🎬 Comeback Plan

👋 Good morning! ComicCon has come to an end in San Diego. From face-huggers giving attendees jump scares to ‘The Bear’s’ pop up restaurant, it was like Disneyland for film geeks on steroids.

Whether you're a seasoned subscriber or a new arrival, we're thrilled to have you here. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we'll deliver the most important industry scoops directly to your inbox.

🎞 Here’s what’s on the reel today:

• Marvel’s Comeback Plan

• Peacock Goes for Gold

• Crew Union Deal

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

• Video Village: The latest trailers

• Martini Shot 🍸

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

LAST WEEKEND’S
🎟️ BOX OFFICE BREAKDOWN 🎟️

1. 🦸‍♂️ Deadpool & Wolverine: Marvel’s dynamic duo shatters records with a $205M domestic opening and $438.3M globally, marking the highest R-rated opening ever. Viewers love it: 97% audience score.

2. 🌪 Twisters: Holding strong at #2, ‘Twisters’ pulls in $35.3M domestically in its second weekend, bringing its total to $154.9M domestically and $221.3M globally.

3. 🦸‍♂️ Despicable Me 4: Added $14.2M domestically for a total of $290.9M.

4. 🧠 Inside Out 2: Pixar’s sequel takes another $8.3M domestically, pushing its total to an impressive $613.41M globally.

5. 🔪 Longlegs: Reached $58.6M domestically to become the highest-grossing indie horror film of the last decade and Neon's top-grossing release ever.

6. 🧟‍♂️ A Quiet Place: Day One: Paramount’s prequel to the horror hit adds $3.03M domestically, bringing its total to $134.23M.

7. 🚓 Bad Boys: Ride or Die: Sony’s action-packed sequel crosses the $200M mark overseas, with a total global haul of $395.2M.

8. 💄 The Fabulous Four: Debuts with a modest $1M. The critics and audiences agree: it’s a miss.

9. 🚀 Fly Me to the Moon: Dropping 77%, this Sony title only adds $750K domestically, totaling $19.1M.

10. 🎬 MaXXXine: A24’s latest only manages $232K, dropping 72% for a total of $14.6M.

The Big Picture: The summer box office is sizzling with over-performers as this weekend's $278M haul demonstrates—the best of 2024 and a 23.1% jump from last year. ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ shattered expectations, becoming the eighth-biggest domestic opening of all time and pushing the Marvel Cinematic Universe past the $30B mark globally. Reynolds himself called it “the first 4-quadrant, R-rated film.”

This trend of exceeding projections follows the success of ‘Twisters’ and ‘Inside Out 2,’ while indie sensation ‘Longlegs’ continues to impress as Neon's top release ever.

🦸‍♂️🎬 Looks like Marvel’s mid-life crisis might be over. While ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is busy making it rain at the box office, Marvel dropped some serious bombs at Comic-Con:

• Robert Downey Jr. returns as Doctor Doom in two new Avengers films. (more)

• Russo brothers to direct ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ (2026) and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ (2027). (more)

• Marvel’s ‘Fantastic Four’ titled ‘The Fantastic 4: First Steps’ will feature a retro 1960s vision and Galactus as the villain. (more)

• ‘Thunderbolts’ film coming Dec. 2024, starring Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan. (more)

• ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ set for Feb. 2025, featuring Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford. (more)

After a rough patch, Marvel's flexing hard to reclaim its crown. Bringing back heavy hitters like RDJ and the Russos shows they're not messing around. This lineup could make or break Disney's bank account and set the tone for superhero flicks for years to come. Plus, with A-listers joining and ‘Deadpool’ crushing it, looks like theaters are still very much in the game. The big question: Can Marvel spark that Infinity War-level fan frenzy again?

🦚🥇 Peacock is going for gold at the Paris Olympics. NBCUniversal’s streaming underdog is throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Paris 2024 Games, hoping to turn their 33M subscribers into a medal-worthy haul. Their secret weapons?

• ‘Gold Zone’: NFL RedZone guru Scott Hanson brings his whip-around magic to the Olympics. Expect rapid-fire coverage jumping between events faster than a caffeinated gymnast on a floor routine.

• AI Al Michaels: They're using artificial intelligence to recreate the legendary broadcaster's voice for personalized daily recaps. Real Al's reaction? "In the next life, I'm going to need a new profession."

• Choose Your Own Adventure: Viewers can customize their Olympic experience on Peacock, switching between live events faster than you can say "synchronized swimming."

• TikTok Takeover: Influencers get VIP access to create viral Olympic content.

They're betting this high-tech Olympics blitz will hook viewers long after the flame fizzles out, keeping them around for NFL action, NBA drama, and ‘Law & Order’ marathons.

🎬🤝 Hollywood Basic Crafts unions just scored a win. The unions - representing 7,600 workers including drivers, electricians, animal trainers, and more - reached a tentative deal with studios, avoiding a strike mere days before the deadline. While details are still under wraps, fair wages were reportedly the main focus. This agreement, following IATSE's recent deal, suggests the industry's labor disputes are cooling off. It's good news for production schedules and wallets alike. What's next? The devil's in the details, and those details are coming soon. After that, it's voting time. Union members will need to ratify the agreement, turning this "tentative" deal into a done deal. If history's any indicator, it'll likely pass - but in Hollywood, you never know until the final cut.

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Development 🗒️

• Warner Bros. is eyeing Steven Caple Jr. to direct ‘I Am Legend 2.’ (more)

• Steve Zahn joins ‘Silo’ for its second season, premiering Nov. 15 on Apple TV+. (more)

• Prime Video orders ‘The Boys’ prequel series ‘Vought Rising,’ starring Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash. (more)

• ‘Doctor Who’ spin-off ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea’ starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Russell Tovey is coming to Disney+. (more)

• BritBox International and Playground are developing a new ‘Inspector Lynley’ series starring Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay. (more)

• Paramount+ orders ‘Dexter: Resurrection’ and prequel ‘Dexter: Original Sin,’ with Michael C. Hall reprising his role. (more)

• Image comic ‘NO/ONE’ and its companion podcast are being adapted into a feature film. (more)

• Glen Powell set as voice guest star on ‘Family Guy’. (more)

• New ‘Star Trek’ series in the works from Justin Simien, Tawny Newsome. (more)

✅ Renewed & Canceled ❌

• Prime Video renews ‘Hazbin Hotel,’ ‘Invincible,’ and ‘Sausage Party: Foodtopia’ for additional seasons. (more)

• Hulu renews ‘Solar Opposites’ for S6 ahead of S5’s premiere. (more)

• Prime Video cancels ‘American Rust’ after S2, marking its second cancellation following a brief run on Showtime. (more)

• AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’ is renewed for S3. (more)

• Hulu cancels ‘Life & Beth’ after S2. (more)

Business 🤝

• Warner Bros. Discovery is suing the NBA for rejecting its rights proposal, opting for deals with Amazon, NBC, and Disney instead. (more)

• Amazon MGM Studios partners with Scott Stuber to relaunch United Artists, marking a significant new chapter for both Stuber and the iconic UA brand. (more)

• A proposed class-action lawsuit claims Paramount’s $8B merger with Skydance Media will cost shareholders $1.65B, favoring Shari Redstone’s interests. (more)