🎬 This Could Change Things FOREVER!

👋 Good morning! Welcome aboard the Dailies.

Whether you're a seasoned subscriber or a new arrival, we're thrilled to have you here. Twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, we'll deliver the most important industry scoops directly to your inbox.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Closeup: This Could Change TV FOREVER!

• Aaron Paul Talks Residual Gap

• WGA Faces Election Amid Strike

• Warner Bros. Discovery’s Earnings Dip

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

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Video Village 📀

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

MOST STREAMED THIS WEEK

This Could Change TV Forever!
💰Why the Disney vs. Charter Standoff Is Big 🎥

In case you haven’t heard, Disney and Charter Communications are locked in a huge dispute. Think of it as a high-stakes boxing match between industry giants, and everyone's watching to see who'll blink first.

Let’s break it down:

What’s Happening?🚨 Charter's 15 million Spectrum customers can't watch ABC, ESPN, or Nat Geo anymore. Yup, those channels have gone dark, and people are freaking out. The blackout has many asking, "Is this the end of the traditional TV bundle?"

Why? 🤔 Charter says Disney is moving all the good stuff to their streaming services, away from linear cable channels. They're basically asking, "Why pay twice for the same content?" On Disney's end, they're considering focusing more on sports and less on traditional TV.

Legal Twist👨‍⚖️ Hold onto your remotes! A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Charter. Customers feel used and are demanding that either the Disney channels come back or that they get a refund. The lawsuit points out that folks are missing out on key sports events. Both sides are blaming each other, and viewers are caught in the middle. Imagine missing your favorite show because mom and dad are arguing over the remote.

Why Care? 🚩 Experts are warning that this fight might be the first domino to fall. If Disney channels get dropped, other companies might do the same. Yikes, right? Especially bad for Disney who's got big bucks tied to sports.

Cha-Ching! 💰 Charter was expected to pay Disney $2.2 billion for 2023 alone. With media companies already burdened by debt, losing this kind of dough would be a nightmare.

Stock Drop 📉 Investors are getting nervous. Charter's stock has gone down by 7%, and even Disney’s took a hit.

Streaming or Dreaming? 📺 Charter’s CEO, Chris Winfrey, might give up on TV and just focus on internet services. Meanwhile, industry insiders are debating whether streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu are the future, despite their shaky economic models. 🤷‍♀️

S.O.S. 🚢 Moffett Nathanson analysts say, "The lifeboats have already been burned," hinting that the traditional TV bundle is on its way out. Even smaller companies like Cable One have already jumped ship.

What Now? 🤷‍♂️ If no deal is made, Charter is eyeing partnerships with Apple TV, Roku, and others for new entertainment packages. Meanwhile, Disney is urging Spectrum customers to switch to Hulu + Live TV, and says they’ve already seen a crazy 60% increase in subscriptions compared to what they were expecting.

Bottom line? This feud might just be the canary in the coal mine for pay-TV, and it's gonna have ripple-effects through the industry.

Aaron Paul Talks Residual Gap in Netflix Streaming of ‘Breaking Bad’ 🤯 In a candid revelation, Aaron Paul disclosed that he receives no residuals for the streaming of 'Breaking Bad' on Netflix. This hot topic is front and center in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, which (among other things) aims to secure payment for actors from streaming services. Paul emphasized that shows have a long shelf life on platforms like Netflix, and it's high time that streamers start offering fair compensation. Co-star Bryan Cranston chimed in, noting that the decline in broadcast revenues has significantly impacted traditional forms of actor income. In essence, actors are pushing for a financial model that reflects the current TV and streaming landscape. 🎭💰

WGA East Faces Election Amid Membership Structure Changes and Ongoing Strike 🗳️ In the midst of ongoing labor disputes, the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) is heading into a rather pivotal election. This isn't just any election—it's the first since they overhauled their membership structure by splitting their members into three groups: people who write for movies and TV shows, news writers, and those who focus on online stuff. 🎥📰💻 The restructuring has been a somewhat contentious issue within the guild, sparking debates about the potential financial impact of lower-paid digital writers on the guild’s pension and healthcare funds. 🤔 To make it fair, they're also introducing new leadership roles that are specific to each of these groups. The big question is, can they all get along under one big WGAE umbrella? 🤔🤝

Warner Bros. Discovery Faces Up to $500M Earnings Dip 🚨 In a SEC filing, Warner Bros. Discovery has publicly disclosed that these ongoing strikes by actors and writers are gonna cost them. We're talking somewhere between $300 and $500 million this year! 😬 On the flip side, they're expecting to still make a cool $5 billion from other stuff, thanks to movies like ‘Barbie.’ Originally, they thought these strikes would be over by September, but are no longer so hopeful. Now they're redoing their financial plans. While they're still trying to work things out with the striking workers, it's looking more and more like this drama might stick around till the end of the year. 📅🙄

Development 🗒️

• Jeremy Renner’s ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ is renewed for S3. (more)

• Peter Gadiot and Eliza Taylor are set as series regulars in ‘Quantum Leap’ S2. (more)

• Neon acquires worldwide rights for Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’ ahead of its Venus Film Fest premiere. (more)

• Martin Scorsese sets his next film after ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ (more)

• Sarah Bareilles musical ‘Waitress’ is acquired by Bleeker Street. (more)

Releases 📅

• Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross holiday comedy ‘Candy Cane Lane’ will premiere on December 1 on Prime Video. (more)

• The Hollywood Reporter publishes a list of titles coming to Prime Video this fall. (see the list 👉here👈)

• Sony's ‘Dumb Money’ shifts its release dates, starting with exclusive showings in L.A. and NYC on Sep. 15, and going wide on October 6 to avoid clashing with other major releases. (more)

Buzz 🗣️

• Theater Owners predict $100M opening for Eras Tour concert pic. (more)

• Netflix announces that ‘The Crown’ S6 will dive into King Charles III and Camilla Parker-Bowles' 2005 royal wedding. (more)

• Bill Maher criticizes aspects of the WGA strike on his podcast Club Random. (watch 👉here👈 commentary starts at 25:00)

• Check out Deadline’s calendar of upcoming film festivals for the rest of 2023: See it 👉here👈

Business 🤝

• Roku is axing 10% of its workforce and pulling some content off its platform, expecting to take a charge of up to $65 million as it doubles down on cost-cutting. (more)

• AMC Theaters stock falls after its parent company files to sell up to 40 million shares to pay down debt. (more)

• TUBI, Fox’s free streaming service, has now reached upwards of 74 million monthly active users. (more)

• After failed talks with Amazon's legal team, the FTC gears up to file an antitrust lawsuit targeting Amazon's business practices. (more)

• Comcast and Disney fast-track their Hulu sale talks to Sept. 30, with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts hinting that Hulu is worth way more than the previously estimated $30 billion. (more)

• U.S. advertising revenue is set to grow 5% in 2023, but the national TV sector is grappling with what some call an ‘existential crisis.’ (more)

• Netflix is ramping up its global content game with a focus on local-language shows and a growing presence in mobile gaming. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Warner Bros. Television Group has suspended overall deals with top creatives like J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, and Chuck Lorre due to the ongoing WGA strike. (more)

• A record number of Hollywood workers are facing evictions and seeking rent assistance amid strikes. (more)

• The Entertainment Community Fund has now distributed more than $6 million in financial assistance to industry workers since the start of the WGA strike. (more)

• Disney+ ad plan is available for just $2 per month in a limited-time promo. (more)

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What to watch this weekend? 👀

THEATRICAL 🎥

• My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: After traveling to Greece for a family reunion, a woman attempts to locate her deceased father's childhood friends.

• The Nun II: The sequel to the worldwide smash hit follows Sister Irene as she once again comes face-to-face with Valak, the demon nun.

STREAMING 📺

• How to Date Billy Walsh: (Prime Video) Archie has always kept his love for Amelia a secret, but just as he builds up the courage to declare his feelings, Amelia falls for Billy Walsh, the new transfer student.

• Sitting in Bars with Cake: (Prime Video) Based on the cookbook Sitting in Bars with Cake by Audrey Shulman.