🎬 Current Battlefield

👋 Good morning! A pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ just clicked their heels to a jaw-dropping $32.5M at Heritage Auctions, while 'Wicked: Part One' dominates theaters. The shoes, which survived a dramatic 2005 theft and FBI recovery, shattered the previous memorabilia record held by Marilyn Monroe’s iconic subway grate dress ($5.52M).

Whether you're a seasoned subscriber or a new arrival, we're thrilled to have you here. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we'll deliver the most important industry scoops directly to your inbox.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Rethinking Straight-to-Streaming?

• Current State of the Awards Race

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Call Sheet: The week ahead

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, let’s take a look at what happened at the box office this past weekend!

BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN
🎟️ Billion dollar December? 🤔

1. 🌊 Moana 2: $52M domestic weekend (-63%), $300M domestic total, $600M global. Already surpassing the original's $582M lifetime global in just 12 days.

2. 🧙‍♀️ Wicked: $34.9M domestic weekend (-57%), $320.5M domestic total, $455.5M global. Now 2024's biggest non-sequel. International numbers lagging with weak China ($1.2M) and France ($2M) debuts.

3. ⚔️ Gladiator II: $12.45M domestic weekend (-60%), $132.7M domestic total, $368.4M global. Holding strong at #3 despite losing 140 screens.

4. 🎅 Red One: $7M domestic weekend (-45%), $85.7M domestic total. Amazon's holiday actioner showing decent legs in fourth frame.

5. 🚀 Interstellar: $4.4M domestic weekend from just 165 IMAX locations ($26,818 per-theater). Nolan's 10th-anniversary re-release proves his drawing power, with IMAX 70mm showings completely sold out at $70K per screen.

6. 🥋 Solo Leveling -ReAwakening-: $2.4M domestic weekend from 846 theaters. Crunchyroll's anime recap/preview performs modestly.

7. ⚡ Y2K: $2.1M domestic opening from 2,108 theaters. A24's Rachel Zegler-led horror-comedy crashes with "C-" CinemaScore and 44% on RT.

8. 🎄 For King + Country: A Drummer Boy Christmas: $2M domestic weekend ($2.6M with previews). Faith-based concert film extends run through Dec. 18.

9. 🎭 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: $1.52M domestic weekend (-57%), $34.4M domestic total.

10. 🐺 Werewolves: $1.1M domestic opening from 1,351 theaters. Frank Grillo action-horror fails to howl.

The Big Picture: This weekend shattered expectations with a record $132M haul, powered by 'Moana 2' and 'Wicked' both crossing $300M. Theater owners are seeing dollar signs as December could hit $1B total—not quite pre-Covid numbers, but getting there. The trio of 'Moana 2,' 'Wicked,' and 'Gladiator II' should bring in $500M+ this month alone, while 'Mufasa: The Lion King' and 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' wait in the wings to spread some holiday cheer.

CLOSEUP
🌊 ‘Moana 2’ is making streaming-first look so 2023…

Streaming-first has been Hollywood's favorite strategy lately, with many studios choosing to skip theaters entirely for their biggest releases. But 'Moana 2's' monster box office success might be changing that thinking. In a surprising move this February, Disney took what was supposed to be just another Disney+ series and turned it into a theatrical release—and boy, are they glad they did.

Some jaw-dropping numbers:

• $600M global box office (and still climbing)

• $300M domestic earnings

• About to sail past the original's $643M lifetime haul

• Shattered Thanksgiving records with $225M five-day debut

• Set new post-Thanksgiving weekend record with $52M

The bigger picture: While streaming platforms have been quick to skip theaters, ‘Moana 2’ suggests they might be leaving serious cash on the table in doing so. Even with Disney+'s massive 159M subscriber base (cue impressed whistle), the theatrical release is bringing in the kind of money that streaming subscriptions can only dream about. Here’s why it matters:

• Theater releases still create that can't-buy cultural buzz that streaming just can't match

• Box office success actually fuels streaming performance later (just look at the original ‘Moana,’ still Disney+'s most-streamed movie)

• Too much streaming can actually hurt your franchise appeal (just ask ‘Marvel’ and ‘Star Wars’—yikes!)

• Streaming-only releases often struggle to justify their budgets

Looking ahead... Disney's already having a killer year with ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ and ‘Inside Out 2’ crushing it at theaters. ‘Moana 2's’ success suggests we might see fewer big-budget projects going straight to streaming—even from platforms that have traditionally bypassed theaters. The project's journey from streaming series to box office tsunami proves theatrical releases aren't just about keeping talent happy—they're about maximizing revenue potential.

CLOSEUP
🏆 The Oscar crystal ball is getting cloudy…

While this time of year usually gives us a clear peek at potential Academy favorites, (think ‘Oppenheimer's’ dominant run last year or ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ the year before) 2025's award season is serving up pure chaos instead. The usual suspects—Gotham Awards, New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review—are all pointing their golden fingers in different directions.

The battlefield so far:

Best Picture race is a five-way showdown:

• ‘Anora’ leads with consistent recognition across the board: Palme d'Or at Cannes, LAFCA's top prize, Spirit Award nominations, and strong showings at Gotham.

• ‘Conclave’ tops some prediction lists despite minimal wins, scoring with AFI and NBR.

• ‘The Brutalist’ earned NYFF's best film but got surprisingly snubbed by the Spirits.

• ‘Wicked’ emerged as the populist contender with a surprise NBR dominance.

• ‘Sing Sing’ builds quiet momentum, carrying strong wins for its performers at Gotham and Spirit nominations.

Acting categories are equally unpredictable:

• Best Actor sees Colman Domingo (‘Sing Sing’) and Adrien Brody (‘The Brutalist’) neck-and-neck.

• Best Actress remains wide open with Mikey Madison (‘Anora’) and Nicole Kidman (‘Babygirl’) in the mix.

• Supporting Actor might be Kieran Culkin's to lose for ‘A Real Pain,’ with strong wins at LAFCA, NBR, and NYFF.

• Supporting Actress sees surprise wins for various contenders, with Zoe Saldaña (‘Emilia Pérez’) emerging as a possible frontrunner.

Looking ahead... The Golden Globes are about to crash the party with their nominations (dropping later this morning), and with Academy voters sitting tight until January, there's plenty of time for the race to evolve. We might be looking at the most unpredictable Oscar season since, well, forever.

The bigger picture: This year's awards season reflects a broader shift in the industry, with streaming giants like Netflix (‘Emilia Pérez’) competing alongside traditional studios, and popular hits (‘Wicked’) vying with arthouse fare (‘The Brutalist’) for recognition. The diverse slate of contenders suggests the Academy's efforts to broaden its membership might be having an impact on what's considered "Oscar-worthy."

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR
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It's called Masterworks. Their nearly $1B collection includes works by greats like Banksy, Picasso, and Basquiat. When Masterworks sells a painting—like the 23 it's already sold – investors reap their portion of the net proceeds.

In just the last few years, Masterworks investors have realized net annualized returns like +17.6%, +17.8%, and +21.5% (from 3 illustrative sales held longer than one year).

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_{Disclaimer: The content is not intended to provide legal, tax, or investment advice. No money is being solicited or will be accepted until the offering statement for a particular offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers may be revoked at any time. Contacting Masterworks involves no commitment or obligation. “Net Annualized Return” refers to annualized internal rate of return net of all fees and expenses, calculated from the offering closing date to the date the sale is consummated. For additional information regarding the calculation of IRR for a particular investment in an artwork that has been sold, a reconciliation will be filed as an exhibit to Form 1-U and will be available on the SEC’s website. This communication is sent exclusively from Masterworks and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Bank of America. Masterworks did not contribute to the creation of the linked content. The report is not intended to be regarded as investment advice, an offer, or solicitation of an offer to enter into any Masterworks offering.}

LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• HBO’s upcoming ‘Harry Potter’ series taps Oscar-winning costume designer Holly Waddington (‘Poor Things’) to bring her magic to Hogwarts. (more)

• Joseph Gordon-Levitt teams up with Rian Johnson’s T-Street to direct an untitled AI thriller starring Anne Hathaway. (more)

• David Tennant will return as host of the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards, marking his second consecutive year in the role. (more)

• Anna Schafer, Jack Kesy, Kate Flannery, and Matt Barr star in the indie rom-com ‘How Hard Can It Be.’ (more)

• ABC is developing ‘Devil’s Ranch,’ a military procedural from Rebecca Murga, with Heidi Cole McAdams as showrunner. (more)

• Netflix enlists Jeff Ross to host ‘Torching 2024: A Roast of the Year,’ premiering Dec. 27 with a star-studded lineup of comedians. (more)

• Jake Rubin and Evan Metzold reunite with Objectively Good Media to direct dark golf comedy ‘Mulligans.’ (more)

• Wyatt Russell is in talks to join Steven Spielberg’s next star-studded event film, set for release on May 15, 2026. (more)

Business 🤝

• IATSE and Canadian producers reach a tentative deal for film set trailers, ensuring continued labor stability in Ontario’s production sector. (more)

• AMC stock drops 9% after plans to sell up to 50M shares spark investor backlash and social media uproar. (more)

• TikTok loses its appeal against a U.S. bill requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. business or face a ban by Jan. 19 due to national security concerns. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Buzz builds around Sora V2 as leaked videos impress fans, sparking speculation that more details could drop today. (more)

• A24 announces special 70mm screenings of ‘The Brutalist’ starting December 19 in NYC and LA. (more)

• Max expands its TCM hub with hundreds of classic films, showcasing a major investment in curating timeless cinematic treasures. (more)

• Been enjoying The Dailies? Here are some other newsletters our readers also enjoy. (more)*

  _*sponsored

CALL SHEET
📅 This week in trophy season…

• MONDAY: Golden Globe Golden Globe noms drop (catch 'em here 👈👀)

• TUESDAY: Hair & Makeup Guild reveals their picks

• WEDNESDAY: Editors guild (ACE Eddie) nominations

• THURSDAY: Critics Choice Award noms announced

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest trends & viral moments