🎬 Chris Nolan Announces Retirement

👋 Good morning! Happy April Fools’ Day… and no, Chris Nolan isn’t actually retiring. 😂😉 Stay sharp out there against epic pranks — like last year, when the r/movies subreddit morphed into a full-blown Mads Mikkelsen tribute. Today, we dive into Hollywood’s latest, so while you’re dodging those pranks, we’ve got the reel scoop.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Game On, Hollywood

• IATSE Negotiations Update

• YouTube TV’s Breakthrough

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

• Martini Shot 🍸

But first, let’s take a look at what happened at the box office this past weekend!

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. 🦖 Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire: Dominates with $80M in the U.S., hitting $194M globally, second-best Monsterverse debut.

2. 👻 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: Drops to $15.7M domestically, totaling $108.5M worldwide, feeling the chill in its second week.

3. 🌌 Dune: Part Two: Holds with $11.1M in the U.S., surpassing $626.1M total globally, maintaining its epic saga status.

4. 🐼 Kung Fu Panda 4: Earns $10.2M domestically, tallying $151.6M total, continues its steady performance.

5. 🙏 Immaculate: Collects $3.3M in the U.S., reaching $11.1M overall, holding its ground in week two.

6. 🇮🇳 Tillu Square: Impresses with $2.5M debut in just 450 theaters.

7. 🐕 Arthur the King: Gathers $2.4M domestically, with a total of $19.1M, trailing behind in its third week.

8. 😈 Late Night with the Devil: Secures $2.2M domestically, totaling $6.3M, keeping its niche appeal.

9. 🎬 Crew: Debuts with $1.7M domestically, making a solid entry for Funasia Films.

10. 🧸 Imaginary: Slips to $1.4M in the U.S., with a $26.2M total, fading in its fourth week.

🎬🎮 Game On, Hollywood: As Hollywood faces superhero fatigue, it’s eyeing the video game industry’s $56.6B market for its next blockbuster wave. With recent superhero disappointments like ‘Madame Web’ and ‘The Marvels,’ industry insiders see video game adaptations as a fresh narrative source, especially after successes like ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ and ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s.’ The upcoming releases like ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3,’ ‘Borderlands,’ and ‘Minecraft’ are buzzing with anticipation, signaling a promising horizon. Plus, with Disney’s colossal $1.5B investment in Epic Games, the creators of ‘Fortnite,’ it's clear that the industry is betting big on this transition. These interactive digital worlds are becoming as iconic and storytelling-rich as traditional film narratives, offering Hollywood a new realm of expansive, untapped potential to explore and monetize.

🎥🤝 IATSE Negotiations Update: IATSE and the studios are deliberately taking their time at the negotiation table. The prolonged pace of dialogue aims to cultivate trust and understanding, minimizing strike risk and ensuring the industry’s wheels keep turning. They’re doing this by adopting a new rhythm, with two locals negotiating simultaneously. Tentative agreements have been reached by six locals of IATSE:

• Hair Stylists & Make-Up Artists (Local 706): 💇‍♀️

• Grips, Craft Services & Medics (Local 80): 🍔

• Sound & Video Crew (Local 695): 🎤

• Cinematographers (Local 600): 🎥

• Art Directors (Local 800): 🛠️

• Set Painters & Sign Writers (Local 729): 🎨

These preliminary deals tackle specific craft concerns and act as building blocks towards a comprehensive agreement, nudging the broader negotiation process forward. Yet, the big-ticket items like wage hikes, work hours, and tech’s role in film are still on the table. With the negotiation journey extended, there's cautious optimism for a comprehensive agreement that aligns with the aspirations of Hollywood's varied guilds and crafts.

📺💸YouTube TV's Big Breakthrough: YouTube TV is expected to hit a major financial milestone in 2024, breaking even for the first time with a projected operating income of $200M, a significant turnaround from a $300M loss in 2023. This growth trajectory places YouTube TV as a key player in the pay-TV landscape, now boasting 8M subscribers and on track to become the largest pay-TV provider in the U.S. by outpacing traditional cable giants by 2026. With revenues predicted to soar to nearly $11B by 2026, YouTube TV's rapid expansion signifies a transformative shift in how audiences consume TV.

Development 🗒️

• Selena Gomez's new show 'Selena + Restaurant' debuts on Food Network. (more)

• Alex Garland hints at retiring from directing after his latest project 'Civil War.' (more)

• Nisha Ganatra is set to direct Disney's 'Freaky Friday' sequel, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprising their roles. (more)

• Robert Zemeckis' film 'Here' earns record test scores for Sony, set for a Nov. 15 limited release. (more)

• Ariana Madix is the new host of ‘Love Island USA.’ (more)

• ‘Invincible’ recasts Ezra Miller’s role in S2. (more)

• ‘Wolf Man’ delays its release to 2025. (more)

• James Gunn emphasizes quality and script completion before casting for the 'The Authority' DC film, with no set timeline for production. (more)

• Kit Connor, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, and Finn Bennett complete the lead cast of Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland’s upcoming film 'Warfare.' (more)

• Claire Danes stars in Netflix's 'The Beast In Me,’ a series executive produced by Danes, Jodie Foster, Conan O’Brien, Howard Gordon.(more)

• David Robert Mitchell's film ‘Flowervale Street,’ starring Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway, is set for a May 16, 2025 release in IMAX theaters. (more)

• Neil Burger is set to direct and executive produce the first episodes of the Prime Video drama 'Motorheads.’ (more)

• Willem Dafoe will portray David Tebet in Sony's 'SNL 1975.’ (more)

• Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' was screened for distributors at CityWalk IMAX. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘Death and Other Details’ is cancelled at Hulu after S1. (more)

Business 🤝

• Fifth Season conducts layoffs in its film division, outsourcing business affairs and affecting several employees. (more)

• Blackwells Capital sues Disney, alleging undisclosed conflicts with shareholder ValueAct. (more)

Other News 🚨

• Georgia's bill to modify film production tax credits was defeated, maintaining the state's status as a top filming destination. (more)

• Italian film and TV production stalls due to uncertainties in state funding and tax credits, prompting an emergency industry meeting. (more)

• 'Oppenheimer' releases in Japan, eliciting mixed responses. (more)

• Paramount+ axes 10 Nickelodeon shows. (more)