🎬 Here Comes the Hard Part

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👋 Good morning! Prime Video is taking the "gaming IP wars" in an unexpected direction. Instead of another big-budget game adaptation, they're launching ‘Secret Level’—an anthology series that lets them test 15 different gaming universes, from PAC-MAN to God of War, without committing $200M to any single franchise. With ‘Love, Death & Robots’ creator Tim Miller steering the ship and Schwarzenegger and Keanu on board, it's a clever workaround to the classic adaptation problem. Check out the trailer here.

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:

• A24 & Neon Face a Challenging 2025

• AFM Vegas Edition Backfires

• Disney Earnings Highlights

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

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

CLOSEUP
🎬 Indies crushed 2024. Now comes the hard part…

Both A24 and Neon reached new box office heights in 2024, with A24's ‘Civil War’ landing a $25M opening and Neon's ‘Longlegs’ pulling in $17M—both companies' biggest launches ever. A24 kept the momentum going with ‘Heretic's’ recent $10M+ debut, and they're gearing up for their biggest swing yet: 2025 brings ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘The Smashing Machine,’ each packing a $70M budget and major star power with Timothée Chalamet and Dwayne Johnson.

The stars aligned for indie film companies in 2024:

• Major studios hit pause after the strikes

• Weak competition in key windows (pre-Thanksgiving, early summer)

• ‘Civil War’ rode strong reviews to nearly $70M total

• ‘Longlegs’ succeeded even against summer blockbusters

• A24 might reach $200M domestic annual total if ‘Y2K’ delivers in December

But just as these indie studios/distributors prepare for 2025, the playing field's about to get a lot more crowded. Here’s what they’re up against:

• Disney is returning to theaters with a full slate of Marvel films

• Warner Bros. has lined up multiple films from prestigious directors

• Universal Pictures plans to release nearly 20 films throughout the year

• AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron said last week that 2025 will see the most competitive theatrical calendar in years

The two companies are taking markedly different approaches to the challenges ahead. While A24 is betting big on star-driven, high-budget films, Neon is doubling down on its genre strengths with horror films and thrillers, already scheduling three such releases for early 2025.

The bigger picture: 2024 proved these companies could play in the big leagues when given room to run. But 2025 is when we'll really see if their mainstream ambitions can survive—especially for A24, as they transition from acclaimed indie hits to big-budget contenders. The true test isn't just making bigger movies—it's competing for audience attention when Hollywood's heavyweights are back in full force.

WIDESHOT
🎬 AFM backfires, and Disney reports earnings…

🎬🏨 AFM's Vegas gamble is backfiring. After relocating from its longtime Santa Monica home this year, major film companies—including Lionsgate, FilmNation, and Neon International—are staging a dramatic exit from the Vegas market in 2025. The powerhouse group's not mincing words: The Palms Resort is a flop, plagued by endless elevator lines and lackluster amenities. The complaints aren't isolated—two dozen industry executives and buyers at the event slammed everything from costly accommodations to the venue's dead atmosphere. While the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), AFM's organizer, defends their Vegas choice (citing LA hotels being unavailable due to 2028 Olympics renovations), the sellers aren't buying it. They're already planning their own competing LA market, aiming to schedule just before AFM's dates. The companies say they'll consider returning if AFM relocates back to LA, but sources suggest that's a long shot for 2025. For indie film's crucial November gathering, this growing divide could reshape how business gets done.

🎬📊 Disney announced their fiscal Q4 numbers yesterday, and after a tumultuous year that included activist investor Nelson Peltz trying to shake up the board and Bob Iger promising a major streaming turnaround, it looks like the Mouse House might have its groove back. Here are some highlights:

• 💰 The Numbers Look Good: Disney made $22.6B in the last three months, up 6% from last year, sending the stock price soaring after the announcement.

• 🎬 Movie Studio Rebounds: After spending last year apologizing for flops like ‘The Marvels’ and ‘Indiana Jones,’ Iger's "quality over quantity" strategy is paying off. The studio swung from losses to a $316M profit thanks to ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ breaking records.

• 🎯 Streaming’s Turnaround: Disney's streaming business posted a $253M profit (up from a $420M loss last year) and added 4.4M new subscribers. Fun fact: Iger accidentally revealed on a hot mic that 6 out of 10 new U.S. subscribers are picking the cheaper version with ads.

• 📺 Cable TV Keeps Shrinking: Traditional TV networks like ESPN and Disney Channel lost millions of viewers to cord-cutting, but the good news is streaming growth is making up for these losses.

• 💼 CEO Stock Sale: Iger plans to sell up to $41M worth of his Disney shares, which he received as part of his 2014 compensation package. The timing isn't random—executives typically sell right after earnings to avoid any insider trading concerns.

• 💸 Big Spending Plans: Disney's planning to spend a whopping $24B on new movies and TV shows in the next year.

• 🎯 Looking Ahead: Big moves are coming in 2025: ESPN is launching its own streaming service, Disney's cracking down on password sharing, and they're hunting for a new CEO before Iger retires in 2026.

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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Lady Gaga joins Jenna Ortega in Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ S2. (more)

• Sophie Turner is in talks to play Lara Croft in Amazon MGM’s upcoming ‘Tomb Raider’ series, developed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. (more)

• Craig Melvin has been named the new co-anchor of NBC’s ‘Today’ show following Hoda Kotb’s departure. (more)

• Renny Harlin takes over as director for ‘The Beast,’ an action thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson, Joel Kinnaman, and Guy Burnet. (more)

• Hope Davis, Bill Camp, Gaby Hoffmann, and Rhenzy Feliz join the cast of Kelly Reichardt’s period art heist film ‘The Mastermind.’ (more)

• Haley Lu Richardson joins Emilia Clarke in Peacock’s Cold War espionage thriller ‘PONIES.’ (more)

• Richard E. Grant, Emily Mortimer, Charles Dance, and Fiona Shaw join Netflix’s ‘Ladies First,’ a comedy directed by Thea Sharrock. (more)

• Jay Baruchel reunites with ‘Goon’ director Michael Dowse for comedy ‘The Stunt Driver.’ (more)

• Kaley Cuoco’s comedy ‘Kansas City Star,’ created by ‘Hacks’ team Aniello, Downs, and Statsky, is close to a series order at HBO, following a competitive bidding process. (more)

• Anonymous Content signs ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ filmmakers Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, whose innovative SXSW-winning documentary blends ‘Hamlet’ with ‘Grand Theft Auto’ gameplay. (more)

• Emma Roberts and Marci Klein are teaming up with Candace Bushnell to adapt her novel ‘One Fifth Avenue’ into a TV series. (more)

Renewed & Canceled ✅ ❌

• ‘Reasonable Doubt’ is renewed for S3 at Hulu. (more)

• ‘Tribunal Justice’ is renewed for S3 by Amazon. (more)

Business 🤝

• Disney settles a significant pay equity class action, avoiding a 2025 trial and potentially massive payouts. (more)

• Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao rebuffs Paramount’s demand for a “nearly 50%” price cut in a contract dispute, defending the value of Nielsen’s services. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Thailand plans to boost its filming rebate to 30% after meetings with Hollywood execs, aiming to attract more U.S. productions and increase local economic impact. (more)

• Get brain food, delivered daily — 518,647 curious minds trust the Refind newsletter to feed them the internet’s most interesting stories. (more)*

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RELEASE RADAR
📅 What to watch this weekend?

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Red One: Holiday action-comedy with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans teaming up to save Santa Claus.

📺 STREAMING

• Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: (Netflix) Live boxing special tonight featuring YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul against legendary heavyweight Mike Tyson.

• Silo: (Apple TV+) Dystopian sci-fi series returns with Rebecca Ferguson leading an underground society, featuring a new cast addition in Steve Zahn.

• Landman: (Paramount+) Oil industry drama from Taylor Sheridan starring Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore.

• Dune: Prophecy: (HBO Max) Prequel series set 10,000 years before ‘Dune’ with Emily Watson and Olivia Williams.

• Bad Sisters (Apple TV+) Black comedy thriller from creator Sharon Horgan, starring Anne-Marie Duff and Claes Bang, returning for S2.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

Amazon's mega-budget holiday entry 'Red One' is targeting a $30-35M debut this weekend, while 'Venom: The Last Dance' looks to add another $7-10M in its fourth frame as it nears $400M globally. ‘Best Christmas Pageant Ever' should leverage its strong word-of-mouth (A CinemaScore) for a $5-8M second weekend. The total box office is projected to land between $50-70M as theaters prep for the incoming "Moanapocalypse" when 'Wicked,' 'Gladiator II,' and 'Moana 2' all storm theaters within days of each other starting November 22nd.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest viral moments