🎬 Further on the Horizon

👋 Good morning! It’s the end of an era for movie rental kiosks. Redbox’s parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, is moving from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 bankruptcy. This means liquidation—bye-bye to all 24,000 Redbox kiosks. Saddled with nearly $1B in debt, it’s a sad farewell to our quick movie night fixes.

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:

• IATSE Contract is Here

• Horizon Sequel Pushed

• NBA’s Monster New Deal

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

• Release Radar: What to watch this weekend

• Video Village 📀

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

TOP STREAMED THIS WEEK IN THE US

IATSE's new tentative agreements are finally ready for a close-up. After two weeks of suspense, the union's released the full agreements to its 70,000 members. The highlights? Wage bumps, AI safeguards, and beefed-up pension plans. However, some members argue that the language around key issues like AI and safety concerns lacks clarity. Critics worry the AI provisions don't go far enough to protect artists from automation. Members will cast their votes from July 14-17, with the final verdict dropping on July 18. The industry's watching to see if this contract will be a hit or a miss.

The dust hasn’t settled, but Kevin Costner and New Line Cinema’s Western epic ‘Horizon’ is already facing an uphill battle. Their ambitious and unconventional plan to release ‘Horizon: Chapter 1’ and its sequel just two months apart has hit a major snag. After the first chapter faceplanted at the box office with a paltry $11M opening, they've pumped the brakes on ‘Chapter 2's’ August release. Turns out, audiences need more time to saddle up for Costner's $100M Western epic. The studio's now scrambling to build buzz for the first film, hoping a PVOD release will give it a second wind. With $38M of Costner's own cash on the line and two more planned installments, the pressure's on to turn this wagon train around.

The NBA just scored some monster deals that'll change how you watch basketball for the next decade. Here's the lowdown on their new $76B, 11-year TV contracts:

• NBC's back in the game, dropping $2.5B a year for 100 games (half exclusively on Peacock).

• Amazon's joining the court with a $1.8B deal for regular season, playoffs, and a piece of the conference finals.

• ESPN/ABC is keeping the Finals, upping their annual spend from $1.5B to $2.6B.

• TNT's on the clock with 4 days to match these offers.

Live sports are still the crown jewel of entertainment, capable of commanding astronomical sums even as traditional TV viewership declines. For fans, it means more viewing options but potentially higher costs as streamers look to recoup their investment. The NBA's big win here could set the stage for other leagues to seek similar deals, potentially reshaping the entire sports media landscape. As for the tech giants, Amazon's growing sports portfolio signals they're dead serious about competing with traditional broadcasters.

Development 🗒️

• Angela Sarafyan will star in and executive produce ‘Ponchik,’ a semi-autobiographical dramedy by Natalie Shirinian. (more)

• Shawn Levy’s upcoming ‘Star Wars’ movie has enlisted Jonathan Tropper, writer of ‘The Adam Project’, to pen the script. (more)

• Zoë Kravitz joins Austin Butler in Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller ‘Caught Stealing’ for Sony Pictures. (more)

• Pressman Film, known for ‘The Crow’ and ‘American Psycho’, is expanding into television with projects from top creators behind ‘The Wire’, ‘Bosch’, and ‘Tehran’. (more)

• Netflix and Rory Kennedy reunite for a sequel to the documentary ‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing.’ (more)

• Daniel Cerone has been named the new showrunner for S4 of ‘The Cleaning Lady.’ (more)

• Sam Claflin and Patrick Stewart will star in ‘Barbaric’, a Netflix series based on the comic, with Sheldon Turner writing and Michael Bay in talks to direct. (more)

• Bill Burr’s next comedy special will air on Hulu as part of its new stand-up comedy initiative. (more)

• Emilia Clarke will star in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming crime drama series ‘Criminal’, based on the graphic novels by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. (more)

• Sony acquires Michael Crichton and James Patterson’s bestseller ‘Eruption’ in a seven-figure deal, with Oscar-winning directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi set to direct. (more)

• Martin Lawrence and WonderHill Studios are developing ‘Young Martin,’ a prequel drama series about a teenage Martin Payne. (more)

• Fat Joe will host and executive produce a new interview series, ‘Fat Joe Talks’, on Starz. (more)

• ‘The Penguin’ and ‘Dune: Prophecy’ will move from Max to HBO, premiering on both the premium cable network and its streaming service. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ will return to ABC for its 10th season in 2025 after a year-long hiatus. (more)

Business 🤝

• Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force has signed a producing deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment. (more)

• CNN will reduce its workforce by about 100 employees as part of CEO Mark Thompson’s “One Newsroom” strategy. (more)

Other News 🚨

• The California Film Commission awards $58M in tax credits to five TV projects, including Ryan Murphy’s ‘All’s Fair’ and an Apple Studios series. (more)

• Sony will not pursue a new bid for Paramount Global during its 45-day “Go Shop” period following Skydance Media’s $8B offer. (more)

• ‘The Boys’ S4 debuted to over 1B viewing minutes on Prime Video, ranking as the third most-watched streaming program of the week. (more)

• US film and TV production is down 40% from pre-strike levels, with global production dropping 20%. (more)

• Ted Miller is leaving CAA after 35 years to start a global management company. (more)

What to watch this weekend? 👀

🎥 THEATRICAL

• Fly Me to the Moon: Rom-com starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum.

• Longlegs: Serial killer horror film starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage.

📺 STREAMING

• Sausage Party: Foodtopia: (Amazon) Animated series serving as a sequel to 2016’s ‘Sausage Party.’

• Skywalkers: A Love Story: (Netflix) Documentary that premiered at Sundance about a couple who climb skyscrapers.

🔮 BOX OFFICE PREVIEW

This weekend, expect ‘Despicable Me 4’ to dominate with a projected $32-38M, riding high on its strong opening despite mixed reviews. Meanwhile, ‘Inside Out 2’ is poised to bring in $18-22M in its fifth week and break more records for Pixar.

The real wildcards are the horror flick ‘Longlegs’ and the rom-com ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ both debuting and battling for the third spot with forecasts of $15-20M and $12-17M respectively.