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đŹ Call Her Disney
Disney buys ready-made stars, Hollywood's ambassador steps up, and Korea's animation plan, and MORE!

đ Good morning! Pre-sales for âStar Wars: Revenge of the Sith'sâ 20th anniversary re-release have been so strong that the film will hit 2,775 theaters this weekendâsetting the record for widest re-release in US history. The once-maligned finale to the prequel trilogy is now hailed as one of the franchise's best, proving that sometimes you just need to wait two decades for people to appreciate your work (someone tell Coppola to hang tight).
Welcome aboard the Dailies. As you sip your morning brew, weâll get you caught up with the fast-paced world of Hollywood. First timer? Sign up here. đđ
đ Hereâs whatâs on the reel today:
Disney Builds a Reality Empire
Jon Voightâs Hollywood Rescue Plan
Koreaâs $1B Animation Bet
Why Season 2 is the New Season 1
Last Looks: đ Bite-sized scoops on developing stories/projects
Video Village: The latest trailers
Release Radar: What to watch this weekend
Martini Shot đž
But first, itâs Friday, so letâs take a look at what people were watching this week⊠đ
TOP STREAMED
đ What U.S. audiences were watching this weekâŠ
FILM đ„ Netflix: iHostage Max: Companion Disney+: Mufasa: The Lion King Prime Video: G20 Paramount+: Top Gun: Maverick Hulu: The Order Apple TV+: The Gorge Peacock: Wolf Man | TV đș Netflix: Ransom Canyon Max: The Last of Us Disney+: Daredevil: Born Again Prime Video: Bosch: Legacy Paramount+: NCIS Hulu: Good American Family Apple TV+: Your Friends & Neighbors Peacock: Law & Order: SVU |
CLOSEUP
đ± Disneyâs building a reality TV empireâŠ

Rob Mills (EVP, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment at Disney) and Alex Cooper.
Rob Mills, Disneyâs unscripted boss, is leading the charge as Disney dives headfirst into the reality TV mud pit. The studio is quietly assembling its own unscripted universe on Hulu and beyondâaiming to rival Bravo's once-mighty âHousewivesâ dynasty. And theyâre doing it with a checkbook instead of a casting call.
The strategy: Why build new talent from scratch when you can just buy stars who already have followers? Disney's shopping spree includes influencers, podcast celebs, and social media phenoms who bring their audiences along for the ride.
Some developments:
âThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,â born from a viral TikTok dance trend, became Hulu's most-watched unscripted premiere of 2024
Alex Cooper, host of Spotify's #2 podcast âCall Her Daddy,â is creating âOverboard for Love,â a yacht-based dating show
The slate includes shows featuring social media stars like the D'Amelios (225M+ TikTok followers) and Brooks Nader (1.6M+ Instagram)
Why now? A recent Deloitte survey found 56% of Gen Z feels a stronger personal connection to their favorite creators than actors. By nabbing these creators, Disney's found a shortcut to the elusive young viewers advertisers crave.
Hulu is leaning into what Alex Cooper calls âcontroversialâ and âsalaciousâ reality content. The platformâs long been the edgier sibling in a Disney lineup thatâs still about as edgy as a bowling ballâwhich makes this pivot a clear sign that even Disney is willing to bend its brand to chase younger viewers.
The bigger picture: Disney isn't the only corporate giant going dumpster diving in the creator economy. Netflix just announced plans to bring YouTube podcasts to their platform last week. Traditional media companies that once sneered at influencer content are now treating social platforms like talent farms. In today's fractured media landscape, audiences follow personalities, not networksâand Disney is buying those audiences in bulk.
WIDESHOT
đŹ Ambassadors, Korean animation, and second seasonsâŠ

President Trump named actor Jon Voight as one of his ambassadors to Hollywood.
đșđž Are Hollywood's ambassadors finally making moves? Jon Voight is reportedly preparing to unveil a Hollywood action plan to President Trump next week. The Oscar winner's upcoming presentation follows a notably quiet period since January, when the president named Voight, Sylvester Stallone, and Mel Gibson as "special Hollywood ambassadors" tasked with bringing the industry "backâbigger, better, and stronger than ever before." While details remain under wraps, insiders expect Voight to address America's film production exodus to countries with generous tax incentives, a concern Trump highlighted when claiming Hollywood "lost much business to Foreign Countries." Voight's business partner previously hinted at an "America first" initiative that could include federal tax incentives. As productions continue flowing to Britain, Canada, and Australia, the industry is watching closely to see if this marks the beginning of meaningful federal intervention to bring filmmaking back to American soil.
đ°đ· Korea's on an animation roll, and they're going all in. Earlier this month, the Korean-produced The King of Kings (directed by Jang Seong-ho and starring Oscar Isaac and Pierce Brosnan) opened at #2 in the US box office and has grossed $52.5M worldwide. Now, South Korea is doubling down. The country's Ministry of Culture just announced a $1B investment in its animation sector over the next five years, pivoting from being Hollywood's go-to outsourcing hub to creating and owning blockbuster IP themselves. While most entertainment sectors barely grew at 2.1% last year, Korean animation surged 23%. The ambitious plan includes incentives for international co-productions, national pavilions at major animation markets, and AI-powered production tools. Netflix is also getting in on the action, set to release âLost in Starlightâ on May 30âits first Korean animated feature film. Disney and Pixar might want to check their rearview mirrors.
đ Season 2 is the new Season 1, and Hollywood is taking notes. A clear pattern is emerging: lately, shows are getting bigger in their second season, defying the dreaded "sophomore slump." New data from Samba TV just dropped confirming that 'The Last of Us' S2 debuted to 5.3M viewers across Max and HBO, up 13% from its series premiere. It also claimed the #1 spot on the streaming charts that week. Meanwhile, '1923' recently closed its second season with a 46% average viewership increase over S1. Even 'Severance,' returning after a nearly three-year hiatus, made Nielsen's top streaming list only in its second season. This upends the old TV playbookâwhere shows typically peaked early then bled viewers season after season. The takeaway? The TV industry might finally be breaking free from its "hook 'em fast or die" mindset, as viewers are clearly willing to commit for the long haul.
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LAST LOOKS
Film Development đïž
Apple wins holiday movie bidding war for âFoster the Snowman,â paying $1.6M for a magical snowman family film. (more)
Charles Melton will star in âHer Private Hell,â an edgy new thriller from âDriveâ director Nicolas Winding Refn, set to shoot this summer with Neon. (more)
Sydney Sweeney will star in a film adaptation of hit video game âSplit Fiction,â directed by Jon M. Chu. (more)
Seth Rogen, PenĂ©lope Cruz, and Edward Norton will star in Olivia Wildeâs dark comedy âThe Invite.â (more)
Sony Pictures Classics will release âOh, Hi!,â a romantic comedy starring Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon, following its Tribeca premiere. (more)
Universal has acquired âFight,â a high-octane action spec from Nathaniel Halpern, with David Leitch set to direct for 87North. (more)
Magnolia Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to âPlainclothes,â a Sundance-winning thriller. (more)
TV Development đș
Ella Rubin and AmĂ©lie Elisabeth Hoeferle will lead âSterling Point,â a YA drama from Megan Park for Amazon MGM. (more)
Bill Hader is developing a Jonestown cult drama for HBO, co-writing and potentially directing and starring as Jim Jones. (more)
NBC is developing a âRoyal Painsâ reboot with Mark Feuerstein returning to star as Hank Lawson and executive produce. (more)
Jon Hamm will star in and executive produce âAmerican Hostage,â an MGM+ anthology series based on the true-crime podcast of the same name. (more)
Blumhouse Television has acquired Marisha Pesslâs thriller âDarklyâ for a series adaptation, with Jamie Lee Curtis set to executive produce. (more)
Greenlights, Renewals & Cancellations â â
Business đ€
Lionsgate shareholders have approved the long-anticipated split from Starz, paving the way for both companies to operate independently. (more)
Jordan Peeleâs Monkeypaw Productions has laid off much of its development team. (more)
Netflix stock hit an all-time high of $1,101 per share, nearly doubling year over year. (more)
Snoop Dogg and his Death Row Pictures have signed a multi-year deal with NBCUniversal to develop film, TV, and streaming projects. (more)
Other News đš
Cannes has added 16 new titles to its 2025 lineup, including Lynne Ramsayâs âDie, My Love,â Kristen Stewartâs directorial debut âThe Chronology of Water,â and Ethan Coenâs comedy âHoney Donât!.â (more)
RELEASE RADAR
đ
What to watch this weekend?
đ„ THEATRICAL
The Accountant 2: Action thriller sequel starring Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, directed by Gavin O'Connor.
Until Dawn: Time-loop horror thriller adapted from the popular video game.
The Legend of Ochi: Isaiah Saxonâs fantasy adventure film expands wide.
On Swift Horses: 1950s romantic drama starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Jacob Elordi.
Star Wars: Episode III â Revenge of the Sith: 20th anniversary re-release of the third chapter in the âStar Warsâ saga.
đș STREAMING
Star Wars: Andor: (Disney+) âStar Warsâ spy thriller starring Diego Luna and covering the four years leading to âRogue One.â
Havoc: (Netflix) Gritty action thriller starring Tom Hardy as a detective fighting through the criminal underworld, directed by Gareth Evans.
đź BOX OFFICE PREVIEW
The box office should maintain its recent momentum this weekend with âSinnersâ likely holding the top spot with $27M-$35M in its sophomore frame. Amazon/MGM's âThe Accountant 2â aims for a solid $22M-$28M debut. Meanwhile, âA Minecraft Movieâ should continue its blockbuster run with $20M-$25M in third place, though Lucasfilm's 20th anniversary re-release of Revenge of the Sith could surprise with $18M-$23M.
VIDEO VILLAGE
đș Latest trailers
Aaaaand... that's a wrap! If you're reading this email because a friend hooked you up, don't fretâjust hit that subscribe button and join the party. đ§đ
Have a great weekend! Catch you bright and early on Monday!
-The Dailies Team
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