🎬 Goldmine's Drying Up

👋 Good morning! While you're stuck in traffic on the 405, Hollywood's elite are currently roasting marshmallows and making deals in Sun Valley. Allen & Co.'s exclusive annual retreat has Bob Iger, David Zaslav, Ted Sarandos, and other media and tech moguls trading their offices for Idaho scenery. While pretending to enjoy nature, the Hollywood execs are likely discussing things like artificial intelligence reshaping Hollywood and which linear assets to dump next. (We're pretty sure they're all secretly checking The Dailies on their phones to make sure they don't miss any breaking news between hiking sessions.)

Happy Friday! Grab your coffee and we’ll get you caught up on Hollywood’s latest. 👇

TOP STREAMED
📊 What U.S. audiences were watching this week…

CLOSEUP
🏈 The sports doc goldmine is drying up…

The sports documentary industry, which seemed like a goldmine after Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' (2019) and 'The Last Dance' (2020), is rapidly consolidating. The initial success triggered a tidal wave of copycat projects, but what was once a thriving ecosystem for independent producers is becoming a game only the biggest players can afford.

The market’s now cooling fast. Last year, U.S. series orders for sports content nosedived from 104 in the first half of 2024 to just 64 in the second half—a brutal 38% drop that outpaces the broader industry downturn.

How it’s playing out for independent producers…

• Major sports leagues are bringing production in-house: The Premier League and Kansas City Chiefs are launching their own studios, capturing the revenue and control that used to go to outside producers. Manchester City made their own behind-the-scenes doc, posted it on YouTube, and got 1.3M views.

• Archive footage costs are skyrocketing: One minute of English Football League content now costs £10,000 ($13,500), pricing out smaller producers.

• Access is tightening: The biggest stars and stories that streamers want are increasingly controlled by leagues and teams directly.

• Streamers are getting pickier: After a period of over-saturation, limited slots now go to mega-budget projects about global superstars that independents often can't access.

It’s an unexpected reality check for a genre that was thought to be recession-proof. They had built-in passionate audiences, clear narrative arcs, and global appeal—everything streamers craved.

Looking ahead… Independent producers are adapting by focusing on lesser-known athletes, using co-productions and tax credits, and hunting for stories that major leagues haven't prioritized yet. But the fundamental economics have changed—the era of easy access to major sports stories is ending.

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WIDESHOT
🎬 A24, Disney+ & ITV, and Kalshi…

🎬 A24 is importing China's $2.2B blockbuster for American audiences. The arthouse distributor announced it's bringing ‘Ne Zha 2’ back to U.S. theaters on August 22 with an English dub starring Michelle Yeoh and premium format screenings. The Chinese animated film is the fifth-highest grossing movie of all time, earning a massive $2.1B in China alone, but only managed $21M during its original subtitled American release back in February. It will be A24’s first dive into fully animated theatrical releases, which has some wondering if they’re testing the animation waters. It’s a notable shift: instead of Hollywood exporting blockbusters worldwide, we're seeing a proven international mega-hit get the full American treatment from a prestigious U.S. distributor. If successful, this could mark a new reality where Chinese blockbusters compete directly with Hollywood for American audiences, especially as China's domestic production grows stronger.

🤝 Disney+ and ITV are going from streaming rivals to partners. Starting July 16, UK viewers on Disney+ can watch ‘Love Island’ and ‘Mr. Bates vs the Post Office’ while ITVX audiences get ‘The Bear’ and ‘Andor’ through curated content rails on both platforms. The deal works because their demographics barely overlap—Disney+ skews under-34 while ITV's core audience is over-45, allowing each to tap into untapped viewer segments. Disney's Karl Holmes says similar deals with other European broadcasters are coming, and it’s part of a bigger trend across the continent. Netflix recently partnered with France's TF1 and Amazon with France Télévisions in similar deals, suggesting American streamers are ditching the "dominate every market" play in favor of teaming up with local broadcasters who already have audience relationships and regulatory advantages.

🤖 Kalshi's latest TV ad was made by AI for pocket change and a tiny crew. The prediction market company first made headlines in June when it aired a fully AI-generated commercial during the NBA Finals, marking the first time a major brand ran a completely artificial advertisement during one of television's most expensive media buys. Yesterday, Kalshi followed up with another AI-created spot, this one David and Goliath-themed. While there have been a few AI-generated ads before, viewers are noting how the quality has significantly improved—even if they still find them creepy and robotic. Advertising is becoming the first creative industry to get hit hard by AI. From algorithms buying ad space to AI-generated content, the whole sector is feeling the heat, with agencies already slashing thousands of jobs while other creative fields are still discussing how to set up guardrails for implementation.

LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️

• ‘Winter Games’ casts Hailee Steinfeld opposite Miles Teller in Paramount’s Olympic romance drama set during the Winter Games. (more)

• ‘Road House 2’ loses director Guy Ritchie ahead of its September production start, with Jake Gyllenhaal still set to return. (more)

• Vanessa Hudgens stars in ‘Quiet Storm,’ a ’60s-set thriller. (more)

• ‘Eleven Days’ casts Taylor Kitsch as a Texas prison chief in Peter Landesman’s indie hostage thriller. (more)

• Greta Lee will direct and write ‘The Eyes Are the Best Part’ for Searchlight, adapting Monika Kim’s hit horror novel. (more)

• ‘Night at the Museum’ is getting a reimagining at 20th Century Studios, with Tripper Clancy set to write an all-new story. (more)

• ‘Last Days’ from ‘Fast & Furious’ director Justin Lin lands at Vertical, with an October 24 theatrical release. (more)

• ‘Fantasy Camp’ comedy pitch lands at United Artists, with Nate Bargatze set to star and produce the basketball-themed film. (more)

TV Development 📺

•  ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,’ a ‘Big Bang Theory’ spinoff, lands at HBO Max with Kevin Sussman reprising his role. (more)

• A ‘Scrubs’ reboot scores a series order at ABC with Donald Faison and Sarah Chalke joining Zach Braff in returning roles. (more)

• Larry David and Barack Obama team up for an HBO sketch comedy series about American history, produced by Higher Ground. (more)

• ‘Duster’ is cancelled by HBO Max after S1. (more)

Business 🤝

• Jaume Collet-Serra signs overall deal with Netflix after ‘Carry-On’ becomes the streamer’s second most-watched film ever. (more)

• Apple bids for Formula 1 U.S. broadcast rights as it looks to take over from ESPN. (more)

• BFI and CNC sign cooperation deal to boost UK-French collaboration across film and TV. (more)

• ‘Black Mirror’ Creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones exit Netflix’s Broke & Bones as their five-year deal ends. (more)

Other News 🚨

• SAG-AFTRA Members ratify video game deal with 95% approval, ending a 320-day strike and securing new AI protections. (more)

• The 2025 Daytime Emmys nominations have been revealed. (more)

• Expand your knowledge by joining 4M+ Americans who start their day with 1440’s newsletter. (more)*

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RELEASE RADAR
📅 New releases this weekend…

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Superman: James Gunn's DCU reboot starring David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan.

📺 STREAMING

• Foundation: (Apple TV+) S3 of the epic sci-fi series.

• Dexter: Resurrection: (Paramount+ Premium) ‘Dexter’ sequel series starring David Zayas.

• Too Much: (Netflix) Rom-com series from Lena Dunham.

• Madea’s Destination Wedding: (Netflix) Comedy featuring Tyler Perry's beloved matriarch heading to a tropical wedding.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW: James Gunn's 'Superman' is set to launch DC Studios' new era with a projected $115-135M domestic opening, banking on great reviews (87% RT) and commanding over a third of all U.S. showtimes.

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