🎬 Deleted Forever 😔

👋 Good morning! We hope your Monday morning is rolling along as smoothly as Usher on roller-skates last night — and if not, we’re here to give you that extra push.

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:

• ‘Coyote vs. Acme’s’ Corporate Cliffhanger

• Artists Take On AI

• The End of Peak TV?

• IATSE vs. Studios

• 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 🎟️

This Super Bowl weekend, the box office took a tumble, recording its worst performance in 14 months. Overall, the scene was more deserted than a Super Bowl party without snacks:

1. 🕵️ Argylle: Stays no. 1 with $6.5M domestically, totaling $28.8M domestically. Globally hits $60.1M.

2. 🧟 Lisa Frankenstein: Lands at no. 2 with a $3.8M opening in the US.

3. 🐝 The Beekeeper: Brings in $3.5M, dipping 34%. Its five-week total is a sweet $54.73M domestically.

4. ✝️ The Chosen Season 4 Episodes 1-3: Collects $3.2M, for a total of $12.6M in its second week.

5. 🍫 Wonka: At no. 5 with $3.2M, down 33%, amassing $205.3M domestically in its ninth week.

6. 💘 Anyone But You: Brings in $2.7M, reaching a lovely $80.1M domestically after eight weeks.

7. 📚 American Fiction: Writes itself into no. 7 with $1.3M, turning pages to $17.37M domestically in its ninth week.

8. 🧪 Poor Things: Stitched up $1.1M, animating a $30.3M total domestically in its tenth frame.

9. 🌊 Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Dives to $1.1M, reaching $122.3M domestically after eight weeks.

10. 🌑 Out of Darkness: Debuts at the edge with $1M.

🎬😩 ‘Coyote vs. Acme’s’ Corporate Cliffhanger: Remember late last year when Warner Bros. nearly axed ‘Coyote vs. Acme,’ but backtracked and agreed to shop the film after public backlash? Well the saga continues: Despite interest from Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount (with Paramount even proposing a theatrical release), Warner Bros. set the bar suspiciously high. Their asking price far exceeded the tax write-down benefit they'd gain, and a rigid stance left little room for actual negotiation. Was this a genuine effort to find a new home for the beloved project, or a strategic move to quell backlash while intending to let the film collect dust? As Warner Bros. Discovery aims to clean its slate before the quarterly earnings call, 'Coyote vs. Acme' is expected to be “shelved and deleted,” symbolizing a worrying trend of disregarding creative efforts in favor of financial maneuvers. In the words of Road Runner: meep.

🤖🎨 Artists vs. AI: U.S. District Judge William Orrick has taken a stand in favor of artists in the ongoing debate over AI-generated art, striking a blow against companies like Stability AI, Midjourney, and DeviantArt. These companies faced allegations of using billions of images without permission to train their AI systems, which artists argue infringes on their copyright and personal rights. Orrick’s ruling rejected the defense put forth by the AI companies, which argued that the lawsuit targets their “free speech” because the creation of art, reflecting new ideas and concepts as elicited by text prompts, is a constitutionally protected activity. The case, marked by its implications for copyright law and artistic integrity, continues to evolve as both sides prepare for further legal battles.

📺📉 The End of Peak TV? Scripted Series Take a Dive: "Peak TV" — the era defined by an explosion of scripted series across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms — is taking a nosedive for the first time in more than a decade. FX's very own oracle, John Landgraf, highlighted a 12% dip in the number of original scripted series, dropping from 600 in 2022 to 516 in 2023. Landgraf, previously known for his ambitious, albeit occasionally off-target, projections, finally hits the bullseye in 2023 as his predictions align with the reality of industry contractions and notable series cancellations. Whisperings among the TV elite suggest this may actually just be the start of a gentle return to more manageable production scales. As the industry attempts to navigate content oversupply against a backdrop of economic realities and the fickle focus of viewers, this may be the moment we start cherishing quality over quantity.

🎬🛠️ IATSE vs. Studios: Lights, camera, action…but hold up, not before the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) gets what it’s due! IATSE is gearing up for a pivotal round of contract negotiations with the studios starting Mar. 4. IATSE is pushing hard for the kind of workplace changes that have long been spotlighted by the likes of Emma Gottlieb’s viral Instagram account, IATSE Stories. Through stark, eye-opening tales of crew life - think endless hours and risky conditions - this account has become a rallying cry for change. With a history of contentious negotiations and the shadow of recent industry-wide strikes, the union's push for better working conditions and fair pay is more urgent than ever. And if the studios don't play ball? Well, let's just say the scene might be set for a historic strike.

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Development 🗒️

• David Leitch is no longer in talks to produce the next ‘Jurassic World’ movie. (more)

• Tom Cruise is rumored to be circling a role in Quentin Tarantino’s final film, ‘The Movie Critic.’ (more)

• Dan Trachtenberg is set to direct 'Badlands,' a new standalone 'Predator' movie for 20th Century. (more)

• The writing team for the 96th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on Mar. 10, has been announced. (more)

• Martin Donovan is cast as Fred Trump Sr. in 'The Apprentice,’ a film exploring Donald Trump's rise. (more)

• Joel Kinnaman and Cara Jade Myers team up to star in the thriller 'Ice Fall.' (more)

• Scarlett Johansson is set to star in true crime thriller ‘Featherwood.’ (more)

• Sophie Turner and Kit Harington reunite in 'The Dreadful.’ (more)

• Sony Pictures Classics acquires global rights to Nathan Silver's 'Between The Temples,' starring Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane. (more)

• Bill Nighy and Roman Griffin Davis team up for Morgan Matthews' road movie '500 Miles.' (more)

• Lena Headey is set to lead the action-thriller 'Ballistic' alongside Amybeth McNulty. (more)

• David Fincher is reportedly developing a U.S. remake of ‘Squid Game’ for Netflix. (more)

• Michael Chaves is set to direct 'The Conjuring 4,' rumored to be the franchise's final installment. (more)

• ABC orders ‘The Golden Bachelorette,’ set to air this fall. (more)

• FX ramps up its 2024 slate with releases for ‘The Bear’ S3 and ‘American Sports Story.’ (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘Abbot Elementary’ is renewed for S4 at ABC. (more)

• ‘Goosebumps’ is renewed for S2 on Disney+. (more)

Business 🤝

• AMC Networks reports a 23% decrease in U.S. advertising revenue and a 30% drop in total revenue to $679M, causing an over 8% decline in stock value in pre-market trading. (more)

• A3 Artists Agency announces closure due to unsustainable operations. (more)

• Disney reportedly paid $75M for the rights to stream Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ movie. (more)

DGA Awards 🏆

• Christopher Nolan wins the DGA's top prize for ‘Oppenheimer.’

• First-time directing nod goes to Celine Song for ‘Past Lives.’ 

• TV accolades to ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘The Bear,’ and ‘Lessons in Chemistry.’

• See the full list of winners here. 👈

Other News 🚨

• The 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' series debuts as one of Amazon's top 5 new series launches ever. (more)

• Amazon Prime Video secures exclusive rights to stream an NFL playoff game next January. (more)

• The 76th Emmy Awards are scheduled for a live broadcast on Sept. 15, with nominations announced on Jul. 17. (more)