🎬 Keep It Clean

Presented by

👋 Good morning! The New York Times just launched its ambitious ranking of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century, polling over 500 filmmakers and industry heavyweights like Pedro Almodóvar, Sofia Coppola, and Guillermo del Toro. They're rolling out the results daily. We've got #100 through #41 so far, with the next 20 dropping tomorrow. ‘Superbad’ kicked things off at #100, ‘Memories of Murder’ at #99, ‘Whiplash’ at #60, and ‘Amélie’ sneaking in at #41. Social media is predictably divided on pretty much everything.

Welcome to The Dailies. Every M/W/F we beam the industry's most crucial updates straight to your inbox. Stumbled in accidentally? Make it official and sign up here.

CLOSEUP
😂 Family comedy’s about to have its moment…

When's the last time you saw a genuinely funny, clean comedy in theaters? While Hollywood churns out R-rated raunch and superhero spectacles, Nate Bargatze noticed an entire audience has been left behind.

The world's top touring comedian is stepping back from his lucrative arena standup shows to build Nateland Entertainment, a media empire focused entirely on family-friendly content. Here’s what he’s working on:

• ‘The Breadwinner,’ a family comedy for TriStar that Bargatze co-wrote and stars in

• 5-7 feature scripts in development, plus multiple TV series including game shows and animation

• Turning Nashville into an entertainment and comedy hub (with lobbying support and direct access to Tennessee's governor and legislative leaders)

• A talent incubator supporting the next generation of clean comedians

The financing workaround: Studio money for family films is hard to find? Brand money isn't.‘The Breadwinner’ has landed 11-12 major sponsors, including Walmart, General Mills, and KFC. Producer and former Marvel exec Jeremy Latcham says he's never seen more incoming calls from brands on any project, including ‘The Avengers.’ Turns out there's massive demand for association with clean, family-friendly content.

The bigger picture: It's perfect timing. PG-rated films just had their biggest year in decades, outgrossing PG-13 movies for the first time since the 2000s ($3.18B vs $2.88B in 2024). Family comedies used to be box office gold—think Robin Williams in ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ or Steve Martin in ‘Cheaper by the Dozen.’ But studios largely abandoned the genre, and PG became seen as too limiting, or not "cool enough" for teens who wanted something edgier. That left families with kids scrambling for something to watch together that won't make anyone uncomfortable.

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR

This headshot tool is changing how people get hired

Before anyone reads your resume, they see your photo. And if your headshot doesn’t scream “credible, confident, professional” — you’re getting skipped.

InstaHeadshots is the world’s most realistic AI headshot generator. Just upload a few selfies, and in 5 minutes, get over 100 stunning, studio-quality headshots in multiple styles — perfect for LinkedIn, CVs, websites, and more.

No awkward photoshoots. No fancy camera needed. Just better opportunities, starting with a better photo.

✅ Want to stand out like 150,000+ professionals from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, and more?

Create your Headshots Now

CLOSEUP
🎬 California just opened the vault for Hollywood…

California just locked in a massive $750M annual expansion of its film tax credit program—more than doubling the current $330M cap. Legislative leaders agreed to Gov. Newsom's expansion proposal, marking a decisive move in the nationwide battle for Hollywood productions.

A companion bill still in the works (AB1138) would bump base tax credits from 20% to 35% (or up to 40% if you’re willing to film outside LA), plus the program now covers sitcoms, animation, and big competition shows. It's projected to support 40-50% more film jobs.

The announcement came just hours after California handed out $96M in credits to 48 productions:

• 5 studio films grabbed $48M total, including Sony's ‘One of Them Days’ sequel ($8M) and Warner Bros.' ‘Blow Up the Chat’ ($6.9M)

• Netflix scored big: $20M for some untitled film (likely the rumored Fincher-Pitt project), representing over 20% of the total pot

• 43 independent films took the remaining $46M—the indie-heavy slant reflects how big-budget studio films increasingly opt for cheaper locations with better incentives

• About half the productions will shoot outside LA County—a telling sign of the industry's geographic spread.

Meanwhile, Texas makes its move: While California was figuring out its budget, the Lone Star State committed to $150M in film incentives annually through 2035—that’s a guaranteed $1.5B over the next decade. The program comes with some very Texas touches: bonus credits for "family values" content and hard passes on anything that makes Texas look bad.

Looking ahead… California lawmakers vote Friday to make the $750M official, with the companion bill expected to pass by early July. It's a massive bet that throwing money at Hollywood will keep the cameras rolling locally, but California's just playing catch-up in an arms race that's escalating quickly. New York's already at $800M annually, Georgia's been playing this game for years, and international locations keep sweetening their deals.

LAST LOOKS
Film Development 🗒️

• Doug Liman is set to direct a feature adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ for Paramount, marking the first film version of the epic novel. (more)

• Noah Gardner & Aidan Fitzgerald will write the live-action ‘Magic: The Gathering’ movie for Legendary and Hasbro Entertainment. (more)

• Callina Liang lands the role of Chun-Li in Legendary’s live-action ‘Street Fighter’ adaptation. (more)

• Tom Segura will star in and produce ‘El Tigre,’ an R-rated comedy about a tourist mistaken for a cartel boss, directed by Tyler Cornack. (more)

• Netflix is developing end-of-the-world thriller ‘Dawn,’ based on Neal Shusterman’s short story, adapted by the writers of ‘A Minecraft Movie.’ (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios and Scott Stuber are developing action-thriller ‘The Seventh Man,’ a new project from ‘Carry On’ writer T.J. Fixman. (more)

• Janus Films acquires Cannes prizewinner ‘Two Prosecutors,’ Sergei Loznitsa’s haunting thriller set during Stalin’s Great Purge. (more)

• The CW orders six primetime movies based on Harlequin novels. (more)

• Hannah Friedman has been tapped to adapt ‘Yesteryear’ for Amazon MGM Studios, with Anne Hathaway set to star and produce. (more)

TV Development 📺

• Johnny Knoxville will host Fox’s reboot ‘Fear Factor: The Next Chapter.’ (more)

• Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden will lead Netflix’s ‘Trinity,’ a conspiracy thriller from ‘Bodyguard’ creator Jed Mercurio. (more)

• Alan Ritchson teams with Bunim/Murray for ‘Predator vs. Prey,’ a survival competition series pitting reality TV all-stars against each other. (more)

• WBD acquires Stephen King’s ‘The Institute’ for HBO Max in Europe, with the thriller series set to premiere this July across several territories. (more)

• ‘MobLand’ is renewed for S2 by Paramount+. (more)

• ‘Ransom Canyon’ is renewed for S2 at Netflix. (more)

Business 🤝

• UTA appoints Darnell Strom to lead its London office, aiming to expand the agency’s global footprint across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. (more)

• Paramount+ has dropped the Showtime name from its ad-free tier, now rebranded as ‘Paramount+ Premium.’ (more)

• Jilly Pearce joins ABC and Hulu as SVP of Unscripted Programming, overseeing series across both platforms under Rob Mills. (more)

Other News 🚨

• ‘South Park’ creators threaten legal action against incoming Paramount president Jeff Shell over alleged interference in streaming negotiations. (more)

• NBA Finals Game 7 drew 16.35M viewers, giving ABC its biggest Finals audience since 2019. (more)

• Anthropic wins key ruling as a judge says using copyrighted books to train Claude AI qualifies as fair use—but piracy claims still head to trial. (more)

INTERMISSION: A MESSAGE FROM BABBEL
This 10-minute habit could change your next trip

Swap the scroll for a skill that actually sticks. During Babbel’s Summer Solstice Sale, you can save 60% and start learning a new language the easy, fast, and fun way—with quick lessons you can take anywhere. In just a few weeks, you’ll go from 'tourist' to 'local-ish.

VIDEO VILLAGE
📺 Latest trailers

MARTINI SHOT
🍸 Latest viral moments