and unique horror experiences. Jason Blum, the mastermind behind Blumhouse, emphasized the chance to create an even more immersive fan experience, reflecting Hollywood's growing desire to keep audiences glued to their screens, no matter the platform.

🎬🤖 Ashton Kutcher may end up eating his words when it comes to touting the advances in AI. During a chat at L.A.’s Berggruen Salon, the actor praised OpenAI’s Sora for its potential to generate realistic video footage, suggesting it could replace costly production shots. Kutcher’s vision of AI-driven filmmaking faced pretty fierce criticism, with a slew of industry voices slamming him for undermining creative jobs. Adding fuel to the fire, some keen-eyed observers pointed out that Kutcher has raised a whopping $243M for AI startups. Could it be that his glowing praise for the tech comes from an investor's perspective rather than a creator's? As the debate rages on, one thing's for sure: Kutcher's AI comments have stirred up a hornets' nest in Hollywood.

🍿🇫🇷 The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics are coming to a big screen near you. Over 150 IMAX and 160 AMC theaters across the U.S. are gearing up to broadcast the events. The excitement kicks off with the live opening ceremony on Jul. 26, followed by a daily showcase of select daytime events until Aug. 11. This innovative move is a bold play to boost post-pandemic theater attendance and offer sports enthusiasts a one-of-a-kind communal viewing experience. AMC's Ryan Noonan revealed that the inspiration for this collaboration with NBC stemmed from the popularity of virtual watch parties during the last Olympics. Specific theater locations and ticket prices are yet to be announced.

🏛️📡 Congressmen are doubling down on their scrutiny of the Venu Sports bundle. They’ve fired off a follow-up letter to Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, and Disney, demanding more details on competition safeguards and consumer privacy measures. Their gripe? The companies’ initial responses were just “vague assurances.” With a deadline of June 21, congress is spotlighting concerns over potential collusion and anti-competitive practices in the upcoming sports streaming service.

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Development 🗒️

• Julia Butters is in talks to join Disney’s ‘Freaky Friday 2,’ with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. (more)

• Kristen Stewart will star as astronaut Sally Ride in Amazon MGM’s limited series ‘The Challenger,’ marking her TV debut. (more)

• Jared Leto will produce and star in a h.wood Media film about Dr. Lawrence Gray, a retired professor turned cat burglar. (more)

• Mandy Patinkin joins Ivan Cash’s documentary ‘The Ever Curious Man’ as an executive producer, exploring the legacy and challenges of artist Sydney Cash. (more)

• Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, and Nicholas Braun lead an ensemble cast in Amazon MGM’s live-action comedy ‘Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie.’ (more)

• Jessica Henwick joins Glen Powell, Zach Woods, Topher Grace, and Raff Law in Studiocanal’s ‘Huntington,’ with production now underway. (more)

• Andrew Stanton will direct ‘Toy Story 5.’ (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘Tokyo Vice’ is cancelled after S2 at Max. (more)

• ‘The Upshaws’ is renewed for a final season at Netflix. (more)

Business 🤝

• Warner Bros. Discovery secures U.S. rights to the French Open, expanding its international sports portfolio. (more)

• Amuz Distribution acquires Just For Laughs’ 1,000-hour comedy library amid bankruptcy proceedings to monetize globally. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Netflix’s Mike Tyson-Jake Paul’s fight is pushed to November. (more)

• SAG-AFTRA’s new “Dynamic AI Audio Commercials Waiver” sets rules for consent and compensation for voice actors when their work is used in AI-generated personalized audio ads. (more)