🎬 Hollywood’s Secret Plan Foiled! 🤖

👋 Good morning! Welcome aboard the Dailies.

We're excited to have you, whether you're a longtime subscriber or a fresh face. Twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, we'll be your trusted guide, taking you on a journey through the world of Hollywood, and bringing you the juiciest industry scoops right to your inbox.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Closeup: Hollywood’s Secret Plan Foiled

• WGA and Studios’ Negotiations Continue

• WGA’s Accusations of Market Control

• Sony Goes for ‘Moderate Release Strategy’

• NYC Pension Funds Issue Warning

• The Oppenheimer IMAX Phenomenon

• Last Looks 👀

• Intermission brought to you by ShotDeck.

• Video Village

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

🎬 Blue Beetle: Warner Bros.' latest superhero flick landed in first place with a $25.4M debut. The film's opening was below other recent DC Extended Universe releases, and the global numbers aren't too dazzling either with just $43.4M. The Hispanic superhero attracted a diverse audience but might need some superpowers to keep up with its predecessors. 🦸📉

👑 Barbie: Still a star, Barbie dazzled with $21.5M this weekend, ranking as the #15 biggest movie of all time. With an impressive total of $567.2M through 31 days, it's running +12% ahead of the Super Mario Bros. Movie. 💅🌟

💣 Oppenheimer: Universal's historical drama brought in $10.6M, holding strong as the #117 biggest movie domestically and #7 biggest R-rated movie. With a global earning of $717.8M, Oppenheimer is closing in on Inception's records, showing that war and history can still win at the box office. 💥🏆

🐢 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: In its third week, the animated action-comedy brought in $8.4M. Though it's outgrossing some franchise predecessors, it's running below the 2014 hit. With $118.4M globally, it's a decent reboot, but not quite a shell-shocker. 🐢💥

🐶 Strays: Universal's talking dog comedy had a ruff start with only $8.3M, trailing behind other August R-rated comedies. While Strays didn't exactly bark up a storm, it did open above July's Joy Ride. Maybe it'll fetch a bit more in the coming weeks? 🐕😬

Hollywood’s Secret Plan Foiled!
Judge Says AI Is NOT Protected by Copyright

In a landmark decision that's turned heads in both the art community and Hollywood, a federal judge has declared that AI-generated art doesn't qualify for copyright protection.

Stephen Thaler, a CEO leading the charge for AI art recognition, came up short with his argument that an AI system can be a sole creator. The judge firmly stated: "No humans, no copyright!" 🚫💁‍♂️

A bit of legal history even joined the conversation: A court once ruled that a monkey's selfie can't be copyrighted, reinforcing the idea that creativity is a uniquely human trait. 🐵📸 The ruling continued to emphasize that human involvement and originality are vital for copyright qualification.

So, what's next on the horizon? This order was delivered amidst debates about AI companies training their systems on copyrighted works. Artists are launching lawsuits, and some firms might have to rethink their use of large language models. 🏛️🔥 However, a glimmer of hope remains for AI-assisted creations, as long as a human is involved in a "sufficiently creative way." 🧠

What does it mean for Hollywood?

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA unions are striking over AI concerns, fearing that tools like ChatGPT could be used by major studios to replace creative professionals. They want an agreement to limit AI to aiding in research or ideas, not generating original content.

But this decision may have just put the brakes on that idea, and may ease some fears by making it less likely that studios will replace human talent with machines. The essence of U.S. copyright law remains human creativity, and that's not about to change anytime soon. 🙌

Whether you're an artist, writer, or tech enthusiast, it seems the message is clear: keep innovating, but remember the human touch!

Hollywood Studios and WGA: Negotiation Dance Continues 🎬💃 Hollywood’s been a hive of activity lately as the top studios and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) continue their negotiations 📑🎥. After four days of back-and-forths last week on big issues like TV staff size and regulating AI, there's still a huge gap between the two sides. They're set to meet again this week. 🗓️✍️ The WGA, co-chaired by Chris Keyser and David Goodman, has thanked members for support and has been hush-hush about the details. 🤫 Studio sources, on the other hand, are feeling optimistic. They’ve hinted at some positive vibes in the talks and noted that prominent executives such as Ted Sarandos of Netflix and Dana Walden of Disney are taking a more direct role in the process. The WGA sent the following memo to its members this past Friday:

Disney, Amazon, Netflix Face Writers Guild's Accusations of Market Control 📺📝 WGA West has released a pointed 15-page antitrust report, targeting industry leaders Disney, Amazon, and Netflix. This report asserts that these media giants are poised to become the controlling forces, or "the new gatekeepers," in the entertainment landscape. Through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and alleged anti-competitive practices, the WGA West argues that these corporations are shaping what content is produced and how consumers access it. The union is not merely highlighting these concerns; it's actively calling on lawmakers, the Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies to increase regulation and oversight. This comes at a time when the WGA is engaged in a prolonged strike, and the WGA West's director of research has implicated these companies in creating adverse working conditions within the industry. The report’s release amidst ongoing negotiations with major studios marks a significant moment that could influence the dynamics of the industry in the near future.

Sony’s ‘Dumb Money’ Goes for ‘Moderate Release’ Strategy 🎥💰Sony's GameStop-inspired film, ‘Dumb Money,’ is making waves with an unconventional four-step release strategy. 🎬 Kicking off with an exclusive LA and New York release on September 15, the plan will unfold through limited and "moderate" releases before going wide on October 6. This so-called ‘moderate release’ involves opening in fewer than 600 locations as a precursor to the full launch. 🚀 With the SAG-AFTRA strike putting a damper on traditional promotions, this approach aims to create anticipation and buzz. Sony, without a streaming platform, is embracing this innovative route to maximize word of mouth for ‘Dumb Money.’ It's an intriguing strategy that highlights the adaptability of the studio in a challenging marketplace, one that may set a precedent for other Hollywood projects. 📈🎞️

NYC Pension Funds Issue Warning to Studios 🤔🚨 The trustees of New York City's $250 billion pension funds have issued a serious warning to Disney, Paramount, and Comcast. With ongoing strikes by WGA and SAG-AFTRA since May 2 and July 14 respectively, investor confidence is being tested. 📉 NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, on behalf of the pension funds, has sent letters to key industry leaders urging a prompt end to these strikes to ensure the stability of both businesses and shareholders' investments. 💼 The funds, holding millions of shares in these entertainment giants, stress the importance of constructive labor management relations for sustainable shareholder value. There's a clear message here: failure to resolve these underlying business practices could threaten long-term stability, not just for these companies, but for New York City's pension investments as well. 🏙️💰

The ‘Oppenheimer’ IMAX 70mm Phenomenon 🎥🚀 Fans are hitting the road, literally crossing state lines to catch Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" in glorious Imax 70mm. 🚗 Why the frenzy? Only 30 screens worldwide offer this rare format, and folks say the visual experience is beyond compare! 🎞️ IMAX accounted for an impressive 20% of the film's global opening, and the company has even extended the 70mm run due to popular demand. But it’s not all smooth sailing; Imax had to hustle to reinstall and fix 70mm projectors, even hiring 50 film projectionists globally. With younger directors like Jordan Peele and Damien Chazelle also showing interest, IMAX 70mm is gaining momentum, with the CEO vowing to "find more projectors and refurbish them."

• ‘Suits’ has its fourth consecutive week of upwards of 3 billion minutes of watch time. (more)

• Las Vegas is in the midst of a $560 million project to prepare the city for the first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. (more)

• WGA West cancelled today’s pickets ahead of Hurricane Hilary’s arrival. (more)

• ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ release is delayed indefinitely in the UK. (more)

• Polls show that 67% of Americans surveyed support the WGA and SAG strikes. (more)

• The first screeners drop for the Oscar consideration: ‘Air,’ ‘Creed III,’ ‘John Wick 4,’ and more. (more)

• Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ will open San Sebastián Film Festival in September. (more)

• ‘Coraline’ extends its triumphant theatrical return, after raking in $5 million this past Monday and Tuesday. (more)

• Said Roustaee, who has been sentenced to 6 months in prison for the screening of his film at the Canned Film Festival Last year, has received support from several prominent film-makers. (more)

• ‘The Peripheral’ Season 2 is scrapped at Amazon. (more)

• ‘A League of Their Own’ cancelled at Amazon. (more)

• SAG-AFTRA & WGA will hold a “National Day of Solidarity” rally on Tuesday outside Disney Studios. (more)

• New poster emerges for Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon.’ (more)

• Hasbro launched new entertainment division. (more)

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