🎬 Genius Loophole

👋 Good morning! In today's "creators will find a way" news, MUBI's SXSW-winning documentary ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ captures how two actors turned a video game into compelling cinema during lockdown. The film follows London performers who staged Shakespeare inside Grand Theft Auto Online, turning the game's virtual Hollywood Bowl into their stage. Their innovative pandemic project not only drew hundreds of live viewers but nabbed Britain's prestigious Stage Award for innovation. The doc is now playing in select US theaters.

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:

• Netflix Goes IMAX

• Australian Open’s Broadcasting Loophole

• TikTok Takes a Powernap

• 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
🎟️ Keke and SZA outrun ‘Wolf Man’…

1. 🦁 Mufasa: The Lion King: Disney's prequel keeps its crown with $11.53M (-19%) for the weekend and a projected $15.5M through Monday. With $205.8M domestic and $588M globally, Barry Jenkins' film climbs to #7 worldwide for 2024, leapfrogging ‘Godzilla x Kong's’ $572M take.

2. 👯‍♀️ One of Them Days: $11.6M domestic weekend, projected $14M 4-day holiday. Keke Palmer and SZA's R-rated comedy surprises in second place, outperforming $8-10M tracking. Strong reviews (97% critics, 92% audience) and "A-" CinemaScore.

3. 🐺 Wolf Man: Universal's latest monster revival limped in with $10.55M and a projected $12M through Monday. Even with premium formats driving 41% of ticket sales, mediocre reviews (53% RT) and that concerning C- CinemaScore suggest rough waters ahead. Global launch stands at just $15.38M.

4. 🦔 Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Paramount's threequel added $8.6M (-24%) domestically, pushing its worldwide cume to $420M and officially outpacing both previous installments.

5. 🔫 Den of Thieves 2: Pantera: Gerard Butler's action sequel took a hefty -56% hit in weekend two with $6.6M, bringing its domestic total to $26.2M.

6. 🌺 Moana 2: Talk about a pivot that paid off. Disney's former streaming series turned theatrical blockbuster sailed to $6.1M (-7%) domestically, crossing $1B globally ($442.8M domestic). It's Disney’s third 2024 release to hit ten digits after ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’

7. 👻 Nosferatu: Focus Features' reimagining banked another $4.3M (-38%) for an $89.4M domestic total.

8. 🎭 A Complete Unknown: $3.8M domestic weekend (-26%), $57.6M domestic total.

9. 🧙‍♀️ Wicked: $3.55M domestic weekend (-31%), $464.5M domestic total.

10. 👶 Babygirl: $2M domestic weekend (-34%), $25.4M domestic total.

The Big Picture: It's one of the quietest MLK weekends in recent memory, with the overall marketplace scraping together just $96.3M for the 3-day—the second-lowest holiday tally in a decade (not counting 2021's pandemic shutdowns). The full 4-day holiday weekend is expected to hit around $115M. Still, some silver linings: 2025's box office is outpacing 2024 by 8% through mid-January ($395.9M total), and Disney's got another billion-dollar hit with ‘Moana 2.’

CLOSEUP
🍿Netflix is warming up to the big screen…

…but only for the biggest names. After months of industry speculation, the specifics of Netflix's unprecedented IMAX deal for Greta Gerwig's ‘Narnia’ adaptation have finally surfaced. Here’s the deal’s nitty-gritty:

• ‘Narnia’ gets a 4-week IMAX exclusive window starting Thanksgiving 2026 (that's double what ‘Glass Onion’ got)

• Rolling out on 1,000+ IMAX screens globally—Netflix's widest theatrical release yet

• Full theatrical marketing spend (a first for Netflix)

• Official "Netflix/IMAX" co-branding

• Potential expansion to regular theaters before hitting Netflix on Christmas

Why this deal is different: For years, Netflix has stubbornly resisted theaters, treating it like a pesky remnant of Hollywood's past. Until now, their theatrical releases were just Hollywood window dressing—quick promotional stunts and minimal concessions to keep A-list filmmakers from walking. ‘Glass Onion’ got 700 theaters for a week to appease Rian Johnson. ‘The Irishman’ got a limited release to satisfy Scorsese and chase Oscar buzz. But Gerwig, fresh off ‘Barbie's’ $1.44B triumph, scored the mother of all deals: guaranteed theatrical presence in 90 countries (pending China's approval), serious marketing muscle, and IMAX's premium platform.

The domino effect: Sources say Netflix is already in talks with IMAX about other theatrical releases. It's a stark shift from Netflix's traditional stance, suggesting Gerwig's deal could be less of a one-off and more of a blueprint for future A-list projects.

What's driving the change?

• Top talent exodus: Netflix recently lost Margot Robbie's $150M ‘Wuthering Heights’ to Warner Bros. over theatrical release demands

• Franchise dreams: Netflix struggles to build blockbuster franchises—Narnia's seven books offer major potential

• Proven partnership: Netflix and IMAX already know they're a winning combo—’Interstellar's’ IMAX re-release broke records in December before becoming Netflix's #3 hit in January

• Smart timing: Recent hits like ‘Wicked’ prove theatrical can boost streaming—it just pulled $70M in its first week on PVOD after a $682M box office run

Looking ahead… The road to ‘Narnia's’ theatrical success isn't guaranteed. The 2026 box office is already stacked with heavy hitters—Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey,’ new ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Hunger Games,’ and ‘Jumanji’ films are all gunning for those IMAX screens. Plus, neither Netflix nor IMAX exactly needs this deal to thrive. But with other A-list Netflix talent surely eyeing similar arrangements, Gerwig's deal could become the new playbook for top-tier filmmakers. One thing's becoming clear: Netflix's "streaming-only" dogma is cracking.

WIDESHOTS
🎬 TikTok’s power nap and animated tennis…

🎬📱 TikTok's shutdown was more like a power nap. The social media giant's rollercoaster weekend saw the app go dark Saturday night as Congress's sell-or-shut-down deadline hit, only to spring back to life Sunday after President-elect Trump promised to delay enforcement. Here’s the plot twist: Trump wants to create a new joint venture where U.S. companies would own half of TikTok—but Republican leaders are pushing back, saying the law requires ByteDance (TikTok's Chinese parent company) to sell it entirely. Meanwhile, tech giants like Apple and Google are in a tight spot: restore TikTok's service based on Trump's word and risk billions in fines if courts disagree, or keep it offline and face user backlash. As TikTok's CEO Shou Chew prepares to attend Trump's inauguration, the platform's fate hangs in the balance, with 170M American users and 7M small businesses watching closely. We’ll see what happens post-inauguration with Trump's promised executive order.

📺🎾 The Australian Open found a genius loophole in sports broadcasting. As the tournament continues through Jan. 26, Tennis Australia (the sport's national governing body) is transforming live matches into real-time computer animations on YouTube, complete with commentary and crowd roar—a clever workaround to their own broadcast restrictions. Since they've sold exclusive TV rights to networks worldwide, this gaming-style format lets them reach audiences directly through social media. The tech uses 12 cameras to create digital player avatars by tracking everything from serve motions to footwork, rendering matches with just a 2-minute delay. The experiment's paying off: after drawing 800K views for last year's men's final, this year's tournament is pulling four times more viewers. Following NFL's Simpsons-themed broadcast success and Amazon Prime's alternative Thursday Night Football streams featuring celebrity commentators, this signals a larger shift toward experimental formats. In today's fragmented media landscape, it's becoming clear: the future of sports broadcasting might be less about who owns the rights and more about who can serve up the most innovative viewing experience.

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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Titus Welliver and Juani Feliz are set to headline a potential CBS spinoff of ‘The Equalizer.’ (more)

• Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Paul Rudd, and Jack Black lead Columbia’s comedic ‘Anaconda’ reimagining. (more)

• Marcel Spears and Sheaun McKinney are set to lead a potential CBS spinoff of ‘The Neighborhood.’ (more)

• David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham join ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ as the parents of Kara Zor-El, with production now underway in the UK. (more)

• Dulcé Sloan departs ‘The Daily Show’ after seven years to focus on acting, stand-up, and new projects, including a comedy special and tour. (more)

• Ashley Zukerman and Jessica Henwick join ‘Silo’ S3 as series regulars. (more)

Renewed & Canceled ✅ ❌

• James Wan’s ‘Teacup’ is cancelled after S1 at Peacock. (more)

• ‘Frasier’ is cancelled by Paramount+ after S2, with the reboot being shopped by CBS studios. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Tim Allen’s ‘Shifting Gears’ becomes ABC’s biggest series launch in six years, drawing 17M viewers across platforms. (more)

• The Critics Choice Awards have been rescheduled to Feb. 7, with Chelsea Handler returning as host and the ceremony airing live on E!. (more)

• Nexstar and Altice USA’s Optimum TV have resolved their carriage dispute, restoring programming to 2M subscribers after a week-long blackout. (more)

CALL SHEET
📅 The week ahead…

• TUESDAY: Netflix reports its Q4 earnings after market close. 📊

• THURSDAY: Oscar nominations announced. ✨

• THURSDAY: Sundance Film Festival begins and runs through Feb. 2nd! 🌄

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

From paper lists to Amazon Prime, times have changed.

While fast shipping and exclusive shows are well-known, these 10 hidden perks can take your membership to the next level.

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MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest viral moments