🎬 Ditching Nielsen

👋 Good morning! Netflix's ‘Monsters’ has served up a 33-minute single-take episode that's got Hollywood talking. In Episode 5, Cooper Koch delivers a marathon monologue as Erik Menendez that would make even the most seasoned actors break a sweat. Eight takes, two days, and one very sore throat later, we've got what Ryan Murphy calls a performance "you just could not look away" from. Social media is buzzing with praise for Koch's tour de force.

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🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Paramount Considers Ditching Nielsen

• Newsom’s Making Moves

• Hulu’s Winning Formula

• 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 🎟️

1. 🤖 The Wild Robot: $35M domestic opening weekend, $53.1M global. Excellent debut for DreamWorks' new IP, nabbing an A CinemaScore and 96% positive on PostTrak. One of the best openings in years for a non-franchise animated film.

2. 🪲 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: $16M domestic weekend (-38%), $250.1M domestic total. Tim Burton's sequel refuses to die in its 4th frame.

3. 🚗 Transformers One: $9.3M domestic weekend (-62%), $39.1M domestic total. Hard fall in week two as families flock to The Wild Robot.

4. 🇮🇳 Devara Part 1: $5.6M domestic opening weekend. Strong debut for Telugu action-drama on just 1,040 screens.

5. 🤐 Speak No Evil: $4.3M domestic weekend (-26%), $28.1M domestic total. Blumhouse horror remake holding steady in week 3.

6. 🏙️ Megalopolis: $4M domestic opening weekend. Francis Ford Coppola's $120M self-financed epic flops with D+ CinemaScore. One of the worst opening weekends for a big budget film ever.

7. 🦸 Deadpool & Wolverine: $2.65M domestic weekend (-30%), $631.2M domestic total. Still hanging in the top 10 after 10 weeks.

8. 👵 My Old Ass: $2.22M domestic weekend (+706%), $2.85M domestic total. Big jump as Amazon MGM's comedy expands to 1,390 theaters.

9. 🔪 Never Let Go: $2.2M domestic weekend (-50%), $8.2M domestic total. Halle Berry thriller drops hard in week two.

10. 💊 The Substance: $1.8M domestic weekend (-43%), $6.8M domestic total. Demi Moore body-swap movie loses steam in sophomore frame.

The Big Picture: Hollywood's fall season is off to a solid start with a $95M overall weekend, up 11% from last year. ‘The Wild Robot's’ strong debut proves there's still appetite for original animated fare. With a $78M budget, it's poised for profitability. Meanwhile, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ continues to impress. However, ‘Megalopolis‘ flopped hard—a stark reminder of the risks in big-budget passion projects. As we head into October, all eyes are on upcoming sequels like ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ and ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ to maintain box office momentum.

📊🥊 Paramount's ready to ditch Nielsen. The media giant's considering ending its Nielsen reliance come Oct. 1, as contract talks hit a pricing wall. It’s a big deal in TV land, where Nielsen’s been TV's longtime scorekeeper, measuring how many eyeballs are glued to shows and ads. But it’s not just about pinching pennies (though Skydance's looming takeover has Paramount bean-counting); Paramount's eyeing Nielsen competitors like VideoAmp, seeking more accurate audience measurement in our fragmented media world, where viewers scatter across streaming, mobile, and on-demand platforms. Nielsen's numbers have long been the currency of TV ad deals, so ditching them could spark a financial revolution. If Paramount jumps ship and others follow, we're talking a complete overhaul of how TV ads are bought, sold, and priced. From upfront negotiations to targeted ad strategies, this move could reshuffle billions in ad spend. We’ll know more soon, as Paramount and Nielsen’s current contract expires today.

🎬📱 California Governor Gavin Newsom’s been making moves that will have ripple effects in Hollywood. Last week, he signed AB 2426, a game-changer for digital entertainment. Starting next year, when you "buy" digital content—from movies to games—companies must tell you straight up: you're just renting long-term, not owning. This follows shocking incidents like Ubisoft erasing the game ‘The Crew’ from players' accounts, leaving buyers unable to play. "Buying" digital content has always meant just purchasing a viewing license, but most folks didn't know. This law forces companies to be clear about it. This could force streaming giants to make changes their marketing strategies and might even boost physical media sales.

…Newsom's also wading into the AI debate, vetoing SB 1047, a major AI safety bill that had strong Hollywood backing. SAG-AFTRA, along with A-listers like J.J. Abrams, Shonda Rhimes, and Jane Fonda, supported the bill. The bill aimed to make AI developers implement security measures before training models. Newsom argued it was too stringent, potentially hampering innovation in a rapidly evolving field. As AI remains a hot topic in Hollywood, with regulation struggling to keep pace, Newsom's pushing for a more nuanced approach.

🎯📺 Hulu's hitting it out of the park right now, and here's the lowdown: They're seeing record-high demand for their exclusive shows while subscriber churn has hit an all-time low. Why? It's all about their smart content strategy, with a secret weapon: FX. This Disney-owned cable network isn't just another content partner—it's Hulu's golden goose. FX shows make up a tiny 3-4% of Hulu's catalog but drive a whopping 6-7% of viewer demand. Hulu's not just throwing everything at the wall; they're laser-focused on high-quality exclusives that keep viewers coming back for more. Shows like FX's ‘The Bear’ and ‘Shogun’ are proving to be subscriber magnets. This FX-Hulu symbiosis is a masterclass in strategic partnerships, giving FX wider distribution while Hulu snags must-see content. The big takeaway? In the streaming game, it's quality over quantity. Hulu's winning formula shows that a curated mix of standout exclusives can outperform a massive library of so-so content.

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Development 🗒️

• Roadside Attractions picks up Gia Coppola’s TIFF hit ‘The Last Showgirl,’ starring Pamela Anderson, for a North American release. (more)

• Amazon is in talks with Brian Williams to host a non-partisan election night special, marking the streaming service’s first live news event. (more)

• Meryl Streep is set to star in CBS Studios’ adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s ‘The Corrections,’ marking the second attempt to bring the novel to television. (more)

• DC Studios is developing a movie centered on Batman villains Bane and Deathstroke, with a script by ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ writer Matthew Orton. (more)

• Hilary Swank is joining ‘Yellowjackets’ S3 as a recurring guest star. (more)

• Aaron Pierre and Stephan James are in talks to play the superhero John Stewart in HBO’s ‘Lanterns.’ (more)

• Sony Pictures Television has signed first-look deals with nine comedians and writers, including Scott Aukerman and Julie Klausner, to develop new comedy series and projects. (more)

• Sierra McCormick and Dermot Mulroney lead the action-packed satire ‘Killing Mary Sue.’ (more)

• Whitney Cummings will host ‘Fast Friends,’ a four-part game show on Max celebrating ‘Friends’ 30th anniversary. (more)

• Stephen Moyer will star in and executive produce ‘Art Detectives,’ a crime drama series for Acorn TV about solving art-related murders. (more)

• Netflix has signed ‘Tokyo Swindlers’ director Hitoshi One to an exclusive five-year deal, securing all his upcoming series and films for the platform. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘UnPrisoned’ is cancelled after 2 seasons at Hulu. (more)

• ‘Chucky’ is cancelled by Syfy and USA after 3 seasons. (more)

• ‘Black Cake’ is canceled after S1 at Hulu. (more)

Other News 🚨

• A federal court allowed a defamation claim to proceed against Netflix over its portrayal of a woman as a convicted stalker in ‘Baby Reindeer,’ while dismissing other claims in the lawsuit. (more)

• The New York Film Festival kicked off over the weekend with RaMell Ross’ divisive ‘Nickel Boys.’ (more)

• The Teamsters have reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP on a new casting deal, now pending ratification by LA and NY members. (more)