🎬 New Critics

👋 Good morning! The FTC just dropped a bombshell for streamers and subscription services: the new "click-to-cancel" rule. The gist? If you can sign up with one click, you should be able to leave just as easily. No more hiding the "unsubscribe" button or forcing customers through a gauntlet of retention offers. For platforms, it's time to rethink those sticky UI tricks and focus on keeping subscribers the old-fashioned way—with killer content and seamless user experience. Retention teams, start your engines!

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:

• Netflix Q3 Earnings

• Blumhouse Goes AI

• Hollywood’s New Critics

• 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
📺📈 Netflix dropped its Q3 earnings report…

The results, unveiled yesterday through a shareholder letter and live-streamed earnings interview, paint a picture of a company navigating industry challenges while still maintaining strong growth. Here’s the TL;DR:

Current performance:

• 📊 Subscriber Growth: Netflix reeled in 5M new viewers, hitting a whopping 282.7M globally. Not too shabby, but a bit of a slow-mo compared to last year's 8.76M growth spurt.

• 💰 Strong Financials: The coffers are overflowing! Total revenue jumped to $9.83B, up 15% from last year. Profits also soared, with Netflix earning $2.36B, which is 41% more than the same period last year.

• 📺 Content Performance: Netflix admitted 2024's lineup has been "patchier than normal" due to last year's strikes. Still, hits like 'Emily in Paris' S4, 'Nobody Wants This,' and 'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' kept the views rolling in.

Strategies & future outlook:

• 💼 Ad Tier Leveling Up: The budget-friendly ad plan is a hit. In markets where it's available, more than half of new subscribers are choosing it. The number of people on this plan grew by 35% compared to last quarter.

• 💳 Price Hike Alert: Netflix is upping prices in Japan and parts of EMEA, with Italy and Spain next on the list. Gotta fund those blockbusters somehow!

• 🎮 Future Bets: Netflix is doubling down on ads and gaming. Could we see a 'Stranger Things' RPG soon?

• 🎯 Shots Fired at Competitors: Netflix threw shade at rivals' bundling strategies, saying they "lack our breadth of content." The streaming giant flexed its diverse offerings, including series, films, games, and live events, all in one package.

🔮 Looking ahead: Netflix is bullish on its future, forecasting $43B-$44B revenue for 2025 with a 28% margin. They're planning to stop reporting subscriber numbers and average revenue per member starting Q1 2025, likely to shift focus to financial metrics over user counts. The market's digging it—shares are up 46% this year. On the talent front, Ted Sarandos shut down rumors of a major shift in their compensation model. While they might cut some "bespoke deals," Netflix isn't planning to move to a model where talent gets less upfront and more on the back end.

WIDESHOT
🎬 Blumhouse goes AI & Hollywood’s new critics…

🎬🤖 Hollywood's AI divide deepens as Blumhouse partners with Meta. AI has been a hot-button topic for a while, with the industry split on whether it's the next big thing or a creative apocalypse. Now, some heavy hitters are stepping into the AI ring, while others are sticking to their old-school guns.

Behind the Scenes:

• Blumhouse is test-driving Meta's Movie Gen, an AI tool that whips up 16-second videos from text prompts.

• Directors like Casey Affleck and Aneesh Chaganty are already experimenting with the technology, with Chaganty's AI-assisted short 'i h8 ai' showcasing its potential.

• Lionsgate's not sleeping on this trend either. They announced a partnership with Runway AI last month to explore new frontiers in filmmaking and marketing.

On the Flip Side: Not everyone's ready to embrace generative AI.

• When internet chatter suggested A24's upcoming fantasy epic 'The Legend of Ochi' used AI for its fantastical visuals, director Isaiah Saxon shut them down hard. He proudly touted six years of "handmade work," including puppetry and matte paintings.

• This stance represents a broader resistance among many filmmakers who want to keep AI out of human creativity, preferring time-honored techniques.

The Bottom Line: As AI tools proliferate, the industry faces a fork in the road: embrace the tech revolution or stick to traditional techniques?

🎭🤳 Hollywood's new critics are on TikTok. Studios are increasingly sidelining traditional film critics in favor of social media influencers for early movie screenings and reviews.

Behind the Scenes:

• Disney screened 'Alien: Romulus' for influencers at D23 this year, helping propel the film to a $350M box office on an $80M budget.

• Lionsgate has even implemented embargo systems allowing influencers to share thoughts on films before professional critics.

• Rising stars like Juju Green (3.1M followers) have gone from TikTok breakdowns to hosting the Oscars' red carpet.

• Megan Cruz (587K followers) parlayed her following into a Landmark Theatres partnership and a new film podcast.

The Flip Side: Not everyone's thrilled with this TikTok takeover.

• Critics argue this practice undermines film culture for short-term gains.

• Questions arise about influencers maintaining review integrity while receiving perks like merch and travel.

The Bottom Line: As studios chase that viral magic, influencers' bite-sized, relatable content is helping break through the noise. Whether this trend is the future of film promo or just another flash in the pan remains to be seen, but for now, Hollywood's red carpet is rolling out for the TikTok crowd.

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LAST LOOKS
Development 🗒️

• Josh Brolin has been cast as the villain opposite Glen Powell in Edgar Wright’s reimagining of ‘The Running Man’ for Paramount. (more)

• David Corenswet is in talks to star as John Tuggle in ‘Mr. Irrelevant,’ a sports drama directed by Jonathan Levine for Skydance Sports. (more)

• Mattel Films, Sony Pictures, and Escape Artists are developing a live-action ‘View-Master’ movie. (more)

• Jason Fuchs is set to co-write Netflix’s feature adaptation of Kazu Kibuishi’s ‘Amulet’ graphic novel series. (more)

• A24 is adapting Stephen King’s ‘Fairy Tale’ into a 10-episode series, with Paul Greengrass and J.H. Wyman leading the project. (more)

• Mamoudou Athie is in final talks to join Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in ‘The Drama,’ an upcoming A24 film directed by Kristoffer Borgli. (more)

• Brian Williams will host a live, non-partisan election night special on Prime Video on Nov. 5. (more)

• Akela Cooper, writer of ‘M3GAN,’ will adapt the horror comic ‘The Lot’ for Bad Idea. (more)

• Amazon is recasting new leads for ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ S2, with Billie Eilish rumored to be in the mix. (more)

• Sony and Amazon are restarting their ‘God of War’ series for Prime Video after the departure of executive producers Rafe Judkins, Hawk Ostby, and Mark Fergus, with plans to hire a new writers’ room. (more)

Renewed & Canceled ✅ ❌

• ‘Shrinking’ is renewed for S3 at Apple TV+. (more)

• ‘Project Runway’ has been renewed for S21 and will move from Bravo to Disney’s Freeform, with episodes also streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. (more)

• ‘Rick and Morty’ has been renewed through S12 at Adult Swim. (more)

Business 🤝

• Dennis Miller has stepped down as CW President after two years, with Brad Schwartz expected to succeed him. (more)

• Vice Media is bouncing back from bankruptcy with plans to launch a new production finance facility by year-end, positioning itself as a “one-stop studio shop.” (more)

Other News 🚨

• Film production in Los Angeles dropped 5% in Q3 2024, marking the weakest quarter of the year and a 36.4% decline from the five-year average, according to FilmLA. (more)

RELEASE RADAR
📅 What to watch this weekend?

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Smile 2: Psychological supernatural horror sequel starring Naomi Scott, directed by Parker Finn.

• Anora: Palme d'Or-winning romantic comedy-drama from director Sean Baker, starring Mikey Madison

• We Live in Time: Romantic drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh goes wide this weekend.

• Goodrich: Comedy starring Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis, directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer.

• Rumours: Black comedy directed by Guy Maddin, featuring Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander.

• Exhibiting Forgiveness: Emotional drama directed by Titus Kaphar, starring André Holland, and featuring Andra Day and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

📺 STREAMING

• Shrinking: (Apple TV+) S2 of the comedy series starring Jason Segel alongside Harrison Ford, with new episodes releasing weekly.

• The Lincoln Lawyer: (Netflix) Legal drama returns for S3, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller.

• Rivals: (Hulu) Drama series based on Jilly Cooper's novel, starring David Tennant and Alex Hassell as rival TV moguls in rural England.

• A Great Day with J Balvin: (Peacock) Docuseries following Colombian reggaeton star J. Balvin as he explores life's secrets with celebrity friends.

• The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh: (Prime Video) Comedy series following an Indian family's move to Pittsburgh, starring Sahana Srinivasan and Naveen Andrews.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

Looks like ‘Smile 2’ is gearing up to rule the box office this weekend, with forecasts hovering around the high teens to low $20M mark—they're gunning to match the original's $22M opening. But here's the twist: ‘Terrifier 3’ is throwing a wrench in the predictions. It's heading into round two after a killer $18.9M debut, though it'll likely take a 50%+ hit, landing somewhere in the $7-10M range.

Meanwhile, ‘The Wild Robot’ is still chugging along in week four, eyeing $6-10M. Newbies ‘Goodrich’ and ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’ are looking at about $2M each in limited release, while ‘Anora’ and ‘We Live in Time’ expand.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest viral moments