🎬 Cracking the Code

👋 Good morning! While other studios are busy building walled gardens, Warner Bros. just pulled a maverick move straight out of left field: They’ve quietly uploaded 31 non-Max catalog titles to YouTube for free viewing (with ads, naturally). The strategy is already paying dividends—Jackie Chan’s ‘Mr. Nice Guy’ has racked up 16M views since New Year’s Day, proving there’s still gold in those old back catalogs.

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:

• Netflix Cracks the Creator Code

• Tubi Gets Original

• Mini Soaps Head to Hollywood

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, it’s Friday, so let’s take a look at what people were watching this week… 👀

TOP STREAMED
📊 What U.S. audiences were watching this week…

CLOSEUP
📺 Netflix cracked the YouTube creator code (finally)…

Netflix is learning that not all YouTube stars need Hollywood makeovers. The streaming giant's latest experiment—bringing Ms. Rachel's sing-along videos to its platform—is hitting high notes, pulling in 4M views and landing at No. 5 on Netflix's global Top 10 in just 10 days.

The back story: Former Bronx music teacher Rachel Accurso built a 13M subscriber YouTube empire with educational videos she initially created for her speech-delayed son. Now she's bringing that same winning formula to Netflix’s subscribers—no fancy production needed.

Why this deal hits different:

Remember Netflix's previous YouTube creator experiments? ‘Haters Back Off’ with Colleen Ballinger got axed after two seasons, and ‘Hype House’ barely made it through one. The difference? Those shows tried forcing creators into traditional TV formats.

But with kid-focused creators like CoComelon, Blippi, and now Ms. Rachel, Netflix's keeping it simple: package existing YouTube content into themed episodes and let the creators keep doing what works. Ms. Rachel's own Netflix content consists of themed 35-60 minute compilations of her existing YouTube material.

What’s brewing:

Multiple sources say Netflix is actively pursuing similar deals with other YouTube creators with the following approach:

• Licensing existing content from creators' YouTube libraries

• Developing exclusive content for Netflix's 302M subscribers

• Let creators maintain their YouTube presence (smart move)

The bigger picture: This pivot comes as Netflix battles YouTube for viewers' attention—and currently, it's not winning. YouTube commands 11% of US streaming time while Netflix trails at 8.5%. With Ms. Rachel's quick success validating their new approach, expect Netflix to accelerate these creator partnerships. The future of streaming might be less about Hollywood polish and more about authentic YouTube charm.

WIDESHOT
🎬 Tubi gets original, and mini soaps eye Hollywood…

📺🎥 Tubi's going all-in on originals. After tripling its user base in three years and capturing 2% of all TV viewing by mid-2024, Fox's free streaming service is pivoting from its tried-and-true strategy of acquired content and low-budget fare. Their first scripted series ‘The Z-Suite,’ which launched this week with Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham, takes a calculated swing at premium content—but without Netflix-style spending sprees. They're not alone in this territory: Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube all crashed and burned trying to crack the originals code in the 2010’s, burning millions on forgettable shows. While 20% annual growth is still impressive, it's a far cry from Tubi's earlier explosive growth. Now they're taking a more traditional TV approach—weekly episodes, modest budgets, and clever marketing that plays up the show's ad-agency premise—hoping to attract new viewers without breaking their successful free streaming model. If their bet on traditional TV tactics pays off, it could create a new playbook for FAST platforms everywhere.

🎬🤳 China’s mini soap operas are beating box office numbers—and now they’re coming for Hollywood. As attention spans shrink and mobile viewing soars, 60-90 second Chinese mini-dramas are having a moment—they raked in $6.91B last year (beating China's box office). Now Chinese companies are setting up production bases in the US, partnering with local studios and bringing in American actors to recreate their hits. Companies like ReelShort are already hooking 10M+ monthly users with American remakes of Chinese hits like ‘The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband.’ The economics are particularly intriguing: these shows cost mere thousands to produce (compared to millions for traditional TV episodes) and monetize through a mix of ads and micro-payments to unlock episodes. With China churning out 5,000-8,000 new series annually, traditional streaming players might need to take notes.

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Matthew McConaughey will star in Paul Greengrass’ ‘The Rage’, a historical drama about the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt, with Jason Blum producing. (more)

• Robert De Niro will star in Netflix’s crime thriller ‘The Whisper Man.’ (more)

• Joe Wright will direct the AI thriller ‘Alignment,’ about a rogue AI manipulating global markets, for Fifth Season and Makeready. (more)

• John Malkovich and Mark Ruffalo join Sam Rockwell in Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine,’ a Searchlight thriller set to begin filming in March. (more)

• Henry Winkler and Brian Cox star in the comedy ‘Old Pals,’ with Emma Roberts and Evan Rachel Wood, as Neon launches sales at EFM. (more)

• Ben Affleck will direct and star in the Netflix kidnapping thriller ‘Animals,’ with Gillian Anderson also joining the cast. (more)

• Julia Roberts will star in and produce ‘Kill Your Darlings,’ a murder mystery directed by James Gray for Amazon MGM and United Artists. (more)

• Daniel Radcliffe and Lucas Hedges will star in the Vietnam War thriller ‘Trust the Man,’ with Neon launching international sales at EFM. (more)

• Hayden Panettiere is set to star in the psychological thriller ‘Sleepwalker,’ produced by Verdi Productions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. (more)

• Apple TV+ has ordered ‘Kpopped,’ a K-pop competition series starring Psy and Megan Thee Stallion, with Lionel Richie executive producing. (more)

• Rooney and Kate Mara will star as twin sisters in ‘Bucking Fastard,’ a new Werner Herzog film set to begin production this spring. (more)

• Ke Huy Quan and Lili Reinhart will star in ‘Bad Boy,’ a unique horror thriller told from a dog’s perspective, with Black Bear launching sales at EFM. (more)

• Adam Scott will star in the supernatural horror ‘Hokum,’ about a novelist who encounters a haunted Irish inn, with Damian McCarthy directing. (more)

Acquisitions 💰 

• Well Go USA has acquired Evan Ari Kelman’s debut film ‘Barron’s Cove,’ a kidnapping thriller starring Garrett Hedlund. (more)

• Magenta Light Studios has acquired domestic rights to Renny Harlin’s thriller ‘Deep Water,’ starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley. (more)

• MUBI has acquired Alex Russell’s Sundance thriller ‘Lurker,’ about a man’s toxic obsession with a rising pop star, in a mid-seven-figure deal. (more)

Business 🤝

• Derek Hoffman has been named Lucasfilm’s new Vice President of Development, overseeing live-action projects. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The Costume Designers Guild Awards took place last night. See a list of winners here. 👈👀

• Sick of the news? Join the other 4M Americans and sign up free for the best newsletter for unbiased reporting. (more)*

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INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
The future of filmmaking is already here…

From virtual production to AI-driven creativity, the industry is evolving fast. Stay ahead of the curve with the industry’s latest tech trends—all in one place. If you love The Dailies, you’re going to love this. 👇

RELEASE RADAR
📅 What to watch this weekend?

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Heart Eyes: Horror rom-com starring Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding.

• Love Hurts: Action-comedy starring Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose.

📺 STREAMING

• Clean Slate: (Prime Video) Comedy starring George Wallace and Laverne Cox.

• Kinda Pregnant: (Netflix) Amy Schumer and Will Forte-led comedy.

🏈 SUPER BOWL

• Chiefs vs. Eagles kicks off Sunday at 6:30pm ET from New Orleans' Caesars Superdome. Watch on Fox with Tom Brady in the booth, or stream via Tubi, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, or NFL+. Plus, catch Kendrick Lamar and SZA at halftime.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

'Dog Man' looks to lead with $16-20M in its second weekend during the traditionally slow Super Bowl frame. Two Valentine's-themed newcomers enter the ring: horror film 'Heart Eyes' targets $7-8M while Ke Huy Quan's action-comedy 'Love Hurts' aims for $6-8M. With a projected $60M total, this could be the strongest Super Bowl weekend since pre-pandemic times.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest trends & viral moments