🎬 Hollywood Makeover

👋 Good morning! Ever felt the pressure to deliver under the watchful eye of a legend? Well, Fede Álvarez certainly does. The director of the upcoming ‘Alien: Romulus’ got a cheeky yet pointed note from the franchise’s original mastermind, Ridley Scott, with a clear message: “Don’t f–k up.” No pressure, right? With this new installment fitting snugly between ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens,’ fans are eagerly waiting to see if Álvarez can carry the torch.

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:

• Paramount TV Studio

• Broadway’s Hollywood Makeover

• Disney’s ‘Marvel’ and ‘Star Wars’ Challenge

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

Paramount's shutting down Paramount Television Studios after 11 years, with 20-30 employees now updating their resumes. This move is part of Paramount Global's bigger cost-cutting mission—they're slashing 15% of their U.S. workforce to save about $500M. All PTVS projects will be absorbed by CBS Studios, consolidating their TV production under one roof. Meanwhile, Paramount+ is riding its own rollercoaster. It lost 2.8M subscribers in Q2, mostly due to exiting a South Korean deal and post-Super Bowl churn. But plot twist—they still managed to turn their first-ever streaming profit of $26M. As Paramount preps for its Skydance Media merger, they're clearly trying to streamline and adapt.

Broadway's been getting a Hollywood makeover lately. We're talking George Clooney making his Broadway debut in 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' Robert Downey Jr. taking on an AI-obsessed novelist in 'McNeal,' and even Keanu Reeves teaming up with his 'Bill & Ted' buddy Alex Winter for 'Waiting for Godot.' But why the sudden influx of Hollywood talent? It's a perfect storm of industry shifts:

• Hollywood's obsession with franchises and blockbusters has left many A-listers craving meatier roles.

• Streaming giants are tightening their belts on scripted content, leaving fewer opportunities for nuanced storytelling.

• Broadway, still recovering from the pandemic, is desperate for star power to boost ticket sales.

• For producers, a play with a celebrity lead is often a safer bet than a $20M+ musical spectacular.

• These limited runs, usually around four months, offer a sweet spot of profitability and prestige.

For the stars, it's a chance to flex their acting muscles, connect with live audiences, and maybe snag a Tony to add to their trophy case. Plus, with Broadway's lower production costs, there's more room for edgier, riskier content that might not fly in today's risk-averse Hollywood. The result? A Broadway season that's starting to look more like an Oscar party.

Disney+ is navigating turbulent waters in the streaming wars. The entertainment giant's key franchises—Star Wars and Marvel—are showing signs of fatigue on the platform. Recent data reveals these powerhouses are losing their grip on audience demand, with their share of Disney+'s catalog appeal dropping from 29% to 22% in just two years. Even the flagship series ‘The Mandalorian’ couldn't replicate its initial success in later seasons. Interestingly, Disney Channel classics are gaining ground, highlighting the enduring appeal of nostalgia. Despite the decline, Marvel and Star Wars content still outperforms, representing 22% of demand with only 12% catalog share. This presents a critical challenge for Disney executives: how to reinvigorate these franchises or potentially pivot to new strategies.

17 Emmy® Nominations
Including:
Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Writing — Geneva Robertson-Dworet & Graham Wagner
Outstanding Lead Actor — Walton Goggins

"A vivid and captivating universe." — ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

"This immaculately made, supremely witty post-apocalyptic drama is brilliant. It’s funny, self-aware and tense – an astonishing balancing act." — THE GUARDIAN

"Walton Goggins is revelatory in a performance that stretches across two timelines." — BBC

FALLOUT is available for Television Academy members at ConsiderAmazon.com

Development 🗒️

• Rosario Dawson, Alexandra Shipp, and Milla Jovovich team up for the action thriller ‘Midnight.’ (more)

• Hulu has ordered ‘Mid-Century Modern,’ a new sitcom starring Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer. (more)

• Soo Hugh will write and direct an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Tender Is the Night’ for Searchlight Pictures. (more)

• Dominic Sessa is in talks to star as Anthony Bourdain in an A24 biopic titled ‘Tony,’ with Matt Johnson potentially directing. (more)

• James Wan is in early talks to direct a modernized ‘Creature From the Black Lagoon’ for Universal, marking his first project since merging his Atomic Monster banner with Blumhouse. (more)

• John Slattery has been cast as the iconic lawyer Leo Drummond in USA Network’s ‘The Rainmaker’ series, based on the John Grisham novel. (more)

• TriStar is developing a Boy George biopic with J.C. Lee set to write the script. (more)

• Netflix is launching a weekly live series ‘Live From the Other Side,’ hosted by celebrity medium Tyler Henry, starting Sept. 17. (more)

• LaKeith Stanfield is set to star alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in Lynne Ramsay’s thriller ‘Die, My Love.’ (more)

• Netflix has greenlit a new ‘Ghostbusters’ animated series with Elliott Kalan as executive producer. (more)

• Sony Pictures has acquired a new script by ‘Kraven the Hunter’ director J.C. Chandor. (more)

• Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are set to return for a new Apple TV+ ‘Long Way’ series. (more)

✅ Renewed & Cancelled ❌

• ‘Supacell’ is renewed for S2 at Netflix. (more)

• ‘Love Island Games’ renewed for S2 at Peacock. (more)

Business 🤝

• The potential appointment of Jeff Shell as Paramount’s chief faces scrutiny due to his past firing from NBCUniversal over a sexual harassment scandal. (more)

• A+E Networks undergoes layoffs, leading to the departure of several senior executives from Lifetime, History, and A&E. (more)

• Alexi Hawley, creator of ‘The Rookie’ and ‘The Recruit,’ has signed a new overall deal with Lionsgate Television. (more)

• Paul Grellong renews his overall deal with Sony Pictures Television, continuing as EP/showrunner for ‘Vought Rising’ while also developing new projects for the studio. (more)

• Sabrina Caluori, head of global kids and family marketing at Nickelodeon and Paramount+, exits her role amidst significant restructuring at Paramount. (more)

• Warner Bros. Television renews its historic overall deal with The Wolper Organization. (more)

• Fox is close to selling out Super Bowl LIX ad slots well ahead of schedule, with most 30-second spots fetching over $7M as demand surges. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Casting assistants in Los Angeles and New York unanimously voted to join the Teamsters, securing union representation ahead of upcoming contract negotiations with the AMPTP. (more)

• Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis,’ Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘The Room Next Door,’ and Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Queer’ are among the films added to the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival lineup. (more)

• TIFF 2024 will host speaker panels with Cate Blanchett, Zoe Saldaña, and Steven Soderbergh among others. (more)

• Italy’s reformed film and TV tax credit introduces a $20M cap for international projects, potentially deterring big productions like ‘The White Lotus’ from filming in the country. (more)

• Like newsletters like this? Here are some other awesome (and completely free!) newsletters our readers also enjoy. (more)