🎬 Disney's Mystery Investor 🕵️‍♂️

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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:

• Disney’s Mystery Investor

• Netflix Enters the Ring

• Unions Take a Pause

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

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Video Village 📀

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

TOP STREAMED THIS WEEK

🎬🕵️‍♂️ Mystery Player in Disney’s Boardroom Battle: Things are getting weird in the lead-up to Disney’s April 3rd annual meeting. Recall, Disney’s in the midst of a proxy-battle—essentially a tug-of-war over control and strategic direction of the company, played out through the process of voting for board members. Hedge funds Blackwells Capital and Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management are locking horns with CEO Bob Iger over the future direction of the company. Here’s where it gets intriguing: a website called Shareholder Vote Exchange has emerged where shareholders can sell their votes, sidestepping the conventional method of stock acquisition. On this website, a mystery investor has offered $100,000 to scoop up 500,000 votes. This play has raised eyebrows and questions alike about the bidder's allegiance—whether they're siding with the Iger-critiquing hedge funds or backing Iger himself. This could sway the vote in favor of one side or the other, especially considering Peltz's 2017 battle for Procter & Gamble hinged on just 42,000 votes. Meanwhile, the debacle has propelled the company's share price to soar over 20% in early 2024, bouncing back from 2023 lows.

🎬🥊 Netflix Enters the Boxing Ring: After the successful ‘Netflix Slam’ in Las Vegas last weekend, Netflix has announced a blockbuster boxing event featuring Jake Paul against the legendary Mike Tyson on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. The event will accessible to all Netflix subscribers. For Netflix, this isn't just about broadcasting a match; it's about harnessing the power of sports fanaticism and influencer culture to capture a wide, possibly untapped audience. By roping in Jake Paul, originally known for his vast following and diverse content across YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, Netflix is banking on crossover allure. It’s a savvy move, capitalizing on the potential for viral moments and social media buzz that can draw in viewers who are keen on experiencing the hype in real-time. Netflix's stride into the live sports arena continues.

🎬🔧 Hollywood Unions Brace for Round Two: After a series of initial talks this week focusing on health and pension benefits, Hollywood's IATSE, Teamsters, and other Crafts unions are taking a beat to regroup internally. They’re setting sights on March 18 for their next negotiation session with studio representatives. The dialogue's early stages saw IATSE presenting ambitious proposals aimed at significantly improving contract enforcement, living standards, and working conditions for its 50,000 West Coast members. With a July 31 deadline for the current contracts, IATSE has firmly declined any extension, signaling a tight timeline for negotiations.

Development 🗒️

• Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson are set to return in 'The Accountant 2.’ (more)

• Tim Allen reunites with ABC for the new sitcom ‘Shifting Gears,’ serving as star and executive producer. (more)

• Hulu orders a limited series starring Margaret Qualley as Amanda Knox, executive produced by Monica Lewinsky. (more)

• Laura Dern reunites with Noah Baumbach for his next Netflix movie, joining, Billy Crudup, Adam Sandler and George Clooney. (more)

• Chloë Grace Moretz, Lewis Pullman, and Ariana DeBose will star in 'Dutch & Razzlekhan.’ (more)

• Zooey Deschanel will star in 'Merv,' a rom-com directed by Jessica Swale for Amazon MGM. (more)

• Nicholas Braun is cast as Jim Henson in ‘SNL 1975.’ (more)

• Sadie Stanley joins ‘Karate Kid’ as the romantic lead, alongside Ben Wang and returning stars Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. (more)

• Lifetime green lights a film with Billy Zane about a cult at Sarah Lawrence College, directed by Elisabeth Rohm. (more)

• Chad Stahelski secures a new Lionsgate deal to produce original action movies, following his directorial roles in 'John Wick' and an upcoming 'Highlander' reboot. (more)

• Kevin Bray signs a two-year exclusive directing deal with HBO. (more)

• MGM+ greenlights 'Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue,' a mystery thriller limited series starring Eric McCormack. (more)

• Jermaine Fowler will star in and co-write a Fox comedy about a disgraced jiu-jitsu champion's comeback in a modest dojo. (more)

• Vertical acquires Lisa Steen's 'Late Bloomers,' starring Karen Gillan. (more)

• David Krumholtz is set to star in 'Forelock.' (more)

• MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios are developing a limited series on the JonBenét Ramsey case. (more)

• David Castañeda and Sharon Duncan-Brewster join Lionsgate's 'Ballerina,' a 'John Wick' spinoff, amidst reshoots. (more)

• Rachel Weisz's Astral Projection signs a three-year first-look deal with Fremantle. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ is renewed for S2 and S3 at Netflix. (more)

• ‘Upload’ is renewed for its fourth and final season on Prime Video. (more)

• ‘Side Hustlers’ is renewed for S2 by Roku. (more)

Business 🤝

• Disney sells out ad inventory for the 96th Oscars on ABC, generating an estimated $120M in ad revenue. (more)

• Paramount is negotiating to sell its Indian media joint venture stake to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, reflecting global companies' challenges in expanding within India's fast-growing entertainment sector. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer for ‘Rust,’ has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. (more)

• 'Shogun' sets a record with 9M global streaming views on Hulu, Disney+, and Star+, marking Disney's best scripted series launch. (more)

What to watch this weekend? 👀

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Kung Fu Panda 4: Newest full-length feature in the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise.

• Imaginary: Blumhouse-produced horror movie starring DeWanda Wise.

• Cabrini: Angel Studios’ biopic on Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini.

📺 STREAMING

• Roadhouse: (Prime Video) Remake of the 80’s classic starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

• The Gentlemen: (Netflix) Guy Ritchie’s new series, a spinoff of his 2019 film of the same name.

• Ricky Stanicky: (Prime Video) Comedy directed by Peter Farrelly starring Zac Efron, John Cena and Jemaine Fowler.

• Damsel: (Netflix) Dark fantasy film starring Millie Bobbie Brown.

🏆 AWARDS SEASON

• The 2024 Oscars will be broadcast live on ABC at 7 p.m. ET on March 10 and available to stream on abc.com, the ABC app, Hulu Live TV, YouTubeTV, AT&T TV, and FuboTV.